Ivory Coast
Bordereau de Suivi des Cargaisons
BSCCargo tracking note, validated before loading
Shipments to Ivory Coast need a BSC (Bordereau de Suivi des Cargaisons). The BSC for Ivory Coast must be validated at least 5 days before the vessel arrives.
When is it required?
The BSC for Ivory Coast must be validated at least 5 days before the vessel arrives.
Who applies?
The shipper or the freight forwarder files it.
How long does it take?
Draft the same day once the application is complete.
Ivory Coast BSC guide
Who runs it, where the cargo discharges, and the rules your file is checked against.
- Issuing body
- Office Ivoirien des Chargeurs (OIC)
- Port of discharge
- AbidjanSan Pedro
Rules to know
- The BSC number can be given before validation.
- The consignee must be registered on the Ivorian platform before the BSC can be validated.
- The FDI number must be the same on the FDI and on the insurance certificate.
- The authority does not require the BSC number on the master bill of lading, but some carriers ask for it.
Documents to prepare for Ivory Coast
Tick what you already have. Send them when the list is complete, or send what you have now and we tell you what is missing.
List from our operations team, updated 4 August 2026.
Before you apply
Send your documents, we check them first
Upload the draft bill of lading or invoice. We check the details the BSC needs and tell you what to fix before anything is filed.
- Your files go only to our certificate team.
- You decide whether to apply after our reply.
Ivorian Customs Officials implemented a new requirement in 2005. It stated that a BSC must accompany all shipments to Ivory Coast. And in its absence, you’ll face severe consequences and enormous amounts of penalties. If Ivory Coast isn’t your final destination, in some cases, you are not obliged to have a BSC certificate. Click here to find out more on transit shipments. The BSC certificate is mandatory for all ports in Ivory Coast. Including Port of Abidjan, San Pedro etc.
The number of people who miss and overlook this certificate despite being mandatory and crucial would surprise you.
What is Ivory Coast BSC?
BSC stands for Bordereau de Suivi des Cargaisons, which translates to Electronic Cargo Tracking Note (ECTN) in English. The name itself is quite self-explanatory. The ECTN enables authorities to track, manage, and supervise all cargoes from loading to discharge, and it also provides detailed information about the shipments before they arrive at the destination port. This includes details about the exporter, the importer, information about the transported goods and their value, the cost of the freight, the type of shipment, the name of the vessel, and more.
What are the required documents?
Ivory Coast is very strict about the required documents. Please make sure all of them are correct and complete when applying for a BSC certificate.
- Bill of Lading: It contains details about the exporter, the importer, the weight of the goods, the shipping line, the vessel name, etc.
- Commercial Invoice: It contains the details of the goods, the freight cost, the incoterm, and some other charges if there is any, etc.
- Freight Invoice: This document is only necessary if the freight cost isn’t on the commercial invoice.
- Export Customs Declaration: Customs Officials of the exporter country prepares this document, and it lists the goods being transported and contains some important details of them.
- Packing List: This document contains all the details of the goods, especially the total weight.
- Certificate of Origin: It’s a document that declares the country the goods were manufactured in. It has information about the goods, the destination, and the origin of goods.
- Local Certificate of Insurance: This is a document that the importer has to get from Ivory Coast.
- FDI Document: This is also a document that has to be provided by the importer from Ivory Coast.
What are the consequences of not having this certificate?
You need to provide the validated certificate five days before the shipment at the latest. If not, your cargo won’t have an entry clearance; and will be sent back to the origin. And you’ll be facing a charge twice the amount of the BSC certificate plus $2500 per Bill of Lading.
Pricing
Certificate cost depends on the number of Bill of Ladings and the containers, the country of origin, the port of discharge, etc. This is why we can’t give you an exact price for the CTN. But if you share your shipment’s details with us we can send you an exact quote for your certificate. We offer free quotation.
Memberships and certifications
Membership
Certifications
- ISO 9001:2015Quality management
- ISO 14001Environmental management
- ISO/IEC 27001Information security management
