In accordance with Decree n˚83-744 of 28 July 1983 laying down the conditions for the exercise of professions relating to trade in animals, animal products and animal origin intended for human consumption, the exercise of the profession of animal feed importer is subject to obtaining an Approval issued by a joint Order of the Minister in charge of Trade and the Minister of Animal and Fishery Resources (MIRAH)/Directorate of Livestock Production/Sub-Directorate of Genetic Resources (SDRG) & Sub-Directorate of Animal Health (SDSA).
This prior authorisation should not be confused with the Preliminary Import Authorisation, which is also issued by the Ministry of Animal Resources and Fisheries (MIRAH) for each import operation.
It is also recalled that the import or export of any goods whatsoever requires the prior obtaining of an importer/exporter code (professional or occasional) – see Legal Regimes for Imports and Exports
INSTITUTIONS INVOLVED
Ministère des Ressources Animales et Halieutiques (MIRAH)
Abidjan – Plateau
Immeuble CAISTAB, 11ème étage
BP V 84 – Côte d’Ivoire
Tél : (+225) 20 22 99 30 / (+225) 20 21 34 23
Site Internet : www.ressourcesanimales.gouv.ci
Direction des Productions d’Élevage (DPE)
Sous-Direction des Ressources Génétiques (SDRG) & Sous-Direction de la Santé Animale (SDSA)
Abidjan – Plateau, Cité Administrative, Tour A, 2ème étage
Tél :(+225) 20 22 69 77 / (+225) 20 21 40 16
Direction des Services Vétérinaire (DSV)
Service d’Inspection et de Contrôle Sanitaires Vétérinaires en Frontières (dans les Bureaux des douanes aux frontières y compris Port et Aéroport)
Abidjan – Plateau, Cité Administrative Tour C, 11ème étage
Tél : (+225) 20 21 89 72
AUTHORISATION TO IMPORT
The importation of animal seeds or genetic material is reserved for natural or legal persons who have a license to practice the profession. This authorisation is issued by a joint order of the Minister in charge of Trade and the Minister of Animal and Fishery Resources (MIRAH) – see Decree n°93.312 of 11 March 1993 and Decree n°83-744 of 28 July 1983.
- Procedure
- For a first application
- For a renewal of authorization
Procedure for issuing the authorization
In accordance with Decree n°93-312 of 11 March 1993 setting the conditions for the exercise of professions related to the Trade of Animals and Animal Products and of Animal Origin (DAOA), and Order n° 19/MIPHRA/CAB of 09 April 2009, the issuance of the Authorisation to Exercise professions related to the trade of animal products is carried out for companies based in Abidjan, after submission and examination of a file to the attention of the Direction des Productions d’Élevage (DPE)/ Sous-Direction des Ressources Génétiques (SDRG) & Sous-Direction de la Santé Animale (SDSA) of the Ministry of Animal and Fishery Resources.
For facilities located in other parts of the country, the application must be submitted to the Prefecture concerned.
Approval is issued by an inter-ministerial commission chaired by the Ministry of Trade. The list of authorised companies is published annually by Inter-ministerial Order.
Documents to be provided
For a first application
The list of documents is as follows:
- Handwritten application (to the attention of the President of the Approval Commission, Decree n°93-312 of 11 March 1993 – District of Abidjan).
- Valid identity certificate (identity card or residence permit).
- Extract from the Criminal Record dated less than three months.
- Extract from the Trade Register bearing a mention relating to the profession applied for.
- Certificate of location of the place of work (by the Town Hall of the commune concerned).
- Certificate of visit and counter visit with chest X-ray of the manager.
- 4 passport photos of the manager.
- List of employees.
- Certificate of visit and counter-visit and chest x-ray of the employees.
- Certified copy of diploma (optional).
- File of the company director/manager including all the above mentioned documents.
- Declaration of Tax Existence (see general sheet on imports).
- Certificate of Veterinary Inspection of the company’s premises.
- Receipt of payment of the fees relating to the application file to the Ministry of Animal Resources and Fisheries.
Documents to be provided
The list of documents is as follows:
- Handwritten application (to the attention of the President of the Approval Commission, Decree n°93-312 of 11 March 1993 – Abidjan District).
- Certificate of identity (Identity Card or Residence Card) valid for the time being.
- Certificate of location of the place of practice (by the Town Hall of the Commune concerned).
- Certificate of visit and counter visit with chest X-ray of the manager.
- Certified copy of the previous year’s license.
- Copy of the Professional Card that is issued by the MIRAH at the time of the first application.
- 4 passport photos of the manager.
- List of employees.
- Certificate of visit and counter visit and chest X-ray of the employees.
- File of the person in charge/manager of the company including all the documents mentioned above.
- Certificate of Non-bankruptcy (Commercial Court of the place of residence).
- Certificate of Tax Regularity (Tax Department of your Municipality).
- Certificate of Veterinary Inspection (Veterinary Inspection Service).
- Receipt of payment of the fees relating to the application file to the Ministry of Animal Resources and Fisheries.
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Import Declaration Form (IDF)
The Import Declaration Form (IDF) is compulsory if the value of the goods exceeds five hundred thousand (500,000) CFA francs – see Example of IDF.
The FDI is established online via the transactional site of the Guichet Unique du Commerce Extérieur (GUCE). Access to the site requires prior registration as an importer, exporter or forwarder. The documents and information to be provided are as follows:
- Importer Code (or Occasional Importer Code).
- Invoice (Pro-forma or Final).
- Mode of transport.
- Name of the importer’s bank (in Côte d’Ivoire) (for direct debit and exchange authorisation).
- HS codes of the products to be imported.
For the import of products listed below, the FDI application will only be validated after receipt of the Preliminary Import Authorisation (API) – see API procedure below and in the General Import Procedures tab of the website – in the online file, validated, endorsed and signed by the Ministry of Animal Resources and Fisheries.
Preliminary Import Authorisation (API)
Pending a fully dematerialised procedure, this procedure is currently done online, and is then continued manually.
The Preliminary Import Authorisation (API) is necessary to obtain the Import Form (FDI) – (see General Import Procedures tab on the website). The API is valid for six (6) months and is linked to the operation for which the request was made.
Online procedure
The procedure concerning applications for Preliminary Import Authorisation is introduced online on the electronic platform of the Single Window for Foreign Trade (GUCE), by economic operators or their forwarding agents.
The API will also be issued online at the end of the procedure. However, it will be necessary to present the physical file to the relevant Ministry in order to pay the fees for the issuance of the API:
- Start the Import Declaration Form (IDF) procedure on the GUCE website – see IDF procedure above
- The system automatically generates an application for a Preliminary Import Authorisation (API) on the GUCE platform, which is intended for the Ministry of Animal Resources and Fisheries, which will validate it online, after physical examination of the file and payment of the API fee to the Ministry.
- The documents to be downloaded are
- The invoice (Pro-forma or Definitive).
The agents of the Sub-Directorate of Food Hygiene and Safety (SDHSSA) will validate the API online after payment and physical reception of the file.
Manual procedure
The importer then goes to the Sub-Directorate of Food Hygiene and Safety (SDHSSA) of the Veterinary Services Department (DSV) of the Ministry of Animal Resources and Fisheries to submit the file (FDI number, copy of the invoice (pro-forma or final) and the business card) and pay the API.
The transaction cost of the API is : 5,000 FCFA / 25 t or per container
The agents of the Sub-Directorate of Food Hygiene and Sanitary Safety (SDHSSA) of the Veterinary Services Directorate examine the file and validate the API online (Validation between 2 and 72 hours after the physical submission of the file to the Ministry).
Cargo Tracking Form (CTS)
For all imports by sea, the exporter, the foreign forwarder and the importer must register the Cargo Tracking Form (CTF) via the website of the Office Ivoirien des Chargeurs (OIC).
Upon shipment
Registration of the CTF (see Common Import Procedure). The following documents are required:
- The Final Invoice.
- Bill of Lading (B/L).
- Packing List.
- Customs Export Declaration of the country of shipment of the goods;
- Certificate of local insurance in Côte d’Ivoire.
- The Import Declaration Form (IDF) or its number.
- In addition, for imports from countries outside the European Union, the following are required:
- The Freight Invoice.
- The Certificate of Origin.
Certificate of Value
As soon as the goods are shipped and all the transport documents for the goods are available (Final Commercial Invoice, Ocean Bill of Lading or Air Waybill, Packing List, Freight Invoice, copy of the IDF and all other available certificates), the freight forwarder must initiate a request for a Certificate of Value.
All goods with an FOB value greater than or equal to one (1) million CFA francs must obtain a Final Classification and Value Report (FCVR) from the Directorate of Risk Analysis, Intelligence and Value (DARRV) of the Customs via the electronic platform of the GUCE – Cf. Customs Circular n°2007 of 29 March 2019.
The authorised forwarder downloads and fills in the Notice of Deposit (ND).
He attaches the documents accompanying the goods (see list above) to the deposit notice and uploads the entire file online on the GUCE platform.
The Customs Directorate of Risk Analysis, Intelligence and Value (DARRV) checks the shipping documents and delivers the Final Classification and Value Report by e-mail to the consignee or freight forwarder within 5 working days of the submission of the documents.
The freight forwarder completes Form D41 (Sampling Permit: this is an authorisation given by the importer or freight forwarder to Customs to take a sample of the goods for the purposes of quality control or to visually assess the apparent condition of the goods) and physically deposits it with the transport documents (see list above) at the Customs Risk Analysis, Intelligence and Value Division (DARRV) for verification.
After examining the file, the DARRV issues the Attestation of Verification (AV).
Goods with an FOB value of less than one (1) million CFA francs and certain other products are exempt from the FCVR procedure – see the list of goods not subject to FCVR on the website www.douane.ci – see the General Import Procedure tab on the website.
AUTHORISATIONS AND CERTIFICATES TO TAKE DELIVERY OF THE GOODS
The Customs declaration must first be filled in online on the GUCE platform (SYDAM declaration system). Once this document has been drawn up, it should be printed in order to present it to the MIRAH Border Veterinary Inspection and Control Service to obtain the Sanitary Pass and other related documents.
Before the final submission of the Import Declaration to Customs, the freight forwarder must present the file to the Direction des Services Vétérinaires / Service d’Inspection et de Contrôle Sanitaire Vétérinaire en Frontières of the Customs office concerned, which issues the Health Certificate and the Sanitary Pass.
The Veterinary Inspection Certificate must also be presented to Customs in order to take delivery of the imported goods.
These documents are necessary to receive the Bon à Enlever (BAE) from Customs and take delivery of the imported goods.
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Sanitary Pass
The Sanitary Pass gives permission for animal and animal products to enter Côte d’Ivoire subject to the issuance of the Health Certificate.
The necessary documents are the following:
- Customs declaration.
- Invoice.
- Certificate of Origin from the country of origin (photocopy).
- International Veterinary Certificate issued by the official veterinary services of the exporting country.
- API (Preliminary Import Authorisation).
- IDF (Import Declaration Form).
- Bill of Lading (B/L) or Air Waybill (AWB) or Consignment note.
- Cargo Tracking Form.
- Certificate of insurance of the goods.
Certificate of Healthiness
The Health Certificate is issued after physical examination of the goods by an inspector of the MIRAH Border Veterinary Inspection and Control Service.
If a problem is found, the Service d’Inspection et de Contrôle Sanitaires Vétérinaires en Frontières requests analyses, which will be carried out at the importers’ expense.
The Health Certificate authorises the release for sale or consumption of a product declared fit for human consumption or a product that complies with the quality standards required for import.
It is coupled with the issuance of the Sanitary Pass. The documents to be presented for the issuance of a Health Certificate are the following:
- Customs declaration.
- Invoice.
- Bill of Lading (B/L) or Air Waybill (AWB) or Consignment note.
- Certificate of Health of the country of origin.
- International Veterinary Certificate issued by the official veterinary services of the exporting country.
- Certificate of Origin (photocopy).
- Preliminary Import Authorisation (PIA).
- Test results (if tests have been requested).
- Inspection Report (Inspection Report of the physical control of the goods).
Cost: Free of charge
Veterinary Inspection Certificate
If the examination of the file and the physical inspection of the goods demonstrate that the goods meet the quality criteria of the Ivorian standards, the Chief Veterinary Officer of the “Service Phytosanitaire” issues a Veterinary Inspection Certificate.
The Veterinary Inspection Certificate authorises the entry of the products into the country.
Cost: CFA F 5,000 per certificate
The documents to be presented are the following:
- Customs declaration
- Invoice
- Transport title: Bill of Lading (B/L) or Air Waybill (AWB) or Consignment note
- Certificate of Health of the country of origin
- Côte d’Ivoire Health Certificate
- International Veterinary Certificate issued by the official veterinary services of the exporting country
- Certificate of Origin (photocopy)
- Preliminary Import Authorisation (PIA)
- Results of Analysis (if analysis has been requested)
- Inspection Report (Inspection Report of the physical control of the goods).
Customs Declaration
On arrival
The customs declaration is made by a forwarder appointed by the importer and approved by Customs – see List of forwarders approved by Customs.
The forwarder submits the declaration in the Customs’ SYDAM – Sydonia World computer system. The documents to be submitted to the freight forwarder to make the Customs declaration are the following:
- Original Bill of Lading (B/L) for sea shipments, or Air Waybill (AWB) for air shipments or Consignment note for road shipments.
- Original supplier’s invoice.
- Certificate of Insurance.
- Import Declaration Form (IDF) – via the GUCE website.)
- Freight Invoice.
- Final Value Classification Report (FVCR) if the FOB value is at least one (1) million CFA francs (or the Attestation of Value (AV) if the FOB value is less than one (1) million CFA francs, or if the goods are excluded from the FVCR – see List of goods not subject to the FVCR on the websites www.douane.ci and www.webbfontaine.ci.
- The Packing List.
- The Customs receipt if the method of payment of duties and taxes is cash.
- The Cargo Tracking Form (BSC) issued by the Ivorian Shippers’ Office (OIC) for transport by sea.
- The UEMOA or ECOWAS certificate of origin if required.
- The certificate of origin of the exporting country.
- A Quality Certificate issued by a recognised international organisation, before shipment of the products.
- A Sanitary certificate from the country of shipment.
- A certificate of non-radioactivity for dairy products.
The Bon à Enlever (BAE) from the Customs will be issued after examination of the file by the Customs and the obtaining of :
- The Veterinary Inspection Certificate, signed by the Chief Veterinary Officer of the Border Veterinary Inspection and Control Service – under the authority of the MIRAH Veterinary Services Directorate – of the Customs office concerned.
- The Sanitary Pass.
- The Health Certificate issued after a possible physical control of the imported goods.
OTHER CERTIFICATES ISSUED BY MIRAH
These documents may be required in addition to the usual documentation, depending on the case.
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Sampling Report
The Procès-Verbal d’Echantillonnage is issued by the Direction des Services Vétérinaires / Service d’Inspection et de Contrôle Sanitaires Vétérinaires en Frontières. This document provides proof that a product has been taken for analysis.
Cost: Free of charge
Its application must be accompanied by the following documents:
- Packing list
- Customs declaration
- Certificate of Health of the country of origin (original)
- Certificate of Origin (photocopy)
Certificate of Consignment
The Certificate of Consignment is issued by the Border Veterinary Inspection and Control Service. This document serves as proof that a product is consigned and should not be sold pending a verdict to lift the consignment or destroy it.
Cost: Free of charge
List of documents required for the issuance of the Consignment Certificate:
- Packing list.
- Customs declaration.
- Laboratory analysis results.
- Sampling report.
Certificate of release from detention
The Certificate of Clearance on Consignment is issued by the Border Veterinary Inspection and Control Service. After having consigned a doubtful product that is found to be healthy, the agent of the Inspection Service lifts the consignment in order to make the product available to the operator.
The cost of this is free of charge.
List of documents required for the issuance of the document: Laboratory analysis results.
Certificate of Seizure
The Certificate of Seizure attests that the product has been effectively seized. It is useful for the importer to assert his rights with the supplier.
Its cost is free of charge.
List of documents required for the issuance of the document: The report of the structure in charge of the destruction.
Destruction report
The Report of Destruction concerns all Animal and Animal Products (AAP) and attests that the product has been effectively destroyed. It is useful for the importer to assert his rights with the supplier.
[1] 80% du montant est versé au MIRAH et 20 % à la Paierie du District d’Abidjan
