Customs agent licensing in Kenya

Who licenses customs agents in Kenya

Customs agents in Kenya are licensed by the Commissioner of Customs and Border Control at the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) ^1,3. KRA's renewal notice for 2027 cites section 145 of the EAC Customs Management Act, 2004 and regulations 149 to 152 of the EAC Customs Management Regulations, 2010 ³. Under regulation 152, acting as a customs agent without a valid licence is an offence ⁹.

The Commissioner may require customs agents to be vetted before a licence is issued ². A licence may be revoked, suspended or cancelled in the manner the Regulations provide ².

Documents for a new licence

KRA lists these documents for a new application ¹.

• Form C20, fully completed ¹.
• Certificate of registration (CR12) and, where applicable, memorandum and articles of association and audited accounts for the last three years ¹.
• Lease, tenancy agreement or title deed for an established office, with its physical location stated for customs verification ¹.
• Clearance from the Bonds Management Unit and the Debt Management Unit, where applicable ¹.
• Company PIN certificate, company tax compliance certificate and a bank letter ¹.
• For each director: PIN certificate, tax compliance certificate, ID or passport copy, certified passport photographs, certificate of good conduct and a bank letter ¹.
• Proof of KIFWA membership with the certificate for the year of application, and a completed Stakeholder Bio Data form ¹.

Fees and bond

KRA gives the same fee and bond figures on its renewal page ². iCMS access requires training. KRA directs untrained applicants to the Kenya School of Revenue Administration (KESRA) ¹.

Renewal

Licences are valid for one year and expire on 31 December each year. Authorised Economic Operator licences run for three years ².

For 2027 licences, KRA asked agents to apply through iCMS at icms.kra.go.ke on or before 31 October 2026, in a notice dated 21 September 2026 ³. The notice lists Form C20, a 2026 CR12 or CR13, a company tax compliance certificate, a bond and debt clearance certificate, the previous C21 licence and a KIFWA clearance certificate for the year ³.

A licensing officer checks that the company has no outstanding transactions or pending queries before recommending renewal to the Commissioner ².

iCMS and Simba

In a speech on 31 October 2018, the KRA Commissioner General said the Simba system was being replaced with a more versatile platform ⁶.

KRA announced the Integrated Customs Management System (iCMS) for cargo clearance in a notice dated 13 June 2019. It applied to cargo arriving or exiting from 7 July 2019 at the Port of Mombasa, Inland Container Depot Nairobi and border stations ⁴. Clearing agents submit import declaration forms, cargo declarations and security bonds through iCMS ⁴.

A KRA notice dated 11 May 2022 said entries lodged on Simba would not be processed from 6 May 2022. Petroleum products, ex-warehouse entries and CKD motorcycle entries were the exceptions ⁵.

KIFWA's role

The Kenya International Freight and Warehousing Association (KIFWA) is Kenya's member association in FEAFFA ⁸. KRA requires proof of KIFWA membership for a new licence and a KIFWA clearance certificate for renewal ^1,2.

In a press release dated 7 September 2026, KRA acknowledged cargo clearance concerns raised by KIFWA, clearing agents and motor vehicle dealers. KRA said the export declaration requirement for clearing imported goods rests on section 23B of the Tax Procedures Act ⁷.