Customs agent licensing in Burundi
- Authorising officer
- The Commissioner 2
- Legal basis notified to the WTO
- EAC Customs Management Act, 2004, Part XI, articles 146 to 148 1
- Registered declarants
- About 600 in 2017 2
- EAC fees
- US$50 application fee and US$400 licence fee 4
Who may clear goods
Burundi told the World Trade Organization that it requires the use of customs brokers. Its notification cites the EAC Customs Management Act, 2004, Part XI, articles 146 to 148 1.
The OBR magazine La Voix du Contribuable, in its December 2017 issue, says every customs declaration must be made by a customs agent acting as a declaring agent 2. It describes customs agencies as intermediaries between taxpayers and Customs 2. The OBR is the main revenue collection body of the Government of Burundi and supervises the Customs Department 7.
In the same issue, the OBR Director of Customs Services, Amédée Nduwayezu, said about 600 declarants were registered in 2017 2. He said some people without training present themselves as declaring agents 2.
What the law says
The December 2017 OBR magazine sets out the rules on authorising and holding customs declarants liable 2. It refers to the customs management law as a regional law 2.
- The Commissioner may authorise persons to operate as customs declarants for transactions in goods, other than personal effects 2.
- The Commissioner authorises a person only when satisfied with the person's capacity, equipment, registered office and authorisations 2.
- The Commissioner may refuse, suspend or withdraw an authorisation after a customs offence or a conviction for dishonesty or fraud 2.
- A declarant acting for an owner can be held personally liable for payment of duties 2.
- The owner of goods can be prosecuted for the acts of the declarant, with exceptions 2.
Fees and guarantees
The OBR magazines reviewed for this page, from December 2017 and November 2025, do not state a licence fee for customs agencies 2,3. This page could not confirm the amount Burundi charges.
The EAC Customs Management Regulations, 2010 set an application fee of fifty dollars on Form C.20 and a licence fee of four hundred dollars, charged pro rata for a licence issued during a calendar year 4. Regulation 150 requires at least two clearance staff with a diploma or certificate in customs training, or five years of customs experience 4.
Customs agencies in Burundi use the COMESA regional customs transit guarantee scheme, known in French as RGTD. The OBR said in 2017 that 44 agencies had joined it 2. The OBR reported in November 2025 that bond applications under the scheme moved from manual processing to an online system, with customs agencies filling the application form from their offices 3.
Training
In the 2017 OBR magazine, Mr Nduwayezu said some agents had taken the EAC practising certificate course, which he said lasts six months 2. The president of ABADT, Petit Jean Ndikumana, said the association had trained at least 600 professionals 2.
FEAFFA lists ABADT, at Trust House in Bujumbura, as the Burundi contact for EACFFPC training 5. A 2015 evaluation for TradeMark East Africa counts 164 people trained in Burundi under the programme 6.
Common questions
Do I need a customs agent to import into Burundi?
Yes. Burundi notified the WTO that it requires the use of customs brokers 1. The OBR says every declaration must be made by a customs agent 2.
Who authorises customs agents in Burundi?
The Commissioner, according to the OBR summary of the law published in December 2017 2.
How much is a customs agent licence in Burundi?
The OBR sources reviewed give no fee 2,3. The EAC Regulations of 2010 set US$50 to apply and US$400 for the licence 4.
Can an agent's authorisation be withdrawn in Burundi?
Yes. The Commissioner may refuse, suspend or withdraw it after a customs offence or a conviction for dishonesty or fraud 2.
Rules and fees change. Check the official site linked above before you apply or pay. Spotted an error? Email [email protected] with the official link.
Sources
- WTO TFA Database: Burundi, Article 10.6.2 use of customs brokers (undated)
- Office Burundais des Recettes: La Voix du Contribuable No. 008 (December 2017)
- Office Burundais des Recettes: Magazine No. 033 (November 2025)
- EAC: Customs Management Regulations, 2010, text hosted by tralac (undated)
- FEAFFA: EACFFPC training centres (undated)
- TradeMark East Africa: Summative Evaluation of the EACFFPC, by The Law and Development Partnership (8 May 2015)
- Logistics Cluster: Burundi Logistics Capacity Assessment, customs information (undated)
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