Getting an Importer or Exporter Code: The SARS Registration Most People Assume Costs Money

A surprising number of small businesses considering their first import or export shipment assume there's a government fee standing between them and legally moving goods across the border. There isn't — the confusion almost always traces back to private companies charging for the paperwork, not SARS itself charging for the registration.

What an importer/exporter code actually is

Before a business can clear goods through South African customs — whether bringing stock in from overseas or sending products out — it needs to be registered with SARS Customs and hold the relevant code. This isn't optional paperwork for occasional cross-border trade; it's the legal mechanism that allows customs to identify who's moving goods and process the clearance properly. Without it, goods simply cannot be cleared, regardless of how straightforward the shipment itself is.

The registration process, and what it actually costs

Registration happens through SARS's Registration, Licensing and Accreditation (RLA) system, accessed via SARS eFiling. SARS's own published guidance is explicit on the cost question: there is no cost to register. This is worth stating plainly because a considerable amount of information circulating online — much of it from private customs brokers and service providers advertising their own assistance — implies or states a specific registration fee, when what's actually being described is that provider's own service charge for handling the application, not a government fee.

What registration requires, broadly:

• A valid SARS income tax number for the business.
• CIPC company registration (or an ID document, for an individual trading in their own capacity).
• Proof of address — a municipal account, utility bill, or similar document confirming the business's physical address.
• Banking details, consistent with the business's other SARS registrations.

Do you need to use a service provider, or can you register yourself?

Nothing prevents a business from completing the RLA registration itself directly through eFiling — the process, while requiring genuine care with the documentation, doesn't inherently require a paid intermediary. Many businesses, particularly those new to importing or exporting, choose to use a customs broker or registered service provider anyway, generally for the ongoing benefit of their expertise in the customs clearance process itself (tariff classification, duty calculation, documentation for specific goods categories) rather than purely for the initial registration step. Whether that ongoing relationship is worth the cost depends on how frequently and how complexly your business actually trades across borders — a business doing a handful of straightforward shipments a year has a different calculation than one importing regularly across multiple product categories with varying duty treatment.

Registration is the starting point, not the whole picture

Holding an importer or exporter code is the entry ticket to legally moving goods across the border — it doesn't by itself tell you what duties or VAT apply to a specific shipment, what documentation a specific product category requires, or how to properly classify goods under the tariff system. These are genuinely technical areas where the actual complexity of import/export compliance lives, and where a business new to cross-border trade often benefits most from professional guidance, even if the initial registration itself was straightforward and free.

What to actually budget for when starting to import or export

• The registration itself — genuinely free, so don't budget meaningfully for this step specifically.
• Import duties and VAT on goods brought into South Africa — a real, often substantial cost depending on the goods and their classification, and worth understanding before committing to an import order, not discovering at the point of clearance.
• A customs broker's fee, if you choose to use one — this is where genuine cost sits for many businesses, not in the registration process itself.
• Shipping, freight and clearance-related costs — the practical logistics costs of actually moving goods, separate from the regulatory registration and duty questions entirely.

Sources: SARS's published Registration, Licensing and Accreditation (RLA) guidance, confirming no registration fee and the eFiling-based application process, along with the general documentation requirements (tax number, company registration, proof of address). This is general information, not customs or trade advice — the specific duty treatment, documentation and classification requirements for a particular product and trade route should be confirmed with SARS Customs or a customs broker before committing to a shipment, since these vary considerably by goods category and origin.

A worked example

A small business planning its first import shipment gets a quote from a customs clearing agency listing a registration fee as part of the total cost, assumes this reflects a genuine government charge, and budgets accordingly without questioning it further. In fact, the SARS registration itself carries no fee at all — what the agency is actually charging for is their own service in preparing and submitting the application on the business's behalf, plus their ongoing clearance services. Understanding this distinction doesn't necessarily mean the business should skip the agency (their expertise in duty classification and documentation may still be genuinely worth paying for), but it does mean going in with an accurate picture of what's actually a government cost versus a service fee, rather than conflating the two.

Frequently asked

How long does SARS take to process an importer/exporter registration? Processing times can vary, and applicants should expect the process to take some time rather than assuming same-day approval — planning your first shipment with registration lead time factored in, rather than after goods are already in transit, avoids unnecessary pressure.

Is one code sufficient for both importing and exporting? A business can hold both importer and exporter registrations, and the specific registration needed depends on which activity — or both — the business actually intends to undertake; confirm with SARS or a broker exactly what your specific trading activity requires.

Does registration need to be renewed periodically? Once granted, registration generally remains valid for ongoing use rather than requiring routine reapplication, though SARS does require registrants to keep their RLA profile details current — a change in business details (address, structure, banking) should be updated on the system rather than left outdated.

Do I need this registration for a single, occasional personal import, or only for genuine commercial trade? The registration and customs clearance framework is specifically aimed at commercial importing and exporting; occasional personal imports are generally handled under different, simpler customs processes not requiring a full business registration — confirm the specific treatment with SARS Customs if you're unsure which category your situation falls into.

Can I import goods before my registration is approved? No — the registration needs to be in place before goods can be properly cleared through customs under a business's name; attempting to import without it in place risks genuine delays and complications at the point of clearance.

What's the difference between a customs broker and a freight forwarder? A customs broker specifically handles customs clearance, duty calculation, and compliance documentation on a business's behalf; a freight forwarder manages the physical logistics of moving goods (shipping, transport, warehousing). Some companies offer both services together, but they're conceptually distinct roles, and understanding which one a specific provider is actually offering helps in comparing quotes accurately.

Are there different rules for importing from neighbouring SADC countries versus further afield? Yes, generally — trade agreements between South Africa and other Southern African Development Community members can affect duty treatment and documentation requirements differently from imports originating outside the region, which is exactly the kind of detail worth confirming for your specific trade route rather than assuming uniform treatment regardless of origin.

What happens if goods arrive before the business has completed its registration? This creates a genuinely difficult position — goods sitting at a port or border post awaiting clearance the business isn't yet registered to receive can incur storage costs and delays, which is exactly why registration should be sorted out well before goods are actually shipped, not treated as something to handle once the shipment is already in transit.

Does the same registration cover VAT on imported goods, or is that separate? Import VAT is administered alongside the customs clearance process rather than requiring an entirely separate registration step, but understanding how it's calculated and reclaimed (where the business is itself VAT-registered) is a distinct question from the importer/exporter registration itself, worth clarifying with an accountant familiar with import VAT specifically.