If you're shipping goods into Egypt for the first time, you'll quickly run into a term that decides whether your cargo clears the port smoothly or gets stuck: the ACID number. Without it, Egyptian Customs won't release a shipment, no matter how complete the rest of your paperwork is. This guide explains what the ACID …
If you’re shipping goods into Egypt for the first time, you’ll quickly run into a term that decides whether your cargo clears the port smoothly or gets stuck: the ACID number. Without it, Egyptian Customs won’t release a shipment, no matter how complete the rest of your paperwork is.
This guide explains what the ACID number is, why Egypt introduced it, and the exact steps an importer and exporter follow to get one through Nafeza and CargoX. It’s part of our broader Egypt Customs & Import Compliance Guide, which walks through the full documentation and clearance process for anyone new to trading with Egypt.
What Is the ACID Number?
The ACID number (Advance Cargo Information Declaration number) is a unique 19-digit code that Egyptian Customs issues for every commercial shipment entering the country. It’s generated through Nafeza, Egypt’s official customs platform, and it confirms that the shipment’s cargo details were submitted and approved before the goods physically arrive.
Think of it as a shipment’s ID card. It’s not tied to your company in general a new ACID number is issued for each individual shipment, and it must appear on that shipment’s documents before Customs will process it. Nafeza itself is short for the National Single Window, the platform Egypt built to centralize import and export procedures under one digital system, replacing a lot of the paper-based back-and-forth that used to slow shipments down at Egyptian ports.
The ACID requirement sits inside a wider system called Advance Cargo Information (ACI). Instead of Customs reviewing a shipment’s paperwork only after it lands, ACI pushes that review earlier, before the vessel or aircraft even departs.
Why Does Egypt Require an ACID Number?
Egypt introduced the ACID number so Customs could see shipment details before cargo arrives, not after. This lets authorities flag risks, plan inspections in advance, and reduce the bottlenecks that used to build up at ports when everything was checked on arrival.
The requirement was introduced under Customs Law No. 207 of 2020 and rolled out for sea freight first, becoming mandatory on October 1, 2021. The goal was to modernize a clearance process that had long been a pain point for importers undocumented or misdeclared cargo, container pile-ups, and clearance delays that could stretch for weeks. By requiring advance information tied to a verified ACID number, Customs can match every shipment to accurate data before it’s even loaded, which is meant to shorten the time cargo spends waiting at Egyptian ports once it arrives.
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How Do You Get an ACID Number?
Getting an ACID number is a two-sided process. The Egyptian importer registers on Nafeza, the foreign exporter registers and verifies on CargoX (Nafeza’s official partner platform for filing ACI data), and once the two accounts are linked to the same shipment, Customs reviews the details and issues the number.
Here’s how the steps break down in practice.
Step 1: The Egyptian importer sets up a Nafeza account
The importer the Egyptian company receiving the goods registers on the Nafeza portal using their company’s official credentials, such as their tax registration and import register details. This creates a “Main Account,” which the importer can then use to add sub-accounts for individual staff members who handle shipment filings. This account is what the importer will use for every future shipment, not just this one.
Step 2: The foreign exporter registers and verifies on CargoX
On the other side of the shipment, the exporter the overseas supplier sending the goods registers on CargoX, a blockchain-based document platform that Nafeza appointed as its official ACI service provider. Registration itself is free, but CargoX charges a one-time verification fee (commonly cited around USD 15) to confirm the exporter is a legitimate company. Egyptian ACI filings only accept data from verified CargoX accounts, so this step can’t be skipped.
Step 3: The importer and exporter link the shipment
The exporter shares their verified company details usually their tax or VAT number and registration information with the Egyptian importer. The importer then registers the upcoming shipment on Nafeza using that information, which creates the actual ACI request tied to that specific shipment, not just the two companies in general.
Step 4: Customs reviews the request and issues the ACID number
Once the request is submitted, Egyptian Customs reviews it and, if approved, issues the 19-digit ACID number typically within 48 hours of submission. Both the importer and exporter are notified, and the exporter receives the ACID details in their CargoX inbox. From there, the exporter completes and sends the “ACI envelope,” which packages the shipment’s core documents (commercial invoice, packing list, and transport document) together with that number for Customs. It’s generally valid only for a limited window after issuance commonly cited as a few months so it needs to be used for that specific shipment within the shipment’s actual timeline rather than held for later use.
What Happens If a Shipment Doesn’t Have a Valid ACID Number?
Without a valid, correctly matched ACID number on a shipment’s documents, Egyptian Customs will not release the cargo. In practice, that means the goods are held at the port, and if the issue isn’t resolved, the shipment can be sent back to its origin at the shipping line’s or agent’s expense not the importer’s.
This is why accuracy matters as much as simply having a number. A mismatched exporter name, an expired ACID, or details that don’t match the shipment’s actual bill of lading or airway bill can trigger the same rejection as having no ACID at all. Egyptian Customs has also made clear it will stop issuing ACID numbers for exporters who don’t follow ACI rules consistently, which puts repeat non-compliance at risk of blocking future shipments too. Beyond the direct rejection risk, a stalled shipment usually means demurrage and storage charges stacking up while the paperwork gets sorted out costs that are entirely avoidable with the right process followed from the start. This is one of several reasons importers lean on an experienced customs broker in Egypt rather than managing ACI filings manually.
How Does the ACID Number Fit With Egypt’s Other Customs Documents?
The ACID number doesn’t replace Egypt’s standard import paperwork it works alongside it. Once issued, it must appear on the shipment’s bill of lading or airway bill, commercial invoice, packing list, and certificate of origin, and Customs cross-checks these documents against the ACI data on file.
If you’re new to importing into Egypt, it helps to see the ACID number as one piece of a larger documentation set rather than a standalone requirement. Our guide to the documents required for customs clearance in Egypt covers the full list, including where it fits alongside everything else Customs expects to see. Egypt has also been rolling out separate but related digital requirements for importers, including e-invoicing rules for Egyptian importers, which apply on the buyer’s side of the transaction and are worth understanding at the same time, since both systems are part of Egypt’s push toward fully digital, pre-verified trade documentation.
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Sea Freight vs. Air Freight: ACID Timelines to Know
The ACID requirement didn’t apply to all shipment types at once. It became mandatory for sea freight on October 1, 2021, and air freight followed years later, after several delays, becoming mandatory on January 1, 2026.
Air freight’s rollout had a longer runway than sea freight’s. It was originally planned for October 2022, then pushed to January 2023, then postponed again while Egypt worked through wider economic conditions, before finally taking effect at the start of 2026. If you’re shipping by air, it’s worth reading our dedicated breakdown of the Nafeza ACI mandate for air freight into Egypt, since the submission deadlines and cut-off windows for air cargo differ from those for sea freight.
Getting the ACID Process Right the First Time
Because the ACID number ties together two separate online platforms, two companies on different sides of the shipment, and a hard deadline before the cargo arrives, it’s an easy process to get wrong without experience especially for a first-time importer juggling this alongside everything else in the import to Egypt guide.
Seagate Express handles Nafeza and CargoX filings as a routine part of clearing shipments for clients across Ismailia and Alexandria, which is exactly the kind of task worth handing to a partner who already knows where filings commonly go wrong. If you’re weighing whether to manage this in-house or bring in support, our guide on how to choose a customs clearance agent walks through what to look for before your next shipment is on the water or in the air.
