UPS Close Window

Import/Export

United States to Tanzania

Country or Territory Regulations Topics:

Commodity Specific Stipulations

There are special stipulations on the following commodities when shipping to Tanzania. If you plan to ship one of the commodities listed below, be sure to adhere to the following stipulations in order to avoid delays and holds at customs.

Shipments of calendars will be assessed a 30 percent sales tax.
Medicine sent to a patient must be accompanied by a confirmation letter issued by the doctor who prescribed the medicine or by the pharmacy that supplied it.

Medicine sent to companies for commercial purposes require an import licence issued by the Health Ministry in Tanzania that has to be provided by the importer.

Before shipping medicine to Tanzania the shipper should clarify with the importer if the medicine is approved here.

Delays in customs clearance may occur.

Data shipments require an invoice with the value of the CD-ROM or disk only.
Medicine sent to a patient must be accompanied by a confirmation letter issued by the doctor who prescribed the medicine or by the pharmacy that supplied it.

Medicine sent to companies for commercial purposes require an import licence issued by the Health Ministry in Tanzania that has to be provided by the importer. Before shipping medicine to Tanzania the shipper should clarify with the importer if the medicine is approved here.

Delays in customs clearance may occur.

Data shipments require an invoice with the character of the USB stick (storing intercompany data) and the value of the USB Stick.

Prohibited or Restricted Commodities

Kenya Airways (used by UPS to ship to and from Kenya) have advised there is a permanent embargo on all lithium batteries (including items that have lithium batteries within the commodity) being accepted to travel on small package service as Courier. This applies to all shipments, even if they are packed in accordance to groups 965, 966, 967, 968, 969 and 970.

These have to be rebooked to move as Freight mode causing additional time in transit.

Non-hazardous biological products are prohibited.
The UPS Nairobi hub in Kenya cannot transit any package that has liquid content item on a Small Package basis. This applies to all types of items in liquid form.

Kenya airways(KQ) has restricted this movement on courier mode and packages should only be moved on airfreight mode(SCS) direct to destination.

It will also not be able to RTS such packages as Kenya Airways is used for all exports too.

Please note: This applies to transit volumes, not Kenya import but also from Cologne, Dubai and Johannesburg hubs.

Category PI 965 of Lithium Ion Batteries-Lithium cells or battery only-cannot be forwarded with commercial carriers to Tanzania.
Customers must use an authorized UPS / MBE (Mail Boxes Etc) Store or UPS Customer Center to ship personal effects.

The UPS Store, Mail Boxes Etc. or UPS Customer Center will be required to identify personal effect shipments on the shipping label by placing "Personal Effects" in the Reference Field of a UPS "smart" label or in the Special Instructions Field of a UPS waybill. They must also clearly indicate 'Personal Effects' shipment on the Commercial Invoice.

Personal Effects are classified as used items (owned for a minimum of 6 months) intended for the consignee's personal use. Any items intended for any other use, such as wholesale or retail sales, business purposes, or for distribution are not considered personal effects and cannot be shipped on this basis. "Personal Effects" must be clearly stated on the invoice and goods description.

All of the following documents must be scanned into DIS/SIR and originals on the package:

  • An inventory list with estimated values with the reason for importation (holidays, move, relocation)
  • A confirmation that the goods are older than 6 months and that they are intended for personal use only
  • A photocopy of passport or ID card

Any items intended for any other use, such as wholesale or retail sales, business purposes, or for distribution are not considered personal effects and cannot be shipped on this basis.

Excisable goods (for example, perfume, alcoholic drinks, tobacco), medicine and perishable food can not be cleared as personal effects.

Personal effects shipments are not allowed in combination with Return Services.

The Government of Tanzanias has placed a prohibition on plastic bags effective June 1, 2019.

All plastic carrier bags, regardless of their thickness, will be prohibited from being imported, exported, manufactured, sold, stored, supplied, and used in Mainland Tanzania. The only exceptions to the plastic bag ban will be for plastic or plastic packaging for medical services, industrial products, the construction industry, the agricultural sector, foodstuffs, and sanitary and waste management.

UPS affected products:

EXPRESS PAK

PAK UNIVERSAL  01872618

PAK MEDIUM SIZE MULTILANGUAGE  01872718

AIRBAG - 170505

Products made in Iran are prohibited in our service due to a current embargo.
The book The Satanic Verses is prohibited.

NOTE: Information provided by UPS is provided AS IS, may not be current, and does not constitute legal advice. In no event shall UPS be liable for any errors in the information, forms or features made available by UPS, or by any third party site linked to from UPS. Selection and completion of proper forms for any given shipment is the sole responsibility of the shipper. All shipments are subject to the UPS Terms and Conditions of Service in effect at the time of shipping for the country or territory of origin.
Close Window