Overview 

The Moyale border crossing is the main land checkpoint for goods and travellers passing between Kenya and Ethiopia. It is situated approximately 780KM North of Nairobi and 775KM South of Addis Ababa and had its facilities upgraded in recent years to make it a one-stop border crossing between Moyale, Kenya and Moyale, Ethiopia. In June 2021, the one stop border post (OSBP) crossing at Moyale began commercial operations. Officials from both countries sit together in one office and clear passengers and cargo, through immigration, customs, revenue collection and health clearance, saving time.  

Individuals crossing the Kenyan-Ethiopia OSBP are required to have certain documents to do so, including the following: 1. Passport (or national ID for East Africans).2. Visa (if applicable). 3. Yellow fever vaccination certificate. 

At the OSBP, passengers, cargo and vehicles stop once to process border crossing formalities to exit one partner state and enter the other. The border formalities and documentation processing for goods and passengers are carried out in a single clearance hall for exit from one partner state and entry into the adjoining State. If cargo inspection is required, it is done at once through joint inspection involving all interested border agencies from both partner states at the same time and location. 

Daily Capacity 

A fully functional Moyale OSBP was expected to reduce the border crossing time by at least 30 percent by enabling faster movement of cargo and people. A baseline survey by Trademark East Africa (TMEA) in 2017 indicated that it took on average, 21 hrs and 52 minutes (Kenya-Ethiopia) and 12.5 hrs (Ethiopia-Kenya) for a cargo truck to cross the border. 

Customs Clearance 

Generally, in a customs clearance process, there are loads of documents to be verified and submitted, either electronically or physically with the consignment. This to help the concerned officials to calculate taxes and duties that are levied on the consignment that is ready to ship. The requirements include; ProForma, Customs packing list, COO Certificate (Country of Origin), Customs Invoice, Shipping bill, Export license, Bill of lading, Bill of sight, Letter of credit, Bill of exchange, Export license and Health certificate. Unilateral bans on products, high fees by Agriculture and Food Authority-Kenya, trade information asymmetry and single lane roads on the Kenya side stifle cross border business between Kenya and Uganda via Busia One-Stop Border Posts. Traffic snarl-ups have also been blamed on poor road network and lack of power and internet connectivity at the border points. 

Some of the tariffs are (assuming each WFP truck loads 28,000 kg) 

• AFA permit for cereals and pulses – USD 17 per truck 

• Kenya Dairy Board Permit – USD 8.5 per truck (for milk products – CSB, LNS) 

• Department Veterinary Services – USD 8.5 per truck (for milk products – CSB, LNS) 

• Port Health - USD 8.5 per truck 

• Radiation Permit - USD 17 per truck  

• KEPHIS fee – USD 2.5 per mt. 

• Clearing agents Fee charge 1.275 per mt. 

For more information on customs in Kenya, please see the following links:  

https://www.eac.int/press-releases/142-customs/1276-eac-operationalizes-13-one-stop-border-posts 

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/17531055.2020.1768468 

Other Relevant Information 

Processes or procedures required to complete the crossing and approximate waiting time 

1. Pre-clearance documentation; Contract a clearing agent 

2. Obtaining Kenya Service release; requirements;  

• Submission of documents for verification 

• Verification of consignment 

• Paying for import permit 

• Obtaining Kenya Service release 

3. Obtaining Port Health Services release 

• Applying for import health certificate and generate e-slip 

• Paying for import health certificate 

• Submission of clearance documents for verification 

• Verification of consignment 

• Obtaining import health certificate 

4. Obtaining KES release 

• Submit documents for verification 

• Payment of destination inspection fees 

• Verification of consignment 

5. Obtaining KRA release 

• Obtaining exit note 

• Submission of clearance documents for verification 

• Verification of consignment 

• Obtaining KRA final release 

6. Physical release of consignment 

Time frame; 

Waiting time in queue: Max.  5mn 

Attention at counter: Max.   5mn 

For more information on processes or procedures required to complete the crossing and approximate waiting time Link;  

https://infotradekenya.go.ke/procedure/502/step/2543?l=en&embed=true&includeSearch=false 

IMPORTS FROM COUNTRIES WHERE PVOC CONTRACTORS ARE NOT PRESENT 

General goods and used motor vehicles being imported from countries where PVOC Contractors are not present (see clause 5.3 and 7.1) shall be subject to destination inspection upon payment of destination inspection fee equivalent to 0.6% of the approved Customs Value subject to minimum of USD 265 and maximum of USD 2700 per used motor vehicle unit or consignment submitted for inspection. Testing fee is payable where testing is required to determine conformity. 

For more information on government contact details, please see the following link:  

KEBS Rates on IMPORTS FROM COUNTRIES WHERE PVOC CONTRACTORS ARE NOT PRESENT  

General goods and used motor vehicles being imported from countries where PVOC Contractors are not present (see clause 5.3 and 7.1) shall be subject to destination inspection upon payment of destination inspection fee equivalent to 0.6% of the approved Customs Value subject to minimum of USD 265 and maximum of USD 2700 per used motor vehicle unit or consignment submitted for inspection. Testing fee is payable where testing is required to determine conformity.  

For more information on government contact details, please see the following link: 4.1 Government Contact List.