Mali customs and cargo clearance

What travellers can bring in

Mali customs lists duty-free allowances for arriving travellers. Goods must belong to the traveller and be for personal use ¹. The tobacco allowance is 1,000 cigarettes or cigarillos, or 250 cigars, or 2,000 grams of tobacco, with no combining ¹. The list covers new clothing, up to two cameras of different models, one radio, one computer, one portable fan and one musical instrument ¹. Jewellery has no weight limit if it matches the person's social position, and pets need a health certificate ¹. The page does not mention alcohol or perfume ¹.

Non-commercial goods worth up to 250,000 FCFA that are not covered by an allowance are taxed at standard tariff rates and collected directly ². Goods above that value need a written declaration filed through a licensed customs agent, and commercial goods always do ². Some goods are banned outright or restricted, according to a list the customs site publishes as a separate file ². The UK FCDO says travellers must declare anything that may be prohibited or subject to tax or duty ⁹.

Bringing a vehicle

Tourists and non-residents staying in Mali for no more than three months can enter with a Laisser Passer Touristique (LPT), issued by the customs office of entry ⁵. It covers cars, buses, motorcycles, mopeds, caravans and their trailers ⁵. The pass costs 5,000 FCFA and is valid for 30 days ⁵. The Regional Director of Customs may grant one two-month extension that cannot be renewed, on deposit of all duties and taxes owed ⁵.

The pass is issued on showing the carte grise, the vehicle insurance certificate and proof of normal residence abroad, such as a passport or consular card ⁵. The page cites Interministerial Order n°09-0152/MF-MET-SG of 4 February 2009 and Instruction n°0001/MF-DGD/RFRI of 21 April 2010 ⁵.

How cargo is cleared

The Mali customs clearance page describes these stages, under Article 64 and following of the Customs Code ³.

• Arrival. Goods arriving by land go to the nearest customs office, and goods arriving by air follow the route set for them (Articles 69 and 71) ³.
• Summary declaration. The carrier presents a sea manifest, consignment note, air waybill or road transport document ³.
• Transit document. The T1 is generated at the border in SYDONIA WORLD and validated at the destination office ³.
• Detailed declaration. The declarant files the IM form with the invoice, packing list, import intention declaration, transport document and any certificate of origin, phytosanitary certificate or special authorisation ³.
• Checks. Goods are routed to a green, yellow or red channel. Red means a full physical inspection ³.
• Release. After assessment and payment, the office issues the bon à enlever (BAE) and the goods can be collected ³.

Duties and levies

The customs clearance page bases duties on the ECOWAS Common External Tariff (TEC) and lists categories 0 to 4 with rates shown as 0, 5, 10, 20 and 35 ³. It lists customs duty (DD), an IT fee (RS), a community levy (PC), a community solidarity levy (PCS), and in some cases an import adjustment tax (TAI) and a complementary protection tax (TCP) ³. The page gives no amounts in FCFA ³.

Le Soleil, carrying AFP, reported on 30 March 2025 that Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso set a confederal levy, the PC-AES, at 0.5% of the customs value of goods imported from third countries ⁸. Goods in transit and aid, gifts and grants are exempt, and the text was signed by General Assimi Goïta as AES president, according to the report ⁸. The report did not give a date of entry into force. This site found no Mali customs notice on the levy, so its status here is announced.

Transit and offices abroad

Transit rules are set by Arrêté n°09-3014/MEF-SG of 19 October 2009 ⁴. Goods move under an acquit à caution, the departure office may set the route, and the time allowed is limited to what the trip needs ⁴. Air carriers may use an annual general bond ⁴. A Bureau du Contrôle du Transit tracks goods stored in ports and transit movements on trade routes ⁶.

Mali customs lists representations at the ports of Abidjan, Dakar, Conakry, Nouakchott, Tema, Lomé and Cotonou ⁷. A one-stop office handles vehicle imports for the Koulikoro region and the Bamako District ⁶.