KenTrade Single Window System: Registration, Fees, UCR and How It Works

Updated 20 October 2026

Quick answer: The Kenya National Electronic Single Window System (NESWS), run by the Kenya Trade Network Agency (KenTrade), is the online platform where importers, exporters, clearing agents and shipping lines submit cargo documents, apply for permits from agencies such as KEBS and KEPHIS, and pay government fees in one place. You register through kentrade.go.ke, pay an annual access fee per company through eCitizen, get trained and receive login details by email. Every Unique Consignment Reference (UCR) created on the system costs $10 (about KSh 1,298) and is not refundable.

This guide uses KenTrade’s own FAQs (updated September 2026), its fees FAQ under the NESWS (General) Regulations 2024 and its contact page. The KSh figure uses the open.er-api.com rate of KSh 129.79 to the dollar on 19 October 2026. Last verified October 2026.

In this guide

1. What the Single Window Is
2. Who Needs to Register
3. How to Register on the KenTrade Single Window
4. KenTrade Fees: What Traders Pay
5. Knowing Which Permits Your Goods Need
6. Tracking Your Approvals and Consignment
7. If KenTrade Rejects or Suspends Your Account
8. KenTrade Contacts and Offices
9. Frequently Asked Questions

What the Single Window Is

Before the Single Window, a trader clearing a container might carry paper forms to KRA, KEBS, the Port Health office, KEPHIS and others, sometimes submitting the same information several times. The Single Window replaces that with one online entry point. KenTrade also calls it the Trade Facilitation Platform (TFP), and it went live in 2013.

Its legal basis today is the National Electronic Single Window System Act, 2022, which gives KenTrade the job of setting up, managing and operating the system. KenTrade is a state corporation under the National Treasury.

What the system handles

• Permit, licence and approval applications to Partner Government Agencies (PGAs), and their payments and approvals.
• Links to agency systems, including KRA’s Integrated Customs Management System (iCMS).
• Unique Consignment References (UCRs) that tie all documents for a shipment together.
• Sea and air manifests.
• Exemptions and duty remissions.
• Impending Arrival Reports from shipping agents, cargo release, risk management and reports.

The Single Window does not replace the agencies. KEBS still decides on standards, KEPHIS still inspects plant material and KRA still assesses duty. KenTrade only provides the platform that carries the documents between them. For the customs declaration itself, see our iCMS customs declaration guide.

Who Needs to Register

KenTrade lists the system’s users as registered importers, exporters, customs and shipping agents, logistics providers, financial institutions, courier companies and the Partner Government Agencies themselves. If you import goods occasionally, your clearing agent will usually do the work on their own account. If you trade regularly, or want to apply for permits yourself, you register your company.

Customs agents also need a KRA licence; our guide to the clearing and forwarding licence covers that separately.

How to Register on the KenTrade Single Window

1. Open the User Registration link on www.kentrade.go.ke and fill in the application for your company.
2. KenTrade validates the details you submitted.
3. Once validated, you are asked to pay the registration (annual access) fee through eCitizen.
4. After payment is confirmed, users attend the required training.
5. Your account is created and the username and password are sent to each user’s email address.
6. Renew the registration every year.

Rules on the annual access fee

• The annual access fee is charged per company, not per individual user.
• A declarant who moves to a new company must be registered and paid for again under the new company. Fresh training may not be needed, depending on when they were last trained.

KenTrade publishes the amount of each charge in a table on its FAQ page under the NESWS (General) Regulations 2024. Check that table for the current access fee before you pay, because the eCitizen invoice will show the exact amount for your registration.

KenTrade Fees: What Traders Pay

For years the Single Window was free, funded by the Exchequer. Under the 2024 regulations KenTrade now charges what it calls nominal fees to keep the system running. The ones traders meet most often are below.

Charge	Who pays	How it works
Annual access (registration) fee	Each registered company	Paid through eCitizen after validation; renewed every year
UCR fee	The declarant	$10 (about KSh 1,298) per UCR, or the equivalent in Kenya shillings
Impending Arrival Report (IAR) fee	Shipping agent	Paid from the pending payments menu after submitting the IAR
Exemption application fee	Importer, exporter or development agency	Paid from the pending payments menu after submitting the exemption

How the $10 UCR fee works

• The UCR is generated automatically from the base document, usually the Import Declaration Form (IDF), and its status is set to Pending Payment.
• You must pay for the UCR before you can create a permit application against it.
• Every UCR is charged, including child UCRs, UCRs for export entries that need no permit and UCRs for exempted goods.
• A bulk IDF with many UCRs is charged for each UCR.
• One UCR can carry several permits; you pay once for the UCR.
• UCR fees are not refundable, even if a permit is declined or the UCR is never used.

For clearance permits such as KEBS, the IDF is auto-approved so that you can lodge your declaration. When the declaration reaches the Single Window, you then pay the UCR fee to lodge the permits. All of these payments are made from the system’s Pending Payment section using eCitizen.

A worked example

Suppose a small importer brings in three consignments a month, each on its own IDF and UCR. The UCR fees come to 3 x $10 = $30 a month, about KSh 3,894 at the 19 October 2026 rate, or $360 a year (about KSh 46,724), on top of the annual access fee and whatever KEBS, KEPHIS or other agencies charge for their own permits. Agency fees are separate and are not set by KenTrade.

Knowing Which Permits Your Goods Need

You do not have to guess. KenTrade says permit, licence and approval requirements are set by the HS code of your goods, as configured in the Single Window and iCMS. If your HS code needs an approval, the transaction is held until the relevant agency approves it. Choosing the right HS code is therefore the single most important step: a wrong code can trigger the wrong permits, or none at all, and cause delays at the port. If you are bringing in a vehicle, read our guide on importing a car and estimating duty and try the car import duty calculator for an indicative figure.

Transporters moving cargo under customs control also need to follow the electronic cargo tracking rules; see KRA e-seal rules from October 26.

Tracking Your Approvals and Consignment

1. Open the Trader Portal from www.kentrade.go.ke.
2. Select Track Status, then Track Approval Status.
3. Enter your document reference number.

IDF and UCR status can also be checked in the MyKenTrade mobile app, which also handles training requests and support tickets. Cargo clearance itself stays on the web platform.

If KenTrade Rejects or Suspends Your Account

Under the 2022 Act and 2024 regulations, KenTrade can reject, suspend or deregister users who do not meet its conditions, but it must give written reasons. You can apply to the KenTrade CEO for a review within 48 hours of the decision, then appeal to the KenTrade Board within 48 hours using the prescribed form if you are not satisfied. The Board should respond within 14 days. Complaints can also go to complaints@kentrade.go.ke or to the Commission on Administrative Justice.

KenTrade Contacts and Offices

Channel	Details
Phone	0709 950000 and 020 4965000
Email	contactcentre@kentrade.go.ke; complaints to complaints@kentrade.go.ke
Contact centre hours	Monday to Friday 8am to 7pm; weekends and public holidays 8am to 2pm
Head office	1st Floor, Embankment Plaza, Longonot Road, Upper Hill, Nairobi (P.O. Box 36943 – 00200)
Regional offices	Mombasa, ICD Nairobi (Old Administration Block, 1st Floor), JKIA, Namanga, Busia and Malaba (at the One Stop Border Posts), and Isebania

Looking for work in clearing, forwarding or logistics? Vacancies are listed on JobinKenya.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the single window system in Kenya?

It is the National Electronic Single Window System, an online platform run by KenTrade where traders submit cargo clearance documents, apply for agency permits, track approvals and pay fees in one place.

How much is the KenTrade UCR fee?

$10 per UCR, or the equivalent in Kenya shillings, about KSh 1,298 on 19 October 2026. It is charged on every UCR and is not refundable.

Is the KenTrade annual access fee per user?

No. KenTrade charges the annual access fee per company.

How do I pay KenTrade fees?

Through eCitizen, from the Pending Payment section of the Single Window after you submit a document.

Is there a KenTrade app?

Yes. The MyKenTrade app handles training requests, support tickets, IDF and UCR status checks, news and office locations. Cargo clearance is still done on the web platform.

Where are KenTrade offices?

The head office is on the 1st Floor of Embankment Plaza, Longonot Road, Upper Hill, Nairobi, with regional offices in Mombasa, ICD Nairobi, JKIA, Namanga, Busia, Malaba and Isebania.