Updated 12 November 2026
The official way to check licensed customs agents in Kenya is to search the Kenya Revenue Authority’s published list, not a directory on social media or a photocopy of an old Form C21. KRA licenses a company, through the Commissioner of Customs and Border Control, to carry out clearance procedures on behalf of a company or an individual. On the list hosted on kra.go.ke, checked on 12 November 2026, entries are numbered to 1,393. Most are valid to 31 December 2026. A smaller group of Authorised Economic Operator (AEO) firms have later dates.
Use the Licensed Customs Agents 2026–2028 PDF linked from KRA’s customs agents page, both checked on 12 November 2026. The PDF itself carries a disclaimer that it is based on information available at the time of publication and is subject to change. If a name is missing, or the valid-to date has passed, ask the Customs Agents Licensing Office before you hand over documents or money.
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In this guide
What a licensed customs agent is
On its customs agents page, KRA describes a customs agent as a company licensed by the Commissioner of Customs and Border Control to carry out clearance procedures on behalf of a company or individual. A public notice dated 21 September 2026, on the renewal of customs agents’ licences for 2027, says the provisions on licensing are in Section 145 of the East African Community Customs Management Act, 2004, and Regulations 149 to 152 of the 2010 regulations.
That is a narrower status than “forwarder”, “logistics company” or “I know someone at the port”. A firm can be registered at the Business Registration Service and still be unlicensed to lodge a customs entry. If you are hiring someone to clear a consignment, the name you should be able to find on the KRA list is the company’s registered name, not a trading style or an individual’s name on WhatsApp.
How to search the official list of licensed customs agents in Kenya
Download the official PDF from kra.go.ke rather than a republished copy. Open it in a reader and use search (Ctrl+F or Command+F) for the exact company name on the quote, the invoice and, if you have it, the Form C21 licence. The columns are the entry number, the name, the licence valid-to date and the licence type. On the file we checked, every row is labelled “Custom Agent”.
Check four things, not just whether a similar name appears:
- The spelling of the registered name matches the quote, the bank account and the licence copy you were shown. The official list itself contains typographical variations, so try obvious variants if the first search fails, then confirm with KRA rather than guessing.
- The valid-to date has not passed.
- The firm is in the section you expect. The PDF is grouped as “CUSTOMS AGENTS 2026”, then “AEO CUSTOMS AGENTS 2027”, then “AEO CUSTOMS AGENTS 2028”.
- You are looking at the current file on kra.go.ke. The list can change. The disclaimer at the end of the PDF says so.
Do not treat a screenshot, a laminated licence or a name on a warehouse wall as a substitute for this search. If you cannot find the company, stop and write to the licensing office, using the contacts below, before you pay an agency fee or share your KRA PIN and shipping documents.
What the dates mean for licensed customs agents in Kenya
Counted from the official PDF on 12 November 2026, 1,335 of the 1,393 numbered entries are valid to 31 December 2026, 12 are valid to 31 December 2027, and 46 are valid to 31 December 2028. Those later dates sit under the AEO headings. A later official file would supersede this count, so recount from the PDF you download, do not memorise these totals.
KRA’s 21 September 2026 notice told customs agents that their licences would expire on 31 December 2026, with the exception of the three-year AEO licences, and that renewal applications for 2027 had to be filed on the Integrated Customs Management System, icms.kra.go.ke, on or before 31 October 2026. That filing deadline has now passed. It was an instruction to already licensed firms, not a public renewal window for importers. For anyone hiring an agent after 31 December 2026, the practical step is to check whether KRA has published a new list, and to treat a 31 December 2026 valid-to date as expired unless a later official list says otherwise.
What to ask the firm, and who to call at KRA
Before you instruct licensed customs agents in Kenya, ask for the company’s full registered name and a copy of its current Form C21 licence, then search that exact name on the official list. The name on the licence, the quote and the account you will pay should be the same company. If they do not match, do not pay.
The September 2026 notice gives the Customs Agents Licensing Office contacts as telephone 0709 016 616 or 0709 016 617, and email agentslicensing@kra.go.ke. KRA’s customs agents page lists the address as Times Tower Building, Haile Selassie Avenue, P.O. Box 48240-00100. Use those official channels if the list and the paperwork disagree. A KIFWA clearance certificate is one of the documents KRA asked agents to file with a renewal; it is not, on its own, the public licence list.
How this sits with fees and the rest of the port file
A current licence among licensed customs agents in Kenya tells you the firm may lodge clearance, not what it will charge you, and not whether the KPA, Kenya Railways or shipping-line bills on the file are correct. Our guide on how clearing agents charge at Mombasa port covers the fee side, including the warning that KRA taxes should be paid to KRA through official channels, not to an individual’s phone number. If you are a firm that wants to become an agent, that is a different process, set out in how to get a clearing and forwarding licence in Kenya.
Once you have a licensed agent, the rest of the file still has its own official sources: the ship’s place on the port is on the KPA shipping movement reports, and inland depot charges are in the KPA tariff. Checking the licence first simply means you are not handing that file to someone who cannot legally lodge it.
Frequently asked questions
Where is the official list of licensed customs agents in Kenya?
On the Kenya Revenue Authority website, as the Licensed Customs Agents 2026–2028 PDF, linked from KRA’s customs agents page. Search the exact company name and read the valid-to date. The file can change; use the copy on kra.go.ke.
Until when are the annual licences valid?
On the list checked on 12 November 2026, 1,335 entries are valid to 31 December 2026. Twelve AEO entries run to 31 December 2027 and 46 to 31 December 2028. After 31 December 2026, check whether KRA has published a new list.
What if the company is not among licensed customs agents in Kenya?
Do not instruct it to clear your cargo. Try obvious spellings of the registered name, then email agentslicensing@kra.go.ke or call 0709 016 616 / 0709 016 617 before you pay or hand over documents.
Is a KIFWA certificate enough?
No. KIFWA clearance is one of the documents KRA asked agents to attach to a 2027 renewal application. The public check for licensed customs agents in Kenya is the official KRA list, plus confirmation from the licensing office if you are unsure.
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