If you import, export, or clear goods across South African borders, you must register as a customs client through SARS’s Registration, Licensing and Accreditation (RLA) system on eFiling. That covers importers, exporters, clearing agents, and foreign entities (which also need a South Africa based registered agent). Your next move is simple: log in to eFiling, open the Customs RLA menu, and start a New Application before you book a single shipment.
TL;DR:
- Only businesses involved in regular import or export activities need to register with SARS’s RLA system via eFiling, with foreign entities required to nominate a local registered agent.
- The registration process demands accurate, complete documentation, including certified IDs, tax letters, and proper annexures, as mismatches or missing certifications cause most delays.
- RLA handles ongoing updates such as amendments, renewals, or cancellations, which must be managed through the same portal to keep the profile active and compliant.
- If a shipment is held or documentation is requested, verifying registration status and submitting all missing documents through specified channels can resolve issues faster.
- Managed support from a service like MoreShores simplifies registration and ongoing compliance, especially for frequent shippers or foreign brands entering South Africa.
Table of Contents
- What Is RLA and Why Does SARS Customs Registration Depend On It?
- Who Needs SARS Customs Registration?
- How Do You Apply for RLA Registration on eFiling?
- What Documents Does SARS Require for Customs Registration?
- How Do You Manage Amendments, Renewals, and Cancellations?
- What Should You Do When SARS Holds a Shipment or Requests Documents?
- Which Official Forms and Guides Should You Download First?
- Why MoreShores Builds RLA Support Into Cross-Border Compliance
- How MoreShores Handles SARS RLA Registration for You
- Sources
- FAQ
What Is RLA and Why Does SARS Customs Registration Depend On It?
RLA is the electronic backbone for every SARS customs relationship. It handles new registration, licensing, and accreditation applications for the client types defined under the Customs and Excise Act, and it operates alongside SARS’s broader National Customs Automated Processing (NCAP) modernization. You apply, upload documents, and track status through eFiling or the Customs Trader Portal, both built on the same RLA engine.
Registration is only the front door. RLA also governs Authorized Economic Operator (AEO) accreditation, warehouse licensing, and every amendment you’ll eventually need to make once you’re trading. Change your bank account, add a new client type, or move premises, and RLA is where you file that update too.
That lifecycle framing matters more than most first-time applicants realize. SARS treats your customs registration as a living record, not a one-time form. Policy guidance built into the SC-CF-42 Customs Trader Portal guide walks through capturing new applications and managing amendments, renewals, and cancellations within the same system, because SARS expects your details to stay current for as long as you’re active.
Who Needs SARS Customs Registration?
Not every business moving goods across a border needs the same registration path, but most active trade participants do need one. SARS requires registration for several distinct client types, each tied to a specific role in the supply chain.
- Importers bringing goods into South Africa for resale, manufacturing input, or distribution.
- Exporters shipping South African goods to international buyers.
- Clearing agents who lodge customs declarations on behalf of importers or exporters.
- Removers in bond transporting uncleared goods between customs-controlled points.
- Licensed storage warehouse operators holding bonded or uncleared stock.
- Approved exporter categories under specific preferential trade arrangements.
Foreign entities face an extra requirement. A supplier or brand based outside South Africa cannot register directly. It must nominate a registered agent physically located in South Africa to act on its behalf for customs purposes. Skip that step and your application stalls before it starts.
There’s a narrow exception for occasional, non-commercial private imports, which SARS treats differently from ongoing trade activity. If you’re bringing in inventory for resale or running any recurring import or export operation, that exception doesn’t apply to you.
How Do You Apply for RLA Registration on eFiling?
Getting your SARS customs registration approved on the first attempt comes down to preparation. Most delays trace back to incomplete profiles or documents that don’t match, not the system itself.
-
Confirm your RAV01 details are complete first. Your registered particulars, especially your tax reference number, address, and banking details on eFiling, need to be accurate before you touch the customs module. Mismatches here are one of the most common rejection triggers.
-
Log in to eFiling and select the correct portfolio. If you’re registering on behalf of a company, switch to that organization’s profile rather than your personal one. Customs registration is tied to the entity trading, not the individual submitting the form.
-
Navigate to Customs, then Registration, Licensing and Accreditation, then New Application. This is the entry point SARS built specifically for RLA submissions, and it’s the same portal referenced throughout the SC-CF-42 guide.
-
Select your client type. Importer, exporter, clearing agent, or another category from the list above. This choice determines which fields and annexures appear next.
-
Capture client-level and product-level details as prompted. Client-level information covers your business particulars; product-level fields apply mainly to specific licensing categories like bonded warehouses or manufacturing under rebate.
-
Upload your supporting documents. Certified ID copies, company registration documents, and tax clearance letters typically go here. Section 5 below breaks down the full list.
-
Tick the declaration and submit. This confirms the accuracy of what you’ve captured, so review every field before you check that box.
-
Monitor your application status through the same RLA dashboard. SARS posts status updates as your application moves through review, and you’ll receive correspondence if additional information is needed.
SARS publishes tutorial videos on the RLA page that walk through each screen visually, which is worth watching once before your first submission if you’ve never used the Customs Trader Portal before.
Pro Tip: Assemble every supporting document in one folder, named consistently and checked against your RAV01 details, before you open the New Application screen. Practitioners who work with RLA regularly report that most delays come from mismatched names or missing certifications rather than slow processing, so a verified document pack upfront can save you a second or third submission cycle.
What Documents Does SARS Require for Customs Registration?
The exact document list depends on your client type, but SARS builds its core requirements around the DA 185 application form and its annexures. Each annexure maps to a specific role, so an importer completes a different sub-form than a clearing agent or a bonded warehouse operator.
Standard supporting documents include:
- Certified copy of your company registration certificate (or ID/passport for sole proprietors).
- Valid tax clearance or VAT registration letter from SARS.
- Proof of banking, typically a certified bank confirmation letter, not just a statement.
- Municipal account or utility bill confirming your business address.
- Certified ID copies for directors, partners, or the business owner.
- DA 185 annexures relevant to your client type, with DA 185.C required when security or surety arrangements apply.
Most rejected or delayed applications share the same root cause: a name on the ID copy that doesn’t match the company registration exactly, a tax reference number captured incorrectly, or a document that’s photocopied rather than properly certified. Practitioner guidance on RLA processing points to incomplete or mismatched documentation, not system backlogs, as the leading cause of delay.
Build your checklist before you start the online form: company registration, tax letter, certified bank proof, address proof, ID copies, and the correct DA 185 annexure for your client type. Cross-check every name and number against your RAV01 profile first.
How Do You Manage Amendments, Renewals, and Cancellations?
Your RLA profile isn’t static once approved. SARS built the system to handle ongoing changes, and the same Customs Trader Portal you used for your original application is where you’ll manage amendments, renewals, and withdrawals going forward.
Common amendment scenarios include a change of business address, updated banking details, a new director or partner, or adding an additional client type as your operation grows (an importer who later becomes a clearing agent, for example). Each of these goes through the “Manage” function within RLA rather than a fresh application.
Renewals apply mainly to time-bound licenses and accreditations, like certain warehouse licenses or AEO status, and SARS will flag these before they lapse. Miss a renewal window and you risk losing your ability to clear goods until it’s resolved. Cancellations matter too. If you stop trading in a particular category, formally withdrawing that client type keeps your compliance record clean rather than leaving an inactive registration on file.
SARS policy framing treats RLA explicitly as lifecycle management, not a one-time gate, which is why keeping your profile current carries the same weight as the original application.
What Should You Do When SARS Holds a Shipment or Requests Documents?
A held shipment is stressful, but the fix is usually procedural rather than mysterious. Start by confirming your registration status is active and current on eFiling; an expired or incomplete profile is a common trigger for holds.
- Check your RLA dashboard first to confirm your client registration hasn’t lapsed or flagged for review.
- Upload any missing or requested documents directly through the Statement of Quantities System (SOQS) or the relevant customs channel SARS specifies.
- Share your RLA registration certificate with your carrier or clearing agent immediately, since they often need it to release goods on their end.
- Call the SARS Contact Centre or visit a Customs branch office in person if the issue involves a manual DA 185 submission or a technical portal error.
- Appoint a registered agent or customs broker if you’re a foreign entity or simply need someone with clearance experience to resolve the hold faster.
Keep a running file of every document you submit and every reference number SARS gives you. That record becomes your evidence trail if a hold drags on or an appeal becomes necessary.
Which Official Forms and Guides Should You Download First?
Three SARS documents form the backbone of any registration effort, and reading them before you open eFiling saves real time.
- DA 185 lists every annexure tied to specific client types, so you know exactly which sub-form applies to your business before you start uploading files.
- SC-CF-42 walks through the Customs Trader Portal screen by screen, covering new applications, amendments, and status tracking.
- SC-CF-19 frames the broader registration and licensing policy, mapping which client types use which submission channels.
Download all three, match your client type against DA 185’s annexures, and keep SC-CF-42 open in a second tab while you complete your eFiling application.
Why MoreShores Builds RLA Support Into Cross-Border Compliance
Getting SARS customs registration right the first time is largely a documentation exercise, but it’s an unforgiving one. A single mismatched tax reference or an uncertified ID copy can push a straightforward application back weeks. That’s the friction we see most often when brands try to manage their own registration while also trying to launch products in market.
Integrated Importer of Record services exist precisely because registration errors compound. Get the client profile wrong at the RLA stage, and every subsequent shipment inherits that risk. MoreShores handles the registration, document assembly, and ongoing profile management as part of a single cross-border compliance relationship, so foreign brands entering South Africa don’t need to build customs expertise in-house before they ship their first pallet.
If you’re weighing whether to register yourself or bring in managed support, the honest answer depends on how often you’re shipping and how much internal bandwidth you have for compliance paperwork.
— Matt
How MoreShores Handles SARS RLA Registration for You
Self-service RLA registration works fine if you ship occasionally and have someone in-house who can chase down certified documents and monitor eFiling status. If you’re launching regularly, shipping from overseas, or you simply don’t want customs paperwork sitting on your critical path, a managed approach can help reduce that risk.
MoreShores acts as your Importer of Record for South African market entry, which means we handle the RLA registration, assemble and verify the required documentation, and keep your customs profile current through every amendment and renewal cycle. You don’t need a local entity or a separate registered agent arrangement. Foreign brands routinely need exactly that local registered agent presence to register at all, and that’s built into how we work. Our cross-border service folds registration into the same relationship that covers duties, VAT, warehousing, and fulfillment, so you’re not managing five separate vendors to get one shipment cleared. Check current service pricing or reach out through our Cross-Border & Compliance page to start a managed registration.
Sources
- Registration, Licensing and Accreditation | South African Revenue Service
- How to Get an Importers & Exporters Code in South Africa (SARS RLA) | Atrax Logistics
FAQ
How Does SARS Handle Import Duties?
SARS calculates import duties based on the tariff classification, customs value, and origin of your goods under the Customs and Excise Act, applying rates set out in Schedule 1 of the tariff book. Duties are assessed at the time of clearance, which is why an active, correctly registered customs client profile matters before goods arrive.
What Needs to Be Declared at South African Customs?
You must declare the full description, quantity, value, and origin of goods being imported or exported, along with the correct tariff code for each item. Under-declaring value or misclassifying goods is one of the fastest ways to trigger a shipment hold.
How Do I Contact South African Customs?
You can reach the SARS Contact Centre by phone for RLA and general customs queries, or visit a SARS Customs branch office in person for manual DA 185 submissions. Branch office details and tutorial resources are listed directly on the SARS RLA page.
How Much Will Customs Charge Me in South Africa?
Charges depend entirely on the tariff classification, customs value, and applicable VAT for your specific goods, so there’s no single flat rate. A registered clearing agent or an Importer of Record service like MoreShores can calculate your likely duty and VAT exposure before you ship, based on your product’s actual tariff code.
Do I Need a Registered Agent If My Business Is Based Outside South Africa?
Yes. Foreign importers and exporters cannot register directly with SARS and must nominate a registered agent located in South Africa to handle customs matters on their behalf. This is a mandatory step, not an optional convenience.