Check the rules for your product—not a generic list—before you buy stock. A clear product description, the right authority checks and organised paperwork can help you avoid guesswork and prepare for a smoother handover into your order routine.
As you plan what happens after your goods are ready to move, see the delivery options and prices that apply to your parcel.
What is this import checklist for?
It helps you identify which checks may apply before you commit money to a product or estimate import charges. Requirements can depend on the exact goods, their intended use and whether they are for personal use, evaluation or resale. A friend’s experience with a different product is not a reliable substitute for checking yours.
Before you estimate charges: identify the product clearly
- Write down what the product is and what it does.
- Record what it is made of, its brand or model, and its country of origin.
- State its intended use and whether you plan to resell it.
- Gather product specifications, photos and any safety or conformity information you have.
- Use those details to check the tariff classification before estimating charges. If classification or valuation is uncertain, seek guidance from KRA or a licensed customs-clearing professional.
Which Kenyan authorities may apply to your product?
Use this as a starting map, then check the exact product and purpose with the relevant authority. More than one check may apply.
- KRA: Check customs classification, valuation and clearance requirements for your goods.
- KEBS: Check whether conformity assessment or other standards-related steps apply to the product.
- Communications Authority of Kenya: Check if you are importing communications or radio equipment, such as a phone, router or modem.
- Pharmacy and Poisons Board: Check healthcare products, including medicines and medical devices, with the relevant specialist authority.
- KEPHIS: Check plant products and other plant material using its import-requirements information.
Personal goods, samples and commercial stock: what changes?
- Personal-use goods are not the same as stock intended for resale. Keep the intended use clear in your records.
- A sample may be for evaluation, but calling it a sample does not automatically remove customs, standards or product-regulator requirements. Check the exact product and purpose.
- Commercial stock needs particularly clear descriptions, quantities and values so your paperwork matches what you are importing.
- Keep personal goods, samples and resale stock distinct in your shipment records. Do not assume one category receives the same treatment as another.
Easy-to-miss import checks before dispatch
- Check product-specific regulator requirements before the goods are dispatched.
- Ask whether permits, licences, conformity steps or supporting documents apply to your exact item.
- Prepare an accurate goods description, quantities, value, invoices, packing list, origin information and transport documents, as applicable.
- Keep relevant product specifications and any permits or conformity documents with your shipment records.
- Make sure your clearing professional can match the paperwork to the goods and their intended use.
When should you ask a specialist?
Get specialist guidance before you commit to an order if you are unsure about classification, valuation, permits or product-specific rules—especially for regulated goods. Check with the relevant authority or a licensed customs-clearing professional rather than relying only on a friend’s import advice.
After clearance: turn incoming stock into customer orders
Once your stock is ready for fulfilment, set a simple handover routine: record each customer order, prepare the parcel details together and keep delivery updates in one place. Kenya’s largest courier and one of Kenya’s most deeply connected courier networks, Moveka offers Express and Same-Day services to help businesses organise delivery as they grow.
Ready to plan the next handover? Start with your parcel details to see the delivery options and prices that apply.
