Import paperwork and customs stops, made manageable.
Qualified customs and trade case support for International Trade Administration Commission (ITAC) permits, National Regulator for Compulsory Specifications (NRCS) applications and stopped or queried cargo. We lead the paperwork and escalation work. Where a customs declaration or clearance is required, we can coordinate with an appointed clearing agent under your written authority. No release or approval is guaranteed.
Choose the help you need
Start with the paperwork that is holding you up or the service you need before goods move.
ITAC permit application
For controlled, used, second hand, waste or scrap goods.
Includes: Standard application pack, document checklist and submission preparation. Official fees are separate.Start ITAC application →NRCS LoA support
For products that need a Letter of Authority before they can be sold or imported.
Includes: Standard application preparation where reports are complete. NRCS and testing fees are separate.Prepare NRCS file →Customs stop and clearance support
Choose triage, a prepared response file or managed escalation for a held or queried shipment.
Includes: Qualified case support and an appointed clearing-agent route where formal clearance is needed.Choose the right support →Importer or exporter code
Set up the SARS customs client registration before you move goods regularly.
Includes: Registration paperwork and a clear document list.Get customs ready →Export documents consult
Certificates of origin, conformity certificates, safety data sheets and dangerous goods declarations: which ones your shipment needs and who issues them.
Includes: One booked hour and a written document list.Book the hour →Not sure this is the right one for you? Ask us first and you get a written answer within one business day. Exporting? The exporters hub has the free guides.
What we need before we start
- Commercial invoice, packing list and transport document (air waybill, bill of lading or road waybill) where available
- Product description, country of origin and intended use
- Any hold notice, query, email or reference from the courier, clearing agent, SARS, ITAC or NRCS
- Your approval to use only the details needed for the selected case
Why this trips businesses up
Importing is one of the few areas where a paperwork mistake is charged back to you in money, immediately, with penalties. Three things cause most of it.
- The tariff code. Every product has one, it sets the duty rate, and choosing the wrong one is your liability, not your supplier’s or your clearing agent’s. SARS can reassess years later and charge the difference plus penalties.
- The customs value. Duty is not charged on the invoice alone. The value is built up under set rules and then increased before VAT is applied, so the tax on a shipment is meaningfully more than fifteen percent of the invoice. Businesses that budget off the invoice price get a surprise at the port.
- Restricted and prohibited goods. A surprising number of ordinary products need a permit from a body other than SARS before they can land. Goods without one sit in a bonded warehouse accruing storage while you apply.
The pattern is always the same: the cost of getting it right is small and known in advance, and the cost of getting it wrong is unknown and arrives after the money is already spent.
How customs clearance works
We lead the case preparation, document review and escalation work. If formal customs clearance or a customs declaration is needed, it is handled by the appointed clearing agent under separate written authority and fees. Official fees, laboratory/testing costs, clearing-agent fees, storage, demurrage, customs duty and VAT are separate unless a written quote says otherwise.
We do not give tariff rulings, pay duties, or promise an authority will approve an application or release cargo. For specialist testing, tariff classification disputes or enforcement matters, we will identify the right clearing agent, customs specialist, laboratory or attorney before extra work starts.
Pricing covers ProperSA's stated preparation or case-review scope only. Government and third-party fees are separate. All submissions require the relevant client authority.