Cargo bound for the Democratic Republic of the Congo requires a FERI (Fiche Électronique de Renseignement à l'Importation) — an electronic import declaration that must be raised before the vessel sails. Without a valid FERI, cargo is held or penalised at the Congolese port. Rolats prepares and validates the FERI as part of your shipment so it clears cleanly.
What is the FERI?
The FERI is DR Congo's mandatory electronic cargo-tracking and import-declaration document, administered by the OGEFREM (Office de Gestion du Fret Multimodal). It records the shipment's details — shipper, consignee, goods, value and freight — and must be validated before arrival. It's the Congolese equivalent of the ECTN/BSC used elsewhere in the region.
Why it must be raised before sailing
The FERI has to be opened and validated against the bill of lading before the cargo leaves the load port. If it's missing or raised late, DR Congo customs can detain the cargo, impose penalties, or refuse clearance — delays that are expensive and avoidable. We raise it in good time as standard.
What Rolats does for DRC shipments
We handle the whole declaration so your family or business isn't caught out:
- Raise and validate the FERI before the vessel sails
- Prepare the French-language commercial documentation
- Coordinate clearance at Matadi (or onward to Kinshasa and Lubumbashi)
- Advise on duty, VAT and restricted items before you ship
Shipping to the DRC with Rolats
We ship to DR Congo by sea (via Matadi and the regional corridors) and by air, door-to-door from our Dagenham depot. Air freight is £5.90/kg plus £20 handling; sea cargo starts from £70 per bag; containers are quote-only — all-in GBP with no charges at the Congolese end beyond government duty.