Standard regulations for exports to South Africa

When you are shipping items to South Africa, they must be sent with the personal identification details for the recipient. A Tax ID simply just a unique number every citizen has and therefore confirms it is referring to the recipient. The person you are shipping to may well know it just as their own personal ID number rather than a Tax ID, but it so customs can check the recipient's details when the goods clear customs around the issue of taxes owed on the incoming item- so it is referred to as Tax ID. 

If you are not able to provide this number, you should provide the recipient passport number.

If you are sending to a UK citizen, you can provide their passport number instead of the Tax ID number.

This number is checked before the goods are released by customs and must match up with the details of the recipient. We will advise the details of this number below and what each part of the Unique ID represents. 

Failing to provide this information will see your item returned or held by South African customs causing you and your parcel receiver inconvenience or long delays and may prevent the item arriving safely with the recipient. Please check with the person you are sending to located in South Africa, that they can provide this information to you, so when you book it can be added to the details of your booking that will be checked when the parcel arrives in South Africa. 

When you book your parcel with Parcel Monkey we provide the customs documents needed to ensure it clears customs, however, you will need to fill them out on the booking form correctly, so your goods can be shipped efficiently. 

Once completed print out and attach to the outside of the box in a clear plastic wallet, clear envelope or one clearly marked FAO Customs.

What is the Recipient Unique ID Reference? 

A South African personal identification number is 13 digits long containing only numeric characters, with no white space, punctuation or alpha characters.

It is defined as YYMMDDSSSSCAZ:

YYMMDD represents the date of birth (DoB);

•  SSSS is a sequence number registered with the same birth date (where females are assigned sequential numbers in the range 0000 to 4999 and males from 5000 to 9999);

•  C is the citizenship with 0 if the person is an SA citizen, 1 if the person is a permanent resident;

•  A is 8 or 9. Prior to 1994, this number was used to indicate the holder's race;

•  Z is a checksum digit. 

Using ID Number 8001015009087 as an example, it would read as follows:

The ID indicates that a male citizen was born on 1 January 1980; he was the 10th male to be registered (assuming that the first male to be registered on that day would be assigned the sequence number 5000).

If the recipient is not an SA resident their national insurance number or alternatively their passport number will be required.

Parcel and postage rates for items going to South Africa 

Packaging guidelines

Customs Advice

What is a courier?

More FAQ's