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ACID & NAFEZA for Auto Spare Parts: What Importers Actually Need to Do

Do you need an ACID number to import auto spare parts into Egypt? Yes, for any commercial shipment by sea or air. Since October 2021, sea freight into Egypt has required an Advance Cargo Information Declaration (ACID) number, registered through the NAFEZA platform, and since January 1, 2026, the same requirement applies to air freight. Without a valid ACID, cargo is held at the Egyptian port or airport, and storage and demurrage charges accumulate from there. Small express-courier shipments (up to 50 kg and USD 2,000 in value) are excluded from the full procedure, but this is a narrow carve-out, not a general exemption.

Checked September 2026: the January 1, 2026 air freight rule and the 50 kg / USD 2,000 courier carve-out are both in force. This is an active regulatory area, so confirm both before shipping.

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Scope

What does this article cover?

This article covers ACID/NAFEZA specifically. For the full import process, see Importing Auto Spare Parts to Egypt: Customs, Costs & Sourcing Explained.

Definitions

What are NAFEZA, ACID, and CargoX, actually?

NAFEZA ("window" in Arabic) is Egypt's National Single Window for foreign trade, run under the Egyptian Customs Authority. It's where the Egyptian importer registers shipment data and requests the ACID before goods arrive.

ACID (Advance Cargo Information Declaration) is the 19-digit number generated once that shipment data is submitted and approved. It functions like a passport for the specific shipment: it has to appear on the commercial invoice and other shipping documents before the goods depart origin, and it's tied to that one shipment, not a general import license.

CargoX is the linked platform foreign exporters use. The Egyptian importer registers on NAFEZA; the foreign exporter (your spare-parts supplier) registers separately on CargoX and uploads the shipping documents there, and the two systems link the export and import data together.

The Process

How does the process actually run, step by step?

  1. The Egyptian importer registers on NAFEZA and provides details of its foreign exporter(s).
  2. The foreign exporter registers on CargoX.
  3. The importer submits shipment data to NAFEZA and requests the ACID in advance of departure.
  4. Once approved, the 19-digit ACID number is issued to both importer and exporter.
  5. The exporter includes the ACID number on the commercial invoice, packing list, and other shipping documents.
  6. The exporter uploads the finalized, ACID-stamped documents through CargoX before the vessel sails (sea) or before the flight departs (air).
  7. Customs uses the ACID to process the shipment on arrival.

If a shipment is rejected at the registration stage, the importer can file an appeal through NAFEZA rather than starting over from zero.

Consequences

What happens without a valid ACID?

Cargo without an ACID number is held at the Egyptian port or airport. Storage and demurrage fees accumulate daily, and in some cases the shipment can be returned to origin at the shipper's expense. This is not a soft requirement: shipping lines and airlines have been enforcing it strictly since the sea-freight rollout in 2021, and the same standard now applies to air cargo.

January 1, 2026

What changed for air freight on January 1, 2026?

Until the end of 2025, ACID was mandatory for sea freight only. As of January 1, 2026, air freight shipments into Egypt are subject to the same requirement. If your business previously used air freight for urgent or high-value spare parts (sensors, electronics, precision components) without going through ACID, that option no longer exists: the same NAFEZA/CargoX registration now applies regardless of shipping mode. The good news: an existing ACI/NAFEZA account set up for sea freight can be used for air freight shipments as well, so there's no need to register from scratch if you've already been importing by sea.

Courier Carve-Out

What is the small-shipment exemption?

Express courier shipments up to 50 kg in weight and USD 2,000 in value are excluded from the full ACI procedure. This matters for individuals importing a single hard-to-find part, or workshops bringing in a small courier parcel, but it's specifically a courier-shipment carve-out. It does not exempt the shipment from GOEIC product-conformity requirements, and it should not be assumed to apply automatically to every "small" shipment; the weight and value thresholds are specific and both have to be met.

Timing

Why is timing the detail that trips up most first-time importers?

ACID registration has to happen before the shipment departs origin, not after it arrives, and not while it's in transit. This means the registration step needs to be built into your ordering timeline from the start: confirm your supplier can register on CargoX, submit your NAFEZA data with enough lead time, and only then have the supplier finalize shipping documents and load the cargo. A shipment that's ready to go but waiting on ACID approval is one of the most common (and most avoidable) delays in the entire import process.

FAQ

Questions, Answered

The Egyptian importer initiates the process on NAFEZA. The foreign exporter's role is registering on CargoX and including the resulting ACID number on shipping documents.

Per-shipment. The ACID number is tied to the specific transaction it's issued for; once that shipment clears, the number is considered fulfilled and a new one is needed for the next shipment.

Small express-courier shipments under 50 kg and USD 2,000 are excluded from the full ACI procedure. Larger personal shipments, or those outside courier channels, follow the standard process. This is a courier-shipment carve-out, not a general exemption: GOEIC product-conformity rules can still apply.

Documentation should be finalized and uploaded to CargoX before the vessel sails or the flight departs; building in adequate lead time avoids the risk of a shipment being ready but not yet cleared to load.

Yes. If a shipment registration is rejected, the importer can file an appeal through NAFEZA rather than restarting the process from scratch.

Talk to XGT About Your Shipment

If you're not sure whether your current NAFEZA/CargoX setup covers a new shipment correctly, send us your part details and supplier information. XGT can help you sequence the registration alongside your sourcing and shipping timeline.