Companies register for a Sharjah Customs importer code with Khorfakkan in mind for a particular reason. Their supplier's carrier calls at the east coast on the way through, outside the Strait of Hormuz, and the cargo is available there before it would be at a Gulf berth. Taking advantage of that requires the registration to be in place before the vessel arrives, because a first shipment landing against no code is a container in a terminal you cannot reach quickly. Al Nakheel handles the registration end to end.

What Is a New Import Code Registration?

Registration enrols your company with the customs authority as a party entitled to lodge import declarations. For Khorfakkan the relevant authority is Sharjah Customs, which governs the east coast terminal as well as Sharjah city, and the code issued is the reference every subsequent entry is filed against.

A trade licence is a prerequisite, not a substitute. It permits you to trade. The customs registration is what permits you to import in your own name. New importers routinely assume the second follows from the first, and discover otherwise when the first bill of lading arrives.

Who Needs a New Import Code?

  • Newly licensed UAE companies preparing to receive their first commercial consignment
  • Importers switching from buying ex-warehouse in the UAE to importing directly from an overseas supplier
  • Businesses that have been clearing under a supplier's, agent's or affiliate's code and now need their own
  • Overseas manufacturers and traders that have established a UAE entity to serve regional demand
  • Companies whose sourcing has shifted to routings that make the east coast the natural discharge point

If an earlier registration may exist under a previous licence or trade name, say so at the outset. Checking is quick, and it is a better outcome than filing a new registration for a company that already holds a dormant one.

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Documents Required for New Import Code Registration

Sharjah Customs requires the corporate documents that establish who you are and who is authorised to act. For a first registration, expect to supply:

  • UAE trade licence, mainland or free zone
  • Emirates ID or passport of the licence holder or authorised signatory
  • Memorandum or articles of association where there are multiple shareholders
  • Establishment card for mainland entities
  • Company bank details where verification is requested
  • Authorisation appointing Al Nakheel as your clearing agent

Note: The registration issued by Sharjah Customs covers Khorfakkan alongside Sharjah ICD and the Sajaa area facilities. If your routing may later shift to Jebel Ali, Port Rashid or Khalifa Port, mention it now. Those fall under different emirate customs systems and are worth setting up in the same exercise rather than as an afterthought when a vessel is already booked.

Step-by-Step: How Al Nakheel Registers Your Import Code

  1. Confirm no existing registration: We check whether a dormant code already sits against your company, which is common where a licence has been renamed or reissued.
  2. Match the registration to your routing: If your cargo is arriving on an east coast call, the Sharjah Customs registration is the one that matters first. We confirm this against your intended supply route rather than registering by default.
  3. Assemble and check the file: Documents are reviewed for consistency in company name, licence number and signatory before anything is submitted.
  4. Submit to Sharjah Customs: The application is lodged in the system governing Khorfakkan.
  5. Resolve queries directly: Where the authority asks for clarification we deal with it rather than passing it back to you, which keeps the timeline predictable.
  6. Code issued and first entry prepared: Once active, we set up your first declaration and, where a vessel is already en route, line up the mountain corridor haulage in the same conversation.

How Long Does New Import Code Registration Take?

A complete and consistent application generally clears within a few working days. What extends it is almost always a mismatch in the file, for instance a signatory who no longer appears on the licence, or documents naming the company slightly differently from one another. We check for these before submission because a rejection costs more time than the initial review does.

Can I Import Goods Before My Code Is Registered?

Cargo can arrive at Khorfakkan without a registration in place, but nothing can be lodged in your name until the code is live, and the container stays in the terminal. This is a poor place to learn the lesson. The east coast is roughly two hours from Sharjah by road, haulage capacity there is thinner than in the Dubai corridor, and terminal storage and carrier detention run in parallel throughout. Start the registration when the purchase order is issued, not when the vessel is announced.

Need Clearance at Khorfakkan Port?

Our team handles everything — documentation, duties, and release. Fast response guaranteed.

WhatsApp Us Now 📞 (+971) 4 236 9740

Import Code Registration vs. Renewal — What Is the Difference?

A new registration creates a customs identity where none exists. A renewal extends the validity of one that already does. The distinction matters practically because filing a fresh registration for a company that already holds a dormant code produces a rejection rather than a second code, and the time is lost either way. Where a licence has been renamed, reissued or transferred between free zone and mainland, the position is not always obvious from the outside. We check first and then file the correct one.

Frequently Asked Questions

Should I register with Sharjah Customs specifically if my cargo lands at Khorfakkan?
Yes, that is the authority governing the terminal. Khorfakkan sits in Sharjah emirate despite being on the Gulf of Oman coast, and the same Sharjah Customs registration also covers Sharjah ICD and the Sajaa area facilities. If you expect to clear at Jebel Ali or Khalifa Port as well, those operate under separate emirate systems and need their own registration.
Our supplier's carrier calls at Khorfakkan on the way through. How early should we register?
When the purchase order is placed rather than when the vessel is announced. East coast calls often come earlier in a rotation than a Gulf berth, which is part of their appeal, but it also means your first container can arrive sooner than you expect. A registration still in progress when the box is discharged leaves it in the terminal accruing storage.
Do we need a code if the cargo is only transshipping at Khorfakkan?
No. Relay cargo that is discharged and reloaded onto a feeder vessel without entering the UAE market needs no import declaration and therefore no importer registration. The code becomes necessary the moment the goods are entered for the UAE, whether for local consumption or for transit inland to another emirate.
Can a free zone entity register?
Yes. A free zone company can hold a customs registration for clearing goods into mainland UAE, though the documentary pathway differs somewhat from a mainland registration. Whether you need it depends on where the goods finally come to rest. Cargo staying within the free zone and cargo entering the local market are treated differently, and it is worth settling that before filing.
How much does registration cost?
Authority fees apply and vary by company type. We quote the government fee and our service charge separately before starting so you can see which is which. Where cargo is already in transit and the registration is urgent, we will say so plainly rather than promising a timeline the authority controls.