Port of Dakar shipping covers nearly all sea cargo into Senegal: containers, vehicles, breakbulk, bulk and dangerous goods, plus transit cargo for Mali. The port belongs to the Port Autonome de Dakar, and DP World runs its container terminal. This guide covers the terminals, cargo types, free time, customs, the BESC cargo tracking note and how we move your cargo from Dubai to Dakar. We ship both ways: from Dubai to Dakar, and from Dakar to Dubai with UAE clearance on arrival.
Port of Dakar shipping guide: key facts at a glance
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Port authority | Port Autonome de Dakar (public body) |
| Container terminal operator | DP World, under a 25-year concession signed in October 2007 |
| UN/LOCODE | SNDKR |
| Location | Dakar, Senegal, on the Atlantic coast of West Africa |
| Container terminal capacity | 900,000 TEU a year |
| Container berths and draft | 3 berths, 13 m draft, 12.5 m average depth to chart datum |
| Reefer plugs | 560 |
| Cargo types | Containers, reefer, ro-ro, general cargo, dry bulk, tankers, gas, passengers |
| Access | Road, rail and sea |
| Nearest cargo airport | Blaise Diagne International (DSS), about 38 km away |
| Customs | Douanes senegalaises, GAINDE electronic clearance |
| Cargo tracking note | BESC from the Senegalese Shippers' Council (COSEC), before arrival |
| Dakar to Dubai | Export filed through a licensed commissionnaire after ORBUS pre-clearance; UAE duty 5% of CIF for most goods plus 5% import VAT |
| New port | Ndayane deep-water port, about 50 km south, phase 1 expected by 2028 |
What is the Port of Dakar and who runs it?
The Port of Dakar opened in 1866 and is Senegal's main seaport. It is owned by the state through the Port Autonome de Dakar, a public body based in the city.
The container terminal is a concession. DP World signed a 25-year deal for it on 8 October 2007 and now describes it as the only container terminal in Senegal. DP World says vessels sailing south from Europe gain two to three days of navigation by calling at Dakar, and that window berthing cut average vessel waiting time from 35 hours to zero.
So in practice you deal with two operators. DP World handles your container at the terminal. The port authority and other operators handle ro-ro, breakbulk and bulk berths.
Which terminals does the Port of Dakar have?
The DP World container terminal
These figures are from DP World's terminal facts for Dakar.
| Feature | Figure |
|---|---|
| Terminal area | 15 hectares |
| Capacity | 900,000 TEU |
| Quay length | 710 m in the facts list (700 m in the page text) |
| Berths | 3 |
| Draft | 13 m |
| Quay cranes | 6 |
| Mobile harbour cranes | 3 |
| Rubber tyred gantries | 20 |
| Ground slots | 4,441 |
| Reefer connections | 560 plugs |
| Employees | 750+ |
DP World lists container weighing, IMDG dangerous goods handling, out-of-gauge project cargo, reefer monitoring, covered warehouses, an empty depot, block trains and a vehicle booking system for trucks among its services.
Ro-ro, general cargo and bulk berths
Outside the container terminal, the port handles ro-ro vehicles, general cargo, dry bulk, tankers and gas carriers. The port also has a dedicated phosphate terminal, a fishing and cereals port, and a ship repair yard. Vehicles shipped on ro-ro vessels and breakbulk pieces use these berths, not the DP World terminal.
Ndayane: the new deep-water port south of Dakar
DP World is building the Port of Ndayane about 50 km south of Dakar, with the Government of Senegal and British International Investment. Phase 1 has an 840 m container quay, a 5 km maritime access channel, an 18 m draft and capacity for 1.2 million TEU a year, with completion expected by 2028. Phase 2 adds another 410 m of container quay.
Until Ndayane opens and carriers publish calls there, plan your shipments on Dakar. If you sign a multi-year supply contract, ask your buyer to allow either port as the discharge port.
What cargo can you ship through Dakar port?
| Cargo | How it moves | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| General goods in containers | FCL or LCL to the DP World terminal | The bulk of Dubai cargo |
| Frozen and chilled food | Reefer containers | 560 reefer plugs; health certificates needed |
| Cars, pickups, trucks | Containers or ro-ro | Vehicle taxes and age limit apply |
| Machinery and steel | Flat rack, open top or breakbulk | Reinforcing steel must meet Senegalese standards |
| Dangerous goods | DG containers | IMDG handling listed by DP World |
| Transit cargo for Mali | Containers by road or rail | Customs transit regime and carrier transit free time |
Container shipping to Dakar port: FCL, LCL and free time
FCL from Jebel Ali is the simplest way to ship to Dakar. LCL works for smaller loads, but the box is unpacked in Dakar and your cargo is released only when the whole box is cleared. Our guide to FCL vs LCL costs shows where the break-even sits.
Which carriers call at Dakar?
Fluent Cargo lists 14 carriers serving Dakar, including CMA CGM (daily), MSC (2 to 4 times a week), ONE and Grimaldi (1 to 2 times a week), and Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd (every 1 to 2 weeks). Cogoport's tracker for March 2026 showed CMA CGM with 61.5% of tracked capacity.
Free time, release and dwell time
Free time is set by each carrier. Maersk's Senegal page is a useful example:
- Demurrage free time in Dakar: 10 days for dry containers, 3 days for reefers.
- Detention free time on truck delivery: 4 days in Dakar, 5 days to Thies, 8 days to other regions.
- Transit cargo to Bamako: 10 days of demurrage and 23 days of detention free time for dry boxes.
- Release against original bills of lading, a signed container guarantee form and payment of local charges.
- A refundable container deposit on merchant haulage imports.
Cogoport's port tracker showed average import container dwell of 8.4 to 11.1 days between September 2025 and January 2026. That is close to the free time limit, so start clearance before the ship arrives. Our note on demurrage and detention shows how the charges build up.
Breakbulk, vehicles and project cargo at Dakar
Vehicles reach Dakar in containers or on ro-ro ships. Senegal customs publishes cumulative tax rates for vehicles arriving by sea: 48.97% for used passenger cars, 47.54% for new passenger cars and 36.81% for used goods vehicles. Customs also applies an age limit to used vehicles, so check that before buying.
Oversized pieces go on flat racks into the container terminal, which handles out-of-gauge cargo, or as breakbulk on a general cargo vessel. Our article on flat rack, open top and breakbulk cargo explains the choice, and our break bulk and project cargo service covers lifting plans, lashing and the UAE road move to the quay.
Dangerous goods at Dakar port
DP World lists IMDG dangerous goods handling among the Dakar terminal's yard services. Your DG container needs a correct UN number, class, packing group, safety data sheet, signed DG declaration and UN-approved packaging, and the carrier must accept it before booking. The importer also needs any product permit, such as the energy ministry licence for petroleum products. Our dangerous goods shipping team gets carrier acceptance first and passes the DG data to the consignee's broker in Dakar.
Customs and documents at the Port of Dakar
The BESC for Dakar port
COSEC describes the BESC (Bordereau Electronique de Suivi des Cargaisons, also called the BSC) as mandatory for goods going to Senegal, issued before the cargo arrives. The applicant needs a COSEC account opened with a NINEA and trade register number, and sends the bill of lading, commercial invoice and freight invoice. Agree at booking whether the shipper's side in Dubai or the consignee's side files it.
Who clears cargo at Dakar?
Only goods with a customs value up to 200,000 CFA francs can be declared by the owner. Above that, a licensed customs broker files the declaration in GAINDE, the customs data platform. A prior import declaration (DPI) is needed from 1,000,000 CFA francs FOB, and pre-shipment verification with an attestation from 3,000,000 CFA francs FOB, according to French customs' 2020 guide to Senegal.
Documents checklist for cargo into Dakar port
- Commercial invoice and packing list.
- Original bill of lading, which carriers such as Maersk require for release.
- Certificate of origin and insurance certificate.
- BESC validated by COSEC.
- DPI and attestation of verification above the value thresholds.
- Import certificate and foreign exchange undertaking for goods from outside the CFA franc zone.
- Health or phytosanitary certificate and DIPA for food.
- Product permits: medicines, telecom equipment (ARTP), petroleum, gold.
Duties and taxes on cargo cleared at Dakar
Duty follows the ECOWAS Common External Tariff: 0%, 5%, 10%, 20% or 35% of CIF value. On top come a 1% statistical fee, a 1% community solidarity levy, a 0.5% ECOWAS levy, a 0.4% COSEC levy for sea cargo and 18% VAT. Our route guide covers the bands and excise in detail.
Transit cargo to Mali through Dakar port
Dakar is a sea gateway for landlocked Mali. Goods for another country move under customs transit: a transit document (acquit-a-caution), a bank guarantee and customs tracking up to the exit office. DP World lists block trains and dedicated rail connectivity at the terminal, alongside direct truck access.
Book the bill of lading to the true final destination. Carriers give transit boxes different free time, and the wrong destination on the documents means the wrong free time and paperwork in Dakar.
Shipping from Dubai to Dakar: transit times and sailings
Fluent Cargo lists the quickest sea option from Jebel Ali to Dakar at 29 days 14 hours with 2 transfers on CMA CGM services, sailing every 2 to 4 weeks, over 6,492 nautical miles. By air, it lists a direct Emirates freighter from Al Maktoum (DWC) to Blaise Diagne (DSS) every 1 to 2 weeks, with about 9 hours 45 minutes of flight time. Our air cargo service covers urgent loads.
Shipping from Dubai to Dakar starts at Jebel Ali. Our Jebel Ali port shipping guide covers the export side.
How to ship to the Port of Dakar from Dubai, step by step
- Agree the Incoterm and who clears in Dakar.
- Check the HS code, duty band and any permit or standard for each product.
- Confirm the importer's NINEA, customs broker and, if needed, the DPI and inspection.
- Send us goods, HS codes, weights, volumes, packing and the final address in Senegal or Mali.
- We book space from Jebel Ali and confirm the transshipment route.
- We check the documents, arrange the certificate of origin and send bill of lading data for the BESC.
- We arrange trucking, export clearance in the UAE and loading.
- The BESC is validated before arrival, and the broker files the declaration in GAINDE.
- Duty and taxes are paid, the carrier issues the delivery order, and the box leaves the terminal within free time.
[AMIR-FACT: one real shipment we handled into Dakar port (cargo, container or ro-ro, days from Jebel Ali, any BESC or release issue solved), cleared for publication]
See our sea freight service for what we book from the UAE.
How to ship from the Port of Dakar to Dubai
We also handle the other direction: shipping from Dakar to Dubai, with arrival at Jebel Ali, Khalifa Port or Sharjah port. We book the space with the carrier and run the UAE side. The Senegalese export formalities stay with the shipper or its Senegalese customs broker.
The Senegal export side
- Exporter registration. The Senegal eRegulations portal lists an import-export card and a Code Personne Physique et Morale (CPPM) as the first steps before any export.
- Pre-clearance. The exporter files a request at an ORBUS facilitation centre in Dakar with the invoice or pro forma and its NINEA and CPPM details. The portal lists a fee of CFA 5,000 plus CFA 200 stamp duty for this step.
- Export declaration. The clearance request then goes to a licensed customs broker (commissionnaire agree en douane), who lodges it with Senegalese customs. The portal notes that firms subscribed to the electronic clearance system can use their own transit staff instead.
- Pickup. The shipper or its trucker delivers the loaded box to the DP World terminal inside the carrier's cut-off.
The UAE import side
On arrival in Dubai, the declaration goes to Dubai Customs with the commercial invoice, the packing list, a certificate of origin and any permit for restricted goods. The carrier releases the cargo against the bill of lading. Customs duty in Dubai is 5% of the CIF value for most goods, with 50% on alcohol and 100% on cigarettes. Import VAT is 5%, and a VAT-registered importer accounts for it on its VAT return under the reverse charge.
- Send us the shipper's details in Senegal, the cargo, the HS code and the UAE delivery address.
- We book space from Dakar and send the booking and cut-offs to the shipper.
- The shipper or its trucker collects the empty, loads it and delivers it to the terminal.
- The shipper's broker files the export declaration after ORBUS pre-clearance.
- We check the draft bill of lading against the invoice and packing list.
- We file the UAE declaration before the vessel arrives.
- We arrange payment of the duty and VAT and collect the delivery order.
- We truck the box to your site and return the empty inside free time.
[AMIR-FACT: the carriers and transshipment hubs we actually use from Dakar to Jebel Ali, Khalifa Port or Sharjah, and our real port-to-port transit days in this direction]
Checklist before you ship to Dakar port
- BESC applicant agreed and data sent with the bill of lading draft.
- Broker and NINEA confirmed before loading.
- DPI and inspection arranged if the value thresholds are met.
- Carrier free time at Dakar known for your box type.
- Reefer cargo booked with health certificates ready.
- Vehicle age and customs value checked.
- DG acceptance from the carrier in writing.
- Final destination correct for Mali transit cargo.
Common mistakes at Dakar port
| Mistake | What happens | How to avoid it |
|---|---|---|
| BESC filed late | Declaration cannot proceed, storage builds | File as soon as the bill of lading is issued |
| Clearance started after arrival | Dwell runs past free time | Send documents to the broker before the ship arrives |
| Values differ between invoice, B/L and BESC | COSEC or customs queries | Use one set of figures everywhere |
| Reefer box not collected quickly | Only 3 days of Maersk demurrage free time for reefers | Plan delivery and power before arrival |
| Mali cargo booked to Dakar | Wrong free time and transit papers | Book the true final destination |
Frequently asked questions
What is the port code for Dakar?
The UN/LOCODE for the Port of Dakar is SNDKR.
Who operates the container terminal at Dakar?
DP World runs it under a 25-year concession signed in October 2007. The rest of the port is managed by the Port Autonome de Dakar.
How long does shipping from Dubai to Dakar take?
Fluent Cargo lists the quickest sea option from Jebel Ali to Dakar at about 29 days 14 hours with 2 transfers on CMA CGM services. Air freight from Al Maktoum to Blaise Diagne takes about 9 hours 45 minutes of flight time.
Can you handle shipping from Dakar to Dubai?
Yes. We book the space, check the bill of lading and clear the cargo in Dubai. The shipper's licensed broker in Senegal handles the export declaration. In Dubai, duty is 5% of CIF for most goods, plus 5% import VAT.
Is a BESC required for Dakar port?
Yes. COSEC describes the BESC as mandatory for goods going to Senegal, and it must be issued before the cargo arrives.
How many free days do containers get at Dakar?
It depends on the carrier. Maersk, for example, gives 10 days of demurrage free time for dry containers and 3 days for reefers at Dakar.
Can Dakar port handle dangerous goods?
Yes. DP World lists IMDG dangerous goods handling among its Dakar terminal services, subject to carrier acceptance and correct DG documents.
How does cargo get from Dakar port to Mali?
By road or rail under a customs transit regime, with a transit document, a bank guarantee and customs tracking to the border exit office.
Do I need a customs broker at Dakar?
Yes, for commercial cargo. Only goods with a customs value up to 200,000 CFA francs can be declared by their owner.
Get a quote for Port of Dakar shipping
Send us your cargo details, the delivery point in Senegal or Mali and the Incoterm, and we will come back with a routing and price. Use our freight rate inquiry form or contact our team. You can also read about our Dubai freight forwarding team.
Sources
- DP World: Dakar Port terminal facts and services
- DP World: Ports and terminals in Senegal (Ndayane)
- Wikipedia: Autonomous Port of Dakar
- Fluent Cargo: Dakar (SNDKR) port profile and carriers
- Fluent Cargo: Dubai to Dakar sea and air routes
- Cogoport: Port of Dakar statistics
- Maersk: Senegal import information
- COSEC: Services to shippers (BESC, transit)
- COSEC: BESC portal
- Douanes senegalaises: Table of duties and taxes
- Douanes senegalaises: Cumulative rates for vehicles
- ECOWAS: Common External Tariff (CET)
- French customs: 10 questions before exporting to Senegal (2020)
- Senegal eRegulations: Export clearance procedure (import-export card, CPPM, ORBUS, licensed broker)
- Senegal eRegulations: ORBUS pre-clearance step (documents, fees)
- Dubai Customs: Submit customs declaration (documents)
- UAE Government portal: Customs duty (5% of CIF, alcohol 50%, cigarettes 100%)
- Federal Tax Authority: VAT guide (5% rate, import VAT, reverse charge)
Reviewed: 10 November 2026