Tanzania Bureau of Standards (TBS)

The Tanzania Bureau of Standards (TBS) implements product conformity assessment for the control of certain categories of imported consumer goods.

A. Pre-shipment Verification of Conformity (PVoC)

Pre-shipment Verification of Conformity (PVoC) is a conformity assessment procedure used to verify that products to be imported into Tanzania are in conformity with applicable national standards before shipment. It is conformity assessment and verification procedure to specific goods at exporting countries. It is provided for by section 4(1) (s) of the Standards Act No. 2 of 2009.

Before shipping to Tanzania all consignments subject to PVoC must obtain the mandatory custom clearance documents and certificate of conformity (CoC) without which the commodities arriving at Tanzanian Ports will be rejected or fined.

The PVoC is carried out by authorized third-party agencies, consisting of physical inspection with combination of laboratory testing, documentary review and factory audits, where necessary.

Key Benefits

• Protects consumers’ health, safety and security.
• Blocks unfair competition from substandard imports.
• Facilitates customs clearance.
• Eliminates destruction or re-exporting costs for substandard goods.
• Prevents Tanzania from being a dumping ground for substandard goods.

Kindly download the following attachments for more details:

1. PVoC Certification Procedure

guideline for pvoc programme 2025

2. Regulated HS Codes under PVoC Programme

3. Regulated HS Codes under Used Motor Vehicles

4. TBS PVoC Partners Addresses

contact addresses of liaison offices for pvoc service providers for general goods

ccic contact list for pvoc programme china

sgs pca worldwide contact list for pvoc programme

intertek worldwide contact list for pvoc programme

5. Zones of PVoC Service Providers

list of contracted pvoc sevice providers and respective zones for general goods

6. Summarized PVoC Procedure

pvoc summarised procedure

7. Contact Addresses of PVoC Partners of Used Motor Vehicles

worldwide contact addresses of pvoc service providers used motor vehicles

contracted zones of pvoc service providers for used motor vehicle

8. PVoC Procedure for Used Motor Vehicles

pvoc procedures for vehicles 2023

9. Exemptions under the PVoC Programme

pvoc exemptions

B. Destination Inspection (DI)

Destination Inspection is focused on the conformity assessment of imported goods after arrival in the country. This applies to all goods in the destination inspection compulsory list and goods that were imported without a Certificate of Conformity (CoC) under the PVoC programme.

Kindly download the following attachments for more details:

1. Compulsory List of the HS Codes

2. Procedure for the Clearance of General Goods Regulated under Destination Inspection

di general goods summary

3. DI Penalties

Items regulated under PVoC which have been imported without a Certificate of Conformity shall be subjected to penalties. The consignment penalty details are attached below:

applicable penalties

4. DI Used Motor Vehicles

di used vehicles

In order to access online application system, please click the link below:

https://oas.tbs.go.tz

C. Technical Assistance to Exporters (TAE)

Technical Assistant to Exporters (TAE) is a service which provides exporters with essential information and advice on foreign technical requirements in foreign markets.

Normally the exporting requirement in terms of Quality Assurance and Conformity Assessment is determined by importing countries. However, Tanzania Bureau of Standards wish to inform the public that it offers technical assistance to exporters who need to export various products to EAC, Africa and other countries in the world.

For more details click the link below:

Technical Assistance to Exporters