Distillers Alcohol regulations in Chad
How to import or export liquor and spirits to Chad, how to register products and labels, the import duty and taxes, and how to get a licence to make alcohol there. Researched March 2026.
Research guide, not legal advice. Compiled in March 2026 from the public sources listed at the bottom of this page. Duty rates, fees and rules change often: confirm with the regulator, a customs broker or local counsel before you act. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.
- Status
- Legal
- Legal drinking age
- 18
- Legal purchase age
- 18
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Licence to make spirits (distillery and bottling)
- Licences needed
- Industrial establishment authorization (Agrément / Autorisation d'implantation et d'exploitation industrielle) and tax registration for excise duties
- Authority
- Ministère du Commerce et de l'Industrie; Direction Générale des Impôts (DGI)
- Documents
- not confirmed
- Fees
- not confirmed
- Time to obtain
- not confirmed
Import licence and registration
- Who can import
- Registered commercial corporate entities registered in the Trade and Personal Property Credit Register (RCCM) with a valid Tax Identification Number (NIF) and importer card
- Licences or registrations
- Importer Card (Carte d'importateur) and Prior Import Declaration (Déclaration Préalable d'Importation - DPI)
- Authority
- Ministère du Commerce et de l'Industrie; Direction Générale des Douanes et Droits Indirects (DGDDI)
- Documents
- Commercial invoice, bill of lading / airway bill, packing list, certificate of origin, certificate of analysis/conformity, DPI
- Fees
- not confirmed
- Time to obtain
- not confirmed
Product and label registration
Required: not confirmed Process: Conformity verification and standard adherence via the national standards agency prior to commercialization; strict enforcement against adulterated or non-compliant spirits under Decree No. 2835…
Import rules
All commercial imports require an electronic cargo tracking note (BESC/ECTN), Certificate of Origin, and commercial invoices; strict prohibition on the import, sale, and distribution of sachet alcohol and adulterated or…
Import duty on spirits (HS 2208)
30% (CEMAC Common External Tariff Category IV for final consumer goods, applied to CIF value under HS 2208)
Excise and taxes
Excise duty (droits d'accises) of 25% on distilled spirits; Value Added Tax (TVA) of 18%; customs statistical fee (Redevance Statistique) of 2%; CEMAC Community Integration Tax (TCI) of 1%; African Union import levy of 0.2%
Retail and distribution
Private licensed retailers, supermarkets, registered grocery outlets, hotels, restaurants, and bars; municipal operating permits/licences (patente) required; sales to minors and introduction/consumption of alcohol in workplaces…
Online sale and delivery
not confirmed
Labelling
Labels must be in French and/or Arabic (official languages of Chad). Mandatory details include brand name, nature/category of spirit, net volume, alcohol by volume (% ABV), name and address of producer/bottler/importer, lot…
Advertising
Restricted; under the General Tax Code (CGI), tax deductibility for alcohol advertising and promotion expenses is capped at 0.2% of annual turnover; targeting minors is prohibited
Legal definitions of spirits
Governed by CEMAC regional food standards and ATNOR norms; adulterated, artisanal, and toxic uncertified spirits are strictly banned; specific minimum ABV definitions for individual spirit categories not confirmed
Dry or restricted areas
Alcohol is legally sold throughout the country, but in conservative, predominantly Muslim northern and eastern regions, open public consumption is culturally or locally restricted; workplace consumption is prohibited nationwide…
Recent changes
In February 2026, the Ministry of Trade and Industry issued a nationwide ministerial directive ordering security forces and fraud control services to strictly enforce Decree No. 2835 (first passed in September 2022), enforcing a…
Opportunities for exporters
Opportunities are centered on premium, certified international spirits brands distributed through formal supermarkets, international hotel chains, and diplomatic/expatriate channels in N'Djamena, where demand for genuine,…
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Sign in to read the full guideSources
- APA News - Chad reaffirms national ban on dangerous illicit alcohol (Feb 2026)
- Code Pénal de la République du Tchad (Loi n° 001/PR/2017)
- Code du Travail du Tchad (Loi n° 038/PR/96)
- WTO Trade Policy Review - CEMAC / Chad Tariff Schedule
- Direction Générale des Impôts du Tchad - Dispositions fiscales et Loi des Finances
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