Alcohol regulations in Senegal

Licences needed

Industrial operating permit / ICPE authorization; Customs and Excise bonded warehouse approval (agrément d'entrepôt fiscal / usine exercée).

Authority

Ministère des Finances et du Budget (Douanes / DGID), Ministère de l'Industrie et du Commerce, Ministère de l'Environnement.

Documents

Commercial registration (RCCM, NINEA), environmental impact assessment, factory blueprints and technical installation layout, distillation equipment specifications, spirit rectification and denaturing protocols.

Fees

not confirmed

Time to obtain

not confirmed

Who can import

Only Senegal-registered commercial entities holding a valid importer-exporter card (Carte d'importateur-exportateur) and an official import agrément granted by the Minister of Finance. Foreign brand owners of beverages with 20% ABV or higher must hold an official agreement with the Ministry of Finance and commit to supplying only authorized Senegalese importers.

Licences or registrations

Carte d'importateur-exportateur; ministerial import approval (Agrément pour l'importation de boissons alcoolisées); annual brand owner listing agreement.

Authority

Ministère des Finances et du Budget, Ministère de l'Industrie et du Commerce (Direction du Commerce Intérieur).

Documents

Commercial invoice in French, Pro Forma invoice, Bill of Lading, Certificate of Origin, Phytosanitary inspection clearance certificate (DPV), Cotecna verification certificate (for consignments exceeding CFA 5,000,000), importer NINEA registration.

Fees

not confirmed

Time to obtain

not confirmed

Required: no Process: No separate pre-market label approval system (like US COLA), but producers/brand owners of spirits (>=20% ABV) must register their product portfolio and approved importers annually with the Ministry of…

Importations must be cleared by a licensed customs broker and an approved Senegalese importer of record. Mandatory pre-shipment inspection/valuation by Cotecna for shipments above CFA 5,000,000. Each shipment requires a…

20% customs duty (Droit de Douane - DD) ad valorem under the ECOWAS Common External Tariff (TEC CEDEAO/UEMOA Category 3 for HS 2208), plus a 1% Statistical Tax (Redevance Statistique - RS), 0.8% UEMOA Community Solidarity Levy (PCS) or 0.5% ECOWAS Levy (CEDEAO), 0.4% Senegalese Shippers Council (COSEC) royalty for maritime freight, and a 1.5% Customs Modernization Program levy (PMOD).

Excise duty (Droit d'accise): 50% ad valorem on imported alcohol and alcoholic liquids (increased up to 65% under recent tax reforms; 25% to 40% for domestic). Specific additional tax (Taxe additionnelle): XOF 3,000 per litre for…

Regulated under Loi n° 94-15 du 4 janvier 1994 relative à la police des débits de boissons. Retail sales require a municipal/prefectural permit. Establishments serving distilled spirits on-premise require a 4th Category licence…

restricted

French language mandatory. Required items: product denomination, commercial brand name, net volume (cl/ml/L), alcoholic strength by volume (% vol), name and address of manufacturer/bottler, country of origin, lot/batch number,…

Banned in mass media. Article 112 of the Senegalese Press Code (Loi n° 2017-27) strictly prohibits advertising messages promoting alcoholic beverages across broadcast media, television, and radio, overseen by the Conseil National…

Senegalese national standards under the Association Sénégalaise de Normalisation (ASN) and Codex Alimentarius standards define distilled spirits categories (whisky, rum, gin, vodka, brandy), generally requiring standard minimum…

The holy city of Touba (capital of the Mouride brotherhood) is completely dry; the transport, sale, possession, and consumption of alcoholic beverages are strictly prohibited by religious decree and enforced by religious police…

Enactment of Law n° 17/2025 modifying the General Tax Code (CGI), increasing excise duties on imported alcohol and alcoholic liquids from 50% to 65% and locally produced alcoholic beverages from 25% to 40%. Directorate General of…

While Senegal is roughly 95% Muslim, premium Scotch whisky, French Cognac, international vodka, and gin enjoy steady, lucrative demand in Dakar's cosmopolitan hospitality scene, international hotels, and upper-tier supermarket…

1. US TTB International Trade Guidance - Senegal Requirements
2. Secrétariat Général du Gouvernement du Sénégal - Réglementation Douanière et Fiscale des Alcools
3. PwC Senegal Worldwide Tax Summaries - Other Taxes (Excise, Tariffs, and Invoicing Rules)
4. Conseil National de Régulation de l'Audiovisuel (CNRA) - Loi n° 2017-27 portant Code de la presse (Article 112)
5. Direction Générale des Impôts et des Domaines (DGID) / EnQuete+ - Réforme du Code Général des Impôts (Loi 17/2025)
6. Loi n° 94-15 du 4 janvier 1994 relative à la police des débits de boissons et à la répression de l'ivresse publique