What is NESREA clearance permit? Virtually all products imported into the Nigerian territory are under the SONCAP program. Hence, those products would have to undergo a two-step certification for SON Product Certificate and SONCAP Certificate for importation into Nigeria. However, a few used items are exempt from SONCAP program, and are therefore require different treatment.
Consequently, to do Customs clearance, importers of goods products exempt from SONCAP would have to obtain either a NESREA Clearance Permit or SON Import Permit. Additionally, foods and chemical substance fall under NAFDAC Permit. Therefore, this article shall deal heavily on NESREA Environmental Clearance Permit. Equally, we will treat SON Import Permit and NAFDAC Permit as Customs clearance certifications in separate articles.
Read also; SONCAP NIGERIA; COMMODITIES IN SENSITIVE LIST
ITEMS EXEMPTED FROM SONCAP
- Food products
- Medicines
- Medical products other than equipment and machines
- Chemical products used as raw materials by bona fide manufacturers
- Military wares & equipment
- Goods classified as contraband by the Federal Government of Nigeria
- Used products other than automobiles
- Machinery (or related spare parts) destined for use by bona fide manufacturers, who intend to use this for their own manufacturing purposes. They are to apply to the SON for a SONCAP import permit.
WHAT IS NESREA CLEARANCE PERMIT
NESREA is an acronym for National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency. First, let me list all the goods regulated by this agency, then I can walk you through on how to process and obtain the permit needed for Customs clearance. These goods are in category as follow:
LIST OF ITEMS REGULATED BY NESREA
Large household appliances (White goods)
- Large cooling appliances
- Refrigerators
- Freezers
- Other large appliances used for refrigeration, conservation and storage of food
- Washing machines
- Water Heaters
- Clothes dryers
- Dish washing machines
- Electric Cooking Utensils
- Equally, Electric stoves
- Electric hot plates
- Microwave ovens
- Other large appliances used for cooking and other processing of food
- Electric heating appliances
- Electric radiators
- Other large appliances for heating rooms, beds, seating furniture
- Electric fans
- Air conditioner appliances
- Other fanning, exhaust ventilation and conditioning equipment
Small household appliances (White goods)
- Vacuum cleaners
- Carpet sweepers
- Other appliances for cleaning
- Appliances used for sewing, knitting, weaving and other processing for textiles
- Irons and other appliances for ironing, mangling and other care of clothing
- Toasters
- Fryers
- Grinders, coffee machines and equipment for opening or sealing containers or packages
- Electric knives
- Appliances for hair-cutting, hair drying, tooth brushing, shaving, massage and other body care appliances
- Clocks, watches and equipment for the purpose of measuring, indicating or registering time
- Weighing Scales
ICT and telecommunications equipment (Grey goods)
- Mainframes
- Minicomputers
- Personal computers
- Laptop computers
- Notebook computers
- Notepad computers
- Printers
- Copying equipment
- Electrical and electronic typewriters
- Pocket and desk calculators
- Other products and equipment for the collection, storage, processing, presentation or communication of information by electronic means
- User terminals and systems
- Facsimile
- Telex
- Telephones
- Pay telephones
- Cordless telephones
- Cellular telephones
- Answering systems
- Other products or equipment of transmitting sound, images or other information by telecommunications
Entertainment and Consumer equipment
- Radio sets
- Television sets
- Video cameras
- Video recorders
- Hi-fi recorders
- Audio amplifiers
- Musical instruments
- Other products or equipment for the purpose of recording or reproducing sound or images, including signals or other technologies for the distribution of sound and image than by telecommunications
Lighting equipment
- Luminaries for fluorescent lamps with the exception of luminaries in households
- Straight fluorescent lamps
- Compact fluorescent lamps
- High intensity discharge lamps, including pressure sodium lamps and metal halide lamps
- Low pressure sodium lamps
- Other lighting or equipment for the purpose of spreading or controlling light with the exception of filament bulbs
Electrical and electronic tools
- Drills
- Saws
- Sewing machines
- Equipment for turning, milling, sanding, grinding, sawing, cutting, shearing, drilling, making holes, punching, folding, bending or similar processing of wood, metal and other materials
- Tools for riveting, nailing or screwing or removing rivets, nails, screws or similar uses
- Tools for welding, soldering or similar use
- Equipment for spraying, spreading, dispersing or other treatment of liquid or gaseous substances by other means
- Tools for mowing or other gardening activities
Toys, leisure and sports equipment
- Electric trains or car racing sets
- Hand-held video game consoles
- Video games
- Computers for biking, diving, running and rowing
- Sports equipment with electric or electronic components
- Coin slot machines
Medical devices (with the exception of all implanted and infected products)
- Radiotherapy equipment
- Cardiology equipment
- Dialysis equipment
- Pulmonary ventilators Nuclear medicine equipment
- Laboratory equipment for in-vitro diagnosis
- Analyzers
- Fertilization tests equipment
- Other appliances for detecting, preventing, monitoring, treating, alleviating illness, injury or disability
Monitoring and control instruments
- Smoke detector
- Heating regulators
- Thermostats
- Measuring, weighing or adjusting appliances for household or laboratory equipment. Other monitoring and control instruments used in industrial installations (for example, in control panels)
Automatic dispensers
- First, Automatic dispensers for hot drinks
- Automatic dispensers for hot or cold bottles or cans
- Also, Automatic dispensers for solid products
- Automatic dispensers for money
- All appliances which deliver automatically all kind of products
- Generators
- Transformers
CATEGORIES OF CHEMICALS REGULATED BY NESREA
- Agrochemicals
- Pesticides
- Herbicides
- Fertilizers
- Industrial Chemicals / raw materials
- Inorganic Chemical Reagents
- Organic Chemicals & Solvents
- Thickeners
- Pigments
- Colorants
- Corrosion inhibitors
- Retardants
- Anti-microbial
- Organic Solvents
HOW TO APPLY FOR NESREA CLEARANCE PERMIT
To apply for this permit, write a letter to the DG, attach necessary documents; see sample below. Ordinarily, letters are to go manually to the nearest NESREA office (what an analogue system am afraid). To fasten your work, simply send the letter via email to NESREA.
28 March 2018.
The Director General
NESREA
No. 4 Oro-Ago Crescent,
Off Mohammed Buhari Way,
Garki- Abuja
Dear Sir,
APPLICATION FOR ISSUANCE OF NESREA CLEARANCE PERMIT
We write to request for import clearance permit for the product with below particulars:
- Item: Exchange Engine Type 3412C (used)
- Name of importer: Vagmon Group Ltd.
- Expected Date of Arrival: To be determined after Form M
- Port of Discharge: Port Harcourt Airport
- Quantity: 1
- Brand Name: Caterpillar Diesel Engine, Type D3412C
- Country of Export: Netherland
Kindly see attached Pro forma invoice, Test Result, MSDS and other documents for further description.
Yours faithfully,
Brown Williams
Documentation Person
For Vagmon Integrated Services
The director or his team will review and write back to confirm the item is NESREA, regulated or not. If regulated, and if documents provided are good, they will evaluate the goods and indicate permit-processing amount payable via remittal to the Treasury Single Account (TSA) of the federal republic of Nigeria.
After payment, you would have to scan the evidence back to the above email. Thus, the permit is issuable and transmittable to the NESREA office close to your location for pick up.
At the area office, you must show the original pay evidence and the application letter for the permit.
DOCUMENTS TO PROCESS NESREA CLEARANCE PERMIT
Chemicals
- Proforma Invoice
- Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS)
- Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) Tax Clearance Certificate; and
- Certificate of Incorporation from the Corporate Affairs Commission
Electrical Electronic Equipment
2.1 Brand New EEE
- A completed Registration form for EEE import
- Pro forma Invoice
- SONCAP
2.2 Used Electrical Electronic Equipment (UEEE) Import Certificate
- A completed Registration form for EEE import;
- Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) Tax Clearance Certificate;
- Certificate of Incorporation from the Corporate Affairs Commission; and
- Evidence of payment as a registered Import.
2.3 Small and Large Industrial Equipment, Motor Vehicle Auto Parts and Mixed Items
- Pro forma Invoice
- Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) Tax Clearance Certificate; and
- Certificate of Incorporation from the Corporate Affairs Commission
Note that most used items are NESREA regulated; the list above is a guide.
You do not have to worry much about the documents to attach, only let us know what you have and let us see how to obtain the rest for you.
Read also; CBN FORM M AND PAAR REQUIREMENT IN BRIEF
THE BENEFIT OF NESREA PERMIT OVER SONCAP
The beautiful thing about using NESREA clearance permit for customs clearance is that the same certificate is useable to obtain Form M and PAAR. This is unlike the SONCAP where you are required to get PC first and later get SONCAP after obtaining Form M. Again, no certificate validation required for NESREA. Go straight; use your permit to apply for Form M, and subsequently PAAR.
Read also; CUSTOMS DUTY – WHAT IS THE MEANING?
Sample NESREA Permit:
