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 Finance, and verify strict adherence to physical marking rules ('Vente au Sénégal') and Codex/ASN standards before customs clearance.

Authority

Ministère des Finances et du Budget; Association Sénégalaise de Normalisation (ASN).

Documents and samples

Product technical sheet, Certificate of Analysis, Certificate of Origin, physical bottle inspection and port-of-entry sampling by the Directorate of Plant Protection (DPV) and Ministry of Commerce laboratories.

Fees

Laboratory testing and customs inspection fees vary by consignment size; no dedicated state brand registration fee confirmed.

Renewal

Annual reporting of brand lists and quantities shipped per importer to the Ministry of Finance.

Time to obtain

not confirmed

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 Certificate of Origin, Certificate of Analysis, and phytosanitary clearance. Spirits exceeding 20% ABV destined for consumption in Senegal must bear the indelible statement 'Vente au Sénégal' on the container; this marking is strictly prohibited on goods stored in bonded fictive warehouses until duties are settled. Importation of spirits packaged in plastic sachets or pouches is prohibited.

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 drinks exceeding 15% ABV (or XOF 3,000 per bottle for containers under 1 litre); XOF 800 per litre for beverages between 6% and 15% ABV. Value-Added Tax (TVA): 18% standard rate applied on the customs value plus duties, levies, and excise taxes.

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 ('Grande licence' / 'Licence de plein exercice') or a 'Grande licence restaurant'. Off-premise retail (supermarkets, grocery stores, wine shops) requires a 'Licence à emporter'. Retail outlets cannot operate within protected zones surrounding mosques, schools, religious institutions, hospitals, or military posts. Operating hours are strictly governed by local administrative orders.

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, and importer identification/tax number (NINEA). All containers of alcoholic beverages with ABV exceeding 20% intended for sale on the domestic market must carry the compulsory marking 'Vente au Sénégal' printed or embossed on the container or label.

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 de Régulation de l'Audiovisuel (CNRA). Billboard displays are prohibited near educational and religious establishments and subject to strict local council regulation. Alcohol sponsorships of youth and sporting events are prohibited or heavily restricted.

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 ABV thresholds (typically 37.5% to 40% ABV for spirits).

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 and local authorities. Similar de facto or local administrative bans apply in Medina Gounass and in immediate perimeters surrounding Grand Mosques across the country.

• 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 Customs issued updated regulatory instructions streamlining the additional specific alcohol tax (taxe additionnelle), applying XOF 3,000 per litre on total liquid volume rather than per pure alcohol litre for beverages over 15% ABV.
• Full rollout of mandatory electronic invoicing under the Finance Law overseen by the DGID for VAT-registered importers and commercial distributors.
• Drafting and consultation on a modernized Advertising Code replacing the 1983 statute to strengthen enforcement against illicit promotions across digital media and online platforms.

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 chains. Exporters should prioritize reputable local importers with existing Ministry of Finance agréments capable of managing customs valuation and 'Vente au Sénégal' compliance.

• Direction Générale des Douanes (Douanes Sénégalaises)
• Direction Générale des Impôts et des Domaines (DGID)
• Ministère du Commerce et de l'Industrie
• Association Sénégalaise de Normalisation (ASN)
• Conseil National de Régulation de l'Audiovisuel (CNRA)

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