2010-03-17 - How to compose your unique consignment reference (UCR) number

Customs (SARS) regulates the composition and rules for the creation of the UCR number. Each exporter is required to generate the UCR per consignment. The UCR number is used to control the receipt of export proceeds.

The UCR has the following features:

• It is a mandatory number on the respective SAD 500 form
• It has a minimum length of 12 and a maximum length of 35 characters.
• The first character is reserved for the last digit of the calendar year in which the exports took place. e.g., if the exports took place in 2010, the first character will be 0
• The next two characters reflect the SWIFT County Code of the country (ie. ZA) from where the exports originated.
• The next eight characters show the Customs and Excise client number as allocated to the exporter by SARS.This must be 8 characters in length using zeros before any code less than 8 characters to make up the 8 characters.
• The final section of the UCR comprises alpha numeric characters which will link the export proceeds to the export consignment.  This may be an invoice number, consignment number, order number, etc of the exporter's choosing., and may be between 1 and 24 characters in length.
• Example of a UCR number from South Africa (ZA), in 2009 by exporter 87654321 whose  accounting reference relates to their file X1001;

          9ZA87654321X1001

         (Note no blanks, spaces or special characters are permitted)