Time to export: Documentary compliance (hours) (DB16-20 methodology) by country
The time for documentary compliance to export records the time associated with compliance with the export documentary requirements of all government agencies of the origin economy, the destination economy and any transit economies. It is calculated in hours. It includes the time for obtaining documents; preparing...
What the numbers show
Time to export: Documentary compliance (hours) (DB16-20 methodology) is currently reported for 186 countries. The highest value is 528 DB16-20 methodology in Venezuela; the lowest is 0.5 DB16-20 methodology in Slovenia.
The median across all reporting countries is 24.5 DB16-20 methodology, and the mean is 47.52 DB16-20 methodology.
The gap between the highest and lowest reporting country is a factor of about 1,056.
Over the past decade 2 countries rose and 58 fell. The largest increase was in Nepal (up 130.7%), and the largest decrease in Georgia (down 96.9%).
Time to export: Documentary compliance (hours): full country ranking
| # | Country | Latest | Year | 10-year change | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Venezuela | 528 DB16-20 methodology | 2018 | — | flat |
| 2 | Iraq | 504 DB16-20 methodology | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 3 | Afghanistan | 228 DB16-20 methodology | 2019 | down 6.0% | falling |
| 4 | Guyana | 200 DB16-20 methodology | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 5 | Democratic Republic of Congo | 192 DB16-20 methodology | 2019 | down 38.9% | falling |
| 5 | South Sudan | 192 DB16-20 methodology | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 7 | Sudan | 190 DB16-20 methodology | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 8 | Mongolia | 168 DB16-20 methodology | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 9 | Brunei | 155 DB16-20 methodology | 2019 | down 7.7% | falling |
| 10 | Equatorial Guinea | 154 DB16-20 methodology | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 11 | Algeria | 149.14 DB16-20 methodology | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 12 | Bangladesh | 147 DB16-20 methodology | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 13 | Bolivia | 144 DB16-20 methodology | 2019 | down 25.0% | falling |
| 13 | Liberia | 144 DB16-20 methodology | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 13 | Myanmar | 144 DB16-20 methodology | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 16 | Guinea | 138.7 DB16-20 methodology | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 17 | Cambodia | 132 DB16-20 methodology | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 18 | Kazakhstan | 128 DB16-20 methodology | 2019 | down 3.0% | flat |
| 19 | Burundi | 120 DB16-20 methodology | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 19 | Congo | 120 DB16-20 methodology | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 21 | Tonga | 108 DB16-20 methodology | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 22 | Zimbabwe | 99 DB16-20 methodology | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 23 | Angola | 96 DB16-20 methodology | 2019 | down 43.2% | falling |
| 23 | Tanzania | 96 DB16-20 methodology | 2019 | down 20.0% | falling |
| 23 | Uzbekistan | 96 DB16-20 methodology | 2019 | down 44.9% | falling |
| 23 | Zambia | 96 DB16-20 methodology | 2019 | up 33.3% | flat |
| 27 | Namibia | 90 DB16-20 methodology | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 28 | Ghana | 89.33 DB16-20 methodology | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 29 | Egypt | 88 DB16-20 methodology | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 30 | Chad | 87 DB16-20 methodology | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 31 | Burkina Faso | 84 DB16-20 methodology | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 31 | Cote d'Ivoire | 84 DB16-20 methodology | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 33 | Ethiopia | 76 DB16-20 methodology | 2019 | down 16.5% | falling |
| 34 | Malawi | 75 DB16-20 methodology | 2019 | down 9.6% | falling |
| 35 | Nigeria | 74 DB16-20 methodology | 2019 | down 43.7% | falling |
| 36 | Somalia | 72.5 DB16-20 methodology | 2019 | — | flat |
| 37 | Kyrgyzstan | 72 DB16-20 methodology | 2019 | down 4.0% | flat |
| 37 | Kuwait | 72 DB16-20 methodology | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 37 | Libya | 72 DB16-20 methodology | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 37 | Palau | 72 DB16-20 methodology | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 37 | Palestine | 72 DB16-20 methodology | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 37 | Sierra Leone | 72 DB16-20 methodology | 2019 | down 46.2% | falling |
| 37 | Vanuatu | 72 DB16-20 methodology | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 44 | South Africa | 68 DB16-20 methodology | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 45 | Cameroon | 66 DB16-20 methodology | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 45 | Tajikistan | 66 DB16-20 methodology | 2019 | down 51.1% | falling |
| 45 | Ukraine | 66 DB16-20 methodology | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 48 | Indonesia | 61.32 DB16-20 methodology | 2019 | down 14.8% | falling |
| 49 | Gabon | 60 DB16-20 methodology | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 49 | Guinea-Bissau | 60 DB16-20 methodology | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 49 | Laos | 60 DB16-20 methodology | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 49 | Solomon Islands | 60 DB16-20 methodology | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 53 | Fiji | 56.33 DB16-20 methodology | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 54 | Pakistan | 55 DB16-20 methodology | 2019 | down 10.9% | falling |
| 55 | Antigua and Barbuda | 50.67 DB16-20 methodology | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 55 | Mauritania | 50.67 DB16-20 methodology | 2019 | down 13.6% | falling |
| 55 | Niger | 50.67 DB16-20 methodology | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 58 | Comoros | 50 DB16-20 methodology | 2019 | down 12.3% | falling |
| 58 | Vietnam | 50 DB16-20 methodology | 2019 | down 39.8% | falling |
| 60 | Madagascar | 48.91 DB16-20 methodology | 2019 | down 17.0% | falling |
| 61 | Benin | 48 DB16-20 methodology | 2019 | down 55.6% | falling |
| 61 | Barbados | 48 DB16-20 methodology | 2019 | down 10.3% | falling |
| 61 | Central African Republic | 48 DB16-20 methodology | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 61 | Colombia | 48 DB16-20 methodology | 2019 | down 20.0% | falling |
| 61 | Gambia | 48 DB16-20 methodology | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 61 | Guatemala | 48 DB16-20 methodology | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 61 | Honduras | 48 DB16-20 methodology | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 61 | Lebanon | 48 DB16-20 methodology | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 61 | Sri Lanka | 48 DB16-20 methodology | 2019 | down 36.8% | falling |
| 61 | Moldova | 48 DB16-20 methodology | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 61 | Maldives | 48 DB16-20 methodology | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 61 | Mali | 48 DB16-20 methodology | 2019 | down 12.7% | falling |
| 61 | Nicaragua | 48 DB16-20 methodology | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 61 | Papua New Guinea | 48 DB16-20 methodology | 2019 | down 50.0% | falling |
| 61 | Syria | 48 DB16-20 methodology | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 61 | Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | 48 DB16-20 methodology | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 77 | Jamaica | 47 DB16-20 methodology | 2019 | down 23.8% | falling |
| 78 | Sao Tome and Principe | 46.25 DB16-20 methodology | 2019 | down 8.0% | falling |
| 79 | Seychelles | 43.64 DB16-20 methodology | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 80 | Nepal | 43 DB16-20 methodology | 2019 | up 130.7% | rising |
| 81 | Belize | 38 DB16-20 methodology | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 82 | Mozambique | 36 DB16-20 methodology | 2019 | down 48.8% | falling |
| 82 | Philippines | 36 DB16-20 methodology | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 84 | Iran | 33 DB16-20 methodology | 2019 | down 74.0% | falling |
| 84 | East Timor | 33 DB16-20 methodology | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 86 | Trinidad and Tobago | 32 DB16-20 methodology | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 87 | Rwanda | 30 DB16-20 methodology | 2019 | down 28.6% | falling |
| 88 | Azerbaijan | 28.5 DB16-20 methodology | 2019 | down 19.6% | falling |
| 89 | Micronesia (country) | 26 DB16-20 methodology | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 89 | Senegal | 26 DB16-20 methodology | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 91 | Morocco | 25.62 DB16-20 methodology | 2019 | down 3.8% | flat |
| 92 | Russia | 25.4 DB16-20 methodology | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 93 | Argentina | 25 DB16-20 methodology | 2019 | down 7.4% | falling |
| 94 | Bahrain | 24 DB16-20 methodology | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 94 | Chile | 24 DB16-20 methodology | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 94 | Cape Verde | 24 DB16-20 methodology | 2019 | down 50.0% | falling |
| 94 | Costa Rica | 24 DB16-20 methodology | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 94 | Ecuador | 24 DB16-20 methodology | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 94 | Kiribati | 24 DB16-20 methodology | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 94 | Saint Kitts and Nevis | 24 DB16-20 methodology | 2019 | down 50.0% | falling |
| 94 | Marshall Islands | 24 DB16-20 methodology | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 94 | Malta | 24 DB16-20 methodology | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 94 | Peru | 24 DB16-20 methodology | 2019 | down 50.0% | falling |
| 94 | Paraguay | 24 DB16-20 methodology | 2019 | down 50.0% | falling |
| 94 | Uganda | 24 DB16-20 methodology | 2019 | down 62.4% | falling |
| 94 | Uruguay | 24 DB16-20 methodology | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 94 | Samoa | 24 DB16-20 methodology | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 108 | Haiti | 22 DB16-20 methodology | 2019 | down 8.3% | falling |
| 109 | Kenya | 19 DB16-20 methodology | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 109 | Saint Lucia | 19 DB16-20 methodology | 2019 | down 20.8% | falling |
| 111 | Botswana | 18 DB16-20 methodology | 2019 | down 25.0% | falling |
| 112 | Grenada | 13.33 DB16-20 methodology | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 113 | Bahamas | 12 DB16-20 methodology | 2019 | down 80.0% | volatile |
| 113 | Brazil | 12 DB16-20 methodology | 2019 | down 60.0% | falling |
| 113 | Dominica | 12 DB16-20 methodology | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 113 | Suriname | 12 DB16-20 methodology | 2019 | down 66.7% | volatile |
| 117 | India | 11.64 DB16-20 methodology | 2019 | down 71.9% | falling |
| 118 | Thailand | 11.27 DB16-20 methodology | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 119 | Saudi Arabia | 11 DB16-20 methodology | 2019 | down 87.8% | falling |
| 119 | Togo | 11 DB16-20 methodology | 2019 | down 26.7% | falling |
| 121 | Dominican Republic | 10 DB16-20 methodology | 2019 | down 70.6% | volatile |
| 121 | Israel | 10 DB16-20 methodology | 2019 | down 20.0% | falling |
| 121 | Malaysia | 10 DB16-20 methodology | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 124 | Qatar | 9.78 DB16-20 methodology | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 125 | El Salvador | 9.33 DB16-20 methodology | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 126 | Bhutan | 9 DB16-20 methodology | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 126 | Mauritius | 9 DB16-20 methodology | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 128 | China | 8.62 DB16-20 methodology | 2019 | down 59.3% | falling |
| 129 | Mexico | 8 DB16-20 methodology | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 130 | Australia | 7 DB16-20 methodology | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 130 | Oman | 7 DB16-20 methodology | 2019 | down 77.3% | volatile |
| 132 | Albania | 6 DB16-20 methodology | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 132 | Jordan | 6 DB16-20 methodology | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 132 | Panama | 6 DB16-20 methodology | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 135 | Montenegro | 5.41 DB16-20 methodology | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 136 | Taiwan | 5 DB16-20 methodology | 2019 | down 84.1% | volatile |
| 137 | United Arab Emirates | 4.5 DB16-20 methodology | 2019 | down 27.7% | falling |
| 138 | Bosnia and Herzegovina | 4.33 DB16-20 methodology | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 139 | Belarus | 4 DB16-20 methodology | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 139 | United Kingdom | 4 DB16-20 methodology | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 139 | Turkey | 4 DB16-20 methodology | 2019 | down 20.0% | falling |
| 142 | New Zealand | 3 DB16-20 methodology | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 142 | Tunisia | 3 DB16-20 methodology | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 144 | Lithuania | 2.5 DB16-20 methodology | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 145 | Japan | 2.37 DB16-20 methodology | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 146 | Serbia | 2.33 DB16-20 methodology | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 147 | Armenia | 2 DB16-20 methodology | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 147 | Cyprus | 2 DB16-20 methodology | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 147 | Finland | 2 DB16-20 methodology | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 147 | Iceland | 2 DB16-20 methodology | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 147 | Latvia | 2 DB16-20 methodology | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 147 | North Macedonia | 2 DB16-20 methodology | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 147 | Norway | 2 DB16-20 methodology | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 147 | Singapore | 2 DB16-20 methodology | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 147 | Eswatini | 2 DB16-20 methodology | 2019 | down 43.8% | falling |
| 156 | Bulgaria | 1.75 DB16-20 methodology | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 157 | Puerto Rico | 1.71 DB16-20 methodology | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 158 | Switzerland | 1.5 DB16-20 methodology | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 158 | Georgia | 1.5 DB16-20 methodology | 2019 | down 96.9% | volatile |
| 158 | United States | 1.5 DB16-20 methodology | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 161 | Canada | 1 DB16-20 methodology | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 161 | Germany | 1 DB16-20 methodology | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 161 | Greece | 1 DB16-20 methodology | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 161 | Ireland | 1 DB16-20 methodology | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 161 | South Korea | 1 DB16-20 methodology | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 161 | Lesotho | 1 DB16-20 methodology | 2019 | down 66.7% | falling |
| 161 | Sweden | 1 DB16-20 methodology | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 168 | Hungary | 0.75 DB16-20 methodology | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 169 | Hong Kong | 0.666 DB16-20 methodology | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 170 | Austria | 0.5 DB16-20 methodology | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 170 | Belgium | 0.5 DB16-20 methodology | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 170 | Czechia | 0.5 DB16-20 methodology | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 170 | Denmark | 0.5 DB16-20 methodology | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 170 | Spain | 0.5 DB16-20 methodology | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 170 | Estonia | 0.5 DB16-20 methodology | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 170 | France | 0.5 DB16-20 methodology | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 170 | Croatia | 0.5 DB16-20 methodology | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 170 | Italy | 0.5 DB16-20 methodology | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 170 | Luxembourg | 0.5 DB16-20 methodology | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 170 | Netherlands | 0.5 DB16-20 methodology | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 170 | Poland | 0.5 DB16-20 methodology | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 170 | Portugal | 0.5 DB16-20 methodology | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 170 | Romania | 0.5 DB16-20 methodology | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 170 | San Marino | 0.5 DB16-20 methodology | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 170 | Slovakia | 0.5 DB16-20 methodology | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 170 | Slovenia | 0.5 DB16-20 methodology | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
Regions and income groups
Aggregates are excluded from the country ranking above so that a region can never outrank a country.
- Kosovo 5 DB16-20 methodology
About this data
The time for documentary compliance to export records the time associated with compliance with the export documentary requirements of all government agencies of the origin economy, the destination economy and any transit economies. It is calculated in hours. It includes the time for obtaining documents; preparing documents; processing documents; presenting documents; and submitting documents. All electronic or paper submissions of information requested by any government agency in connection with the shipment are considered to be documents obtained, prepared and submitted during the export process. All documents prepared by the freight forwarder or customs broker for the product and partner pair assumed in the case study are included regardless of whether they are required by law or in practice. The component indicator is computed based on the methodology in the DB16-20 studies.