Customs declaration provides the documents and information needed to clear a shipment through customs. Different customs procedures apply depending on the mode of transport, and the documents available depend on the carrier and service you use.
When to use this
Use customs declaration when a shipment crosses a customs border. The documents you need can often be created directly in the software, or created in another system or filled in manually.
Key concepts
Commercial invoice — used when you charge for the goods you're shipping; provided in at least three copies, in English, usually signed by hand
Proforma invoice — used when you don't charge for the goods you're shipping, for example gifts, samples, advertising material, or returned goods
Paperless trade — sending customs documents electronically instead of printing and attaching them to the shipment; required by some carriers
CN22 — a simplified customs declaration for lower-value letter items.
CN23 — a customs declaration for postal parcels and higher-value letter items
Important
Check the documentation requirements for your shipment with your carrier and with the customs authorities of the dispatch and destination country.
Note
The customs declaration feature works the same way for every carrier. The documents available depend on the carrier, service, and mode of transport.
Related topics
Add customs information to a shipment — enter customs documents and details when creating a shipment
Product identifiers — codes that identify the items on customs lines
Customs documents — overview of customs document types
Add customs information to a shipment when it needs to cross a customs border.
Steps
-
Go to >
-
Select a sender, receiver, and service
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Expand Parcels and enter the parcel details
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In Customs information, select the customs document or documents you need
Notice
Commercial invoice and Proforma invoice share the same document checkbox. Type of import/export in the customs declaration details determines which applies — for example gift, sample, or returned goods.
Result
nShift Delivery generates the shipping documents for the shipment, including the selected customs documents.
Field descriptions
|
Field |
Description |
|---|---|
|
Type of document |
The customs document selected for this shipment, for example Commercial invoice |
|
Invoice number |
Number assigned to the invoice for this shipment |
|
Certificate of origin |
Document confirming the country where the goods were manufactured or produced |
|
Customs value currency |
The currency the customs value is declared in |
|
Type of import/export |
The reason for the export or import, for example commercial sample, gift, or returned goods |
|
Explanation (if Other above) |
Free-text explanation when Type of import/export is set to Other |
|
Terms of sale |
The delivery terms agreed with the receiver |
|
Terms of payment |
Payment arrangement agreed with the receiver |
|
Comments / notes / special info (44) |
Additional information or supporting documents related to the shipment |
|
Freight charges |
The freight cost included in the customs value |
|
Insurance charges |
The insurance cost included in the customs value |
|
Other charges |
Any other cost included in the customs value |
|
Invoice declaration |
Standard legal text confirming the invoice's accuracy, required for the customs document |
|
Import license number |
Number of the import license, if the goods require one |
|
Export license number |
Number of the export license, if the goods require one |
|
Export declaration |
Standard legal text confirming export compliance, required for the customs document |
|
Reference number (7) |
Internal number identifying the customs declaration |
|
Country of destination (17) |
The country the shipment is being sent to |
|
Country of export (15) |
The country the shipment is being sent from |
|
Number of parcels (6) |
Total count of parcels in the shipment |
|
Means of transport (at border) (18) |
The vehicle or vessel identity used at the border crossing |
|
Means of transport, code (at border) (25) |
The mode of transport used at the border crossing |
|
Means of transport (domestic) (21) |
The vehicle or vessel identity used for domestic transport |
|
Means of transport, code (domestic) (26) |
The mode of transport used for domestic transport |
|
Financial info. (28) |
Banking or financial details related to the customs declaration |
|
City (54) |
The city where the declaration is signed |
|
Date (54) |
The date the declaration is signed |
|
Supervisor / declarant (54) |
The name of the person signing the declaration |
|
Job title |
Title of the person signing the declaration |
|
Declarant, line 1 (14) |
The first address line of the declarant or representative |
|
Declarant, line 2 (14) |
The second address line of the declarant or representative |
|
Declarant organization number (14) |
The organization number of the declarant or representative |
|
Transaction type (24) |
The nature of the transaction, for example a sale or a return |
|
Point of export / import (29) |
The customs office of exit or entry |
|
Type of SAD |
The Single Administrative Document procedure type |
|
Container (19) |
Whether the goods are transported in a container |
|
Sender / exporter VAT/Org/EORI number (2) |
The sender's VAT, organization, or EORI number |
|
Receiver / importer VAT/organization/EORI number (8) |
The receiver's VAT, organization, or EORI number |
|
VOEC |
The VOEC (VAT On E-Commerce) registration number, used for low-value goods imported into Norway |
|
Sender / exporter contact |
The contact person at the sender/exporter |
|
Sender / exporter phone |
The sender/exporter's phone number, prefilled from the sender |
|
Sender / exporter e-mail |
The sender/exporter's email address, prefilled from the sender |
|
Receiver / importer contact |
The contact person at the receiver/importer |
|
Receiver / importer phone |
The receiver/importer's phone number |
|
Receiver / importer e-mail |
The receiver/importer's email address |
|
HS tariff code (stat number) (33) |
The Harmonized System code that classifies the goods for customs purposes |
|
Additional codes (33) |
Supplementary classification codes for the goods, in addition to the HS tariff code |
|
Line information |
Whether the net weight and customs value are stated as a total per goods code, or per individual item within the goods code — see Line information options |
|
Quantity |
Number of units of the goods on this line |
|
Gross weight (kg) |
Total weight of the goods, including packaging |
|
Net weight (kg) (38) |
Weight of the goods, excluding packaging |
|
Unit |
The unit of measurement for the quantity, for example pieces or kilograms |
|
Other quantity (41) |
An additional quantity measurement, if required for the goods |
|
Customs value (46) |
The declared value of the goods, used to calculate duties and taxes |
|
Contents |
Description of what the line contains |
|
Merchant product identifier |
Code that you assign to the item, such as the SKU |
|
Non-standardized manufacturer product identifier |
Code that the manufacturer or supplier assigns to the item, such as a model number |
|
Standardized manufacturer product identifier |
Internationally recognized code for the item, such as a GTIN, EAN, or ISBN |
|
Country of origin (34) |
The country where the goods were manufactured or produced |
|
Procedure (37) |
The customs procedure code indicating the type of customs procedure being applied, such as export or import |
|
Goods marking (31) |
Marks, numbers, and container identifiers used to identify the parcels |
Line information options
|
Field |
Meaning |
|---|---|
|
Specified per row |
The total net weight and customs value are stated per goods code |
|
Specified per unit |
The net weight and customs value are stated per individual item within the goods code |
Note
The fields shown depend on the carrier, the service, the route, and the customs documents that you select. This list may not be complete — some carriers may support additional or different fields not shown here.
Related topics
Print with standard printing — general reference for creating and printing a shipment using Standard printing
Product identifiers — codes that identify the items on customs lines
Product identifiers are codes that identify the items in a shipment, so customs authorities can match them to the products you sell. You enter product identifiers under Lines in the Customs information section of a shipment, and they're sent to the carrier with the shipment.
When to use this
Use product identifiers when you ship items from outside the EU to end customers in the EU.
Important
Product identifier fields are available only for carriers that support product identifiers, for example, FedEx, UPS, DPD UK, and Maersk. The fields shown can also depend on the destination country and the customs documents that you select. The identifiers are sent only when the shipment includes customs information.
Key concepts
Merchant product identifier — unique code that you assign to an item, usually the SKU, item code, or product code
Non-standardized manufacturer product identifier — code that the manufacturer or supplier assigns to an item, such as a model number
Standardized manufacturer product identifier — internationally recognized code for an item, such as a GTIN, EAN, or ISBN
Carriers can name the fields differently, but all three fields hold the same information. For example:
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Merchant product identifier: Article number / Merchant Product ID (M-PID)
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Non-standardized manufacturer product identifier: Manufacturer Product ID (NS-PID)
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Standardized manufacturer product identifier: Standardized Product ID (S-PID)
Important
For shipments from outside the EU to end customers in the EU, the merchant product identifier and the non-standardized manufacturer product identifier are required for every item. Enter both on every customs line. Enter the standardized manufacturer product identifier when the item has one.
Note
nShift Delivery doesn't print the identifiers on the customs documents that it creates. If your carrier provides the customs documents, the carrier decides whether the identifiers are printed.
API fields
If you create shipments through the API, add the product identifiers to each customs line in the shipment request.
|
Identifier |
API field |
|---|---|
|
Merchant product identifier |
LineArticleNo |
|
Non-standardized manufacturer product identifier |
LineManufacturerProductId |
|
Standardized manufacturer product identifier |
LineStandardizedProductId |
Example of one customs line:
{
"LineArticleNo": "SHOE-BLK-42",
"LineManufacturerProductId": "SH123456-L",
"LineStandardizedProductId": "00012345678905",
"statNo": "64039990",
"sourceCountryCode": "CN",
"contents": "Black shoes",
"copies": 1,
"value": 100
}
Related topics
Customs declaration – overview of customs documents and information for a shipment
Add customs information to a shipment – enter customs information, including product identifiers, when you create a shipment
API resources – API endpoints and links to the API documentation
This reference describes the customs documents used across nShift Delivery and when each one applies.
- Commercial invoice
-
Used when you charge for the goods you're shipping. Provided in at least three copies, written in English, and usually signed by hand.
- Proforma invoice
-
Used when you don't charge for the goods you're shipping, for example gifts, samples, advertising material, or returned goods. Commercial invoice and Proforma invoice share the same printset value on the shipment — Type of import/export on the customs declaration indicates which applies.
- Paperless trade
-
Sends customs documents electronically instead of printing and physically attaching them to the shipment. Some carriers require Paperless trade instead of physical documents.
- CN22
-
A simplified customs declaration for letter items with a value up to SEK 2,000, including a security declaration. A security declaration is required for goods sent within the EU, to confirm the parcel doesn't contain anything dangerous or prohibited, and is attached to the outside of the package.
- CN23
-
A customs declaration for all postal parcels and for letter items over SEK 2,000, including a security declaration. It also applies to postal parcels and letter items under SEK 2,000 sent for a commercial purpose.
nShift Delivery doesn't print product identifiers on the customs documents that it creates. If your carrier provides the customs documents, the carrier decides whether the identifiers are printed.
Note
The specific documents and their names differ by carrier. This list may not be complete — some carriers may support additional or different documents not shown here.
Related topics
Customs declaration – overview of customs documents and information for a shipment
Product identifiers — codes that identify the items on customs lines