Do I need a commercial invoice for a pallet to the EU?
Yes. A commercial invoice is a legal requirement for goods sent overseas, and we need one for every international consignment before it can move.
Commercial invoice checker
Is your invoice ready for the EU?
Upload it. We will tell you exactly what is missing.
- 01The invoice Number, date, Incoterm and total
- 02The parties Exporter, importer and EORI numbers where the country uses them
- 03The goods Lines, codes, weights and origin
Commodity codes
Find the right code.
Every line on the invoice needs a 10-digit code. Search for your goods, or check a code you already have.
Codes from the UK Trade Tariff. You are responsible for the code you declare.
Statement on origin
Use this wording exactly.
For a delivery to the UK or the EU, when the goods were made in the UK or EU. It is not used for other countries.
The exporter of the products covered by this document (EORI number) declares that, except where otherwise clearly indicated, these products are of (country of origin) origin.
Name of Exporter:
Place and Date:
- Replace the brackets with the exporter’s EORI number and the country where the goods were made.
- Name of Exporter is the company at the top of the invoice, not the manufacturer.
- Place and Date is the town where the exporter is based and the invoice date.
Commercial invoice questions
Get the paperwork right first time.
What happens if a detail is missing?
The paperwork is rejected and has to be corrected. Delivery dates are estimates until the documents are right, and incomplete paperwork delays collection.
How long should a commodity code be?
Commodity codes must be valid and 10 digits long. You can usually add zeros to the end of a shorter code, but check it with the commodity code finder above before you upload the invoice.
Which EORI numbers are needed?
For an EU delivery, both. The exporter needs a valid GB EORI number and the importer needs a valid EU EORI number, and both must appear on the invoice. EORI numbers only exist in the UK and the EU, so if the importer is anywhere else, such as the USA, only the exporter needs one.
Should I use DAP or DDP?
Under DAP the seller pays to deliver and the buyer clears import and pays any duty and taxes. Under DDP the seller handles both clearances and pays the duty and taxes. Agree the term with your buyer and name the place of delivery.
Does the checker guarantee customs clearance?
No. It checks that each required detail is present, that EORI numbers and commodity codes are in the right format, and that the figures add up. It cannot confirm that a code is the correct one for your goods or that a number is registered.
What happens to my invoice?
It is read automatically to check it, and we do not keep a copy. You can check up to five invoices a day.
What is a statement on origin?
A declaration from the exporter that the goods were made in the UK or EU, so they can benefit from preferential rates of duty when the delivery is to the UK or the EU. It is not used for other countries, such as the USA. The exporter named in it must match the exporter at the top of the invoice. Do not include goods made elsewhere.
Invoice ready?
Book your pallet to Europe.
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