If you are shipping to or from markets involving non-EU countries, it is essential to have control over your goods' customs information. Customs authorities in the destination country use this information to verify if the goods are eligible for import, as well as to classify and calculate customs duties and taxes.
In Shipmondo, you will be asked to provide information for electronic customs documents (pro forma invoice or commercial invoice) during the shipment creation process for shipments to or from a non-EU country.
This guide takes you through filling out customs information when creating manual shipments. It also provides insight into what you need to manage and which information must be associated with your goods when sending packages abroad.
Adding customs information to international shipments
If you send packages to or from countries such as Norway, the United Kingdom, or other countries outside the EU, additional information must be entered for your shipment.
Note! Applicable customs requirements may vary from country to country.
Furthermore, there may be different carrier services to be aware of. For shipments from Denmark to Norway, for example, you can select VOEC when shipping with PostNord on your own shipping agreement.
Customs
Under the Customs section, you must fill in information about the goods in the shipment. This information is used for customs export. Here, you must specify the desired Currency, Export reason, Freight costs, and Insurance costs.
Field | Explanation |
Currency | The currency for the unit values specified under Contents. |
Export reason | The choice of category determines which type of customs document is automatically created for the shipment.
Choosing "Sale of goods" or "Other" signals to the customs authorities that this is a commercial transaction between a seller and a buyer, and a commercial invoice will be created.
Choosing one of the other options means it is not a commercial transaction, and a pro forma invoice will be created. |
Freight costs | The shipping price invoiced to the customer/receiver in connection with the export. |
Insurance costs | Own insurance costs that cover the transport of the goods up to the customs border or port of entry. |
Here’s an example where the customs boxes are filled out.
Next, you must add more information about the specific goods under the Contents section.
Contents
Here, you must specify the Quantity of goods, Country of origin, a description, the product's Commodity code, Unit value in the chosen currency, and Unit weight.
Field | Explanation |
Quantity | The number of units of the item in the shipment. This indicates how many units are being sent for that specific line item. |
Country of origin | The country where the item was manufactured or produced. This is used by customs to determine which duty rates and import rules apply in the destination country. (e.g., Use "CN" if produced in China).
A list of ISO country codes can be found on the Danish Customs Agency's (skat) website. |
Description | The contents of the package must be described as clearly and precisely as possible in English, so it is easily understandable for the customs authorities in the destination country.
To comply with customs requirements, the product description should, at a minimum, include answers to the following questions:
Additionally, it may be relevant to add details such as size, target group (e.g., gender/age), or other specifications that help the customs authorities identify the item correctly.
Shipments with overly general or unclear descriptions risk being delayed or rejected by customs.
Please feel free to read our guide to a good product description if you want to ensure that you have included everything. |
Commodity code | The Commodity code (also known as tariff code or the HS code) is an international classification of products and is used for customs purposes and Intrastat registration of imports/exports between countries.
The tariff code must be entered without dots or spaces and can be 8, 10, or 12 digits long. If your tariff code, for example, is only 7 digits, you must add a zero at the end to make it 8 digits.
Ask your supplier if you do not know the tariff code. If there is no supplier, you must classify the item yourself to the best of your ability.
We recommend that you look up tariff codes yourself on the Danish Customs Agency's (Skat) website or seek advice from them or your local tax authorities directly. |
Unit value | The value (sales price) of a single unit, excluding freight and VAT. This is used to calculate duties and taxes and should be entered without decimals. |
Unit weight | The weight of a single unit of the item, specified in grams. |
Additional details
The Additional details section includes the Incoterms field, where you can specify DDP or DAP amongst other things. This determines whether the import customs costs should be charged to the receiver or if you will cover the costs yourself.
💡 Expert tip: Enable "Automatic merging of customs lines" under Settings > Company > Information > Customs to reduce the number of lines with identical information. This works across all booking channels and can help you save on customs clearance fees.
How to manage electronic customs documents
The completed information is, as far as possible, transferred electronically to the carrier.
Depending on the carrier and destination country, a physical customs invoice may still be necessary. Customs documents will be printed automatically along with the shipping label if the chosen carrier requires it.
Different carriers have different requirements for what to do with your customs documents.
Here is a couple of examples on how to prepare your shipments for the chosen carrier:
DHL Express
If you are shipping with DHL Express, some destination countries support Paperless Trade (electronic exchange of customs information). If a destination country supports Paperless Trade, the text "C-PLT" will appear on the shipping label itself. In this case, no physical customs documents will be generated.
If, however, "C-PLT" does not appear on the shipping label, you must ensure that you print and attach 3 copies of the customs invoice in a plastic pouch, which is to be fixed to the outside of the shipment.
PostNord Denmark
If you are shipping with PostNord Denmark, you can find information regarding the export of packages to countries outside the EU here. You must ensure that you print and attach 3 copies of the customs invoice in a plastic pouch, which is to be fixed to the outside of the shipment.
For more information, please contact the carrier directly.
Do you have a webshop?
If you use Shipmondo Order Management, you can activate automatic customs once your product data is updated. The relevant customs information will then be applied automatically every time you create an export shipment.
Read more about automatic completion of customs documents here: