Export and customs information

Clearing customs without concerns.

Export and customs information

Clearing customs without concerns.

Shipping quickly and without complications to almost every country in the world – that’s our field. All goods that are exported have to be cleared and released through customs. We have collected all the important information for you. We also want to offer you the tools to make it easy for you to ship your international parcels.

Commercial invoice required by Customs

Commercial invoice required by Customs

All goods sent to countries outside the EU go through customs. Depending on the destination, you therefore need to enclose a commercial invoice. If your product has no commercial value, then you state 'no commercial value' on the invoice.

Procedure:

  • Draw up your invoice in English

  • Make three copies of the commercial invoice/proforma invoice

    • One for the export country

    • one for the importing country

    • one for the receiver

  • Add two of these copies in a packing list envelope and pack the envelope on the outside

  • Add a copy in the parcel itself

On the commercial invoice, a number of fields are mandatory. Use the format for the commercial invoice or pro-forma invoice on the support page.

EORI number

EORI number

An EORI number is assigned to commercial importers and exporters by national customs authorities. Private individuals cannot apply for an EORI number. The EORI number is an identification number used in the processing of import declarations and Customs handling.

How do you apply for an EORI number?

You can apply for an EORI number on the website of the Tax and Customs Administration. The number consists of a combination of existing figures. More information can be found at www.belastingdienst.nl.(Dutch only)

HS coding

HS coding

Customs uses a commodity code or European HS code (Harmonised System) to classify products. This code consists of at least 8 digits for export. By using this code Customs knows:

  • Which products are in your shipment.

  • How much import duties and other import taxes are to be levied on them.

    • Note: If the code is not filled in correctly, Customs may classify your products in a different product category. Your customer may have to pay a different price for this and you may be fined for incorrect classification. In the extreme case, DPD cannot make a Customs declaration.

To determine the commodity code of your product, you should take into account that many products cannot be found literally by their most common name. For example, a 'laptop' or a 'tablet' should be classified as a 'p

ortable automatic data processing machine, weighing no more than 10 kg'.

Handy tool

The tax authorities have a handy tool to classify your products yourself. You can find it here.

Search for your product preferably in English so you get the best search results, for example carpet instead of rug. If you use a label tool of DPD, don't forget to add the quantity. For example: wool carpet (2m2)

DPD UK Import Prohibited list

5,70 €5,90 €

10,00 €

HS code category

UK Tariff Description 

Prohibited Reason

Comment/ Examples

01

Live animals

DPD UK's Terms & Conditions / Animal Health Certificate

Live or Dead Animals

02

Meat and Offal

DPD UK's Terms & Conditions / Animal Health Certificate

Live or Dead Animals

03

Fish and Crustaceans

DPD UK's Terms & Conditions / Animal Health Certificate

Live or Dead Animals

04

Dairy produce, eggs, natural honey etc

DPD UK's Terms & Conditions / Animal Health Certificate

Perishable items

05

Other products of animal origin

DPD UK's Terms & Conditions / Animal Health Certificate

Live or Dead Animals

06

Live Trees

DPD UK's Terms & Conditions / Phytosanitary Certificate (import)

 

Perishable items

07

Edible vegetables and certain roots and tubers

DPD UK's Terms & Conditions / Phytosanitary Certificate (import)

 

Perishable items

08

Edible fruit and nuts

Phytosanitary Certificate (import)

Rice, Wheat, Grain etc

10

Cereals

DPD UK's Terms & Conditions / Phytosanitary Certificate (import)

 

Rice, Wheat, Grain etc
13

Gums and Resins

 DPD UK's Terms & Conditions

Controlled Drugs i.e Opium

15

Animal or vegetable fats and oils

 DPD UK's Terms & Conditions

Perishable items

16

Preparations of Meat/Fish

 DPD UK's Terms & Conditions

Perishable items

22

Beverages, spirits and vinegar

DPD UK's Terms & Conditions / Excise Goods

Alcohol

23

Residues and waste from the food industries

Animal Health Certificate

Pet food prepared animal fodder

24

Tobacco and tobacco substitutes

DPD UK's Terms & Conditions / Excise Goods

Tobacco, loose leaf tobacco products

27

Mineral Fuels, oils and waxes

DPD UK's Terms & Conditions / Excise Goods

Dangerous/Hazardous Goods

28

Inorganic Chemicals

DPD UK's Terms & Conditions / Excise Goods

Dangerous/Hazardous Goods

2901 - 2939

Organic Chemicals

DPD UK's Terms & Conditions

Dangerous/Hazardous Goods

30

Pharmaceutical products

DPD UK's Terms & Conditions

Pharmaceutical products

31

Fertilisers

DPD UK's Terms & Conditions

Dangerous/Hazardous Goods

36

Explosives

DPD UK's Terms & Conditions

Firearms, Ammunition, Explosives

3808, 3811

Pesticides

DPD UK's Terms & Conditions

Dangerous/Hazardous Goods

4301-4303

Furskins and artificial fur

Animal Health CertificateRaw hides & skins

5302

True hemp

DPD UK's Terms & Conditions

True hemp, cannabis

6807 - 6808, 6811, 6812, 6815200000 

Articles of stone, plaster, cement, asbestos, mica or similar materials

DPD UK's Terms & Conditions

Dangerous/Hazardous Goods 

7101, 7102

Pearls and diamonds

DPD UK's Terms & Conditions

Jewellery, Precious Metals and Stones

85437070

Electrical equipment and parts thereof

DPD UK's Terms & Conditions

Live or Dead E-Cigarette Products

8601-8606, 8608-8609

Railway or tramway locomotives

DPD UK's Terms & Conditions

Dangerous/Hazardous Goods

8802, 8805

Aircraft,spacecraft, and parts thereof

DPD UK's Terms & Conditions

Dangerous/Hazardous Goods

93

Arms and ammunition

DPD UK's Terms & Conditions

Firearms, Ammunition, Explosives
9705, 9706 05

Collections and collector's pieces

DPD UK's Terms & Conditions / Animal Health Certificate

Fine art, antiques etc

98

Complete Industrial Plant

Free circulation restrictions

Industrial Plant

HS code category

01

HS code category

02

HS code category

03

HS code category

04

HS code category

05

HS code category

06

HS code category

07

HS code category

08

HS code category

10

HS code category

13

HS code category

15

HS code category

16

HS code category

22

HS code category

23

HS code category

24

HS code category

27

HS code category

28

HS code category

2901 - 2939

HS code category

30

HS code category

31

HS code category

36

HS code category

3808, 3811

HS code category

4301-4303

HS code category

5302

HS code category

6807 - 6808, 6811, 6812, 6815200000 

HS code category

7101, 7102

HS code category

85437070

HS code category

8601-8606, 8608-8609

HS code category

8802, 8805

HS code category

93

HS code category

9705, 9706 05

HS code category

98

5,70 €

UK Tariff Description 

Live animals

Meat and Offal

Fish and Crustaceans

Dairy produce, eggs, natural honey etc

Other products of animal origin

Live Trees

Edible vegetables and certain roots and tubers

Edible fruit and nuts

Cereals

Gums and Resins

Animal or vegetable fats and oils

Preparations of Meat/Fish

Beverages, spirits and vinegar

Residues and waste from the food industries

Tobacco and tobacco substitutes

Mineral Fuels, oils and waxes

Inorganic Chemicals

Organic Chemicals

Pharmaceutical products

Fertilisers

Explosives

Pesticides

Furskins and artificial fur

True hemp

Articles of stone, plaster, cement, asbestos, mica or similar materials

Pearls and diamonds

Electrical equipment and parts thereof

Railway or tramway locomotives

Aircraft,spacecraft, and parts thereof

Arms and ammunition

Collections and collector's pieces

Complete Industrial Plant

5,90 €

Prohibited Reason

DPD UK's Terms & Conditions / Animal Health Certificate

DPD UK's Terms & Conditions / Animal Health Certificate

DPD UK's Terms & Conditions / Animal Health Certificate

DPD UK's Terms & Conditions / Animal Health Certificate

DPD UK's Terms & Conditions / Animal Health Certificate

DPD UK's Terms & Conditions / Phytosanitary Certificate (import)

 

DPD UK's Terms & Conditions / Phytosanitary Certificate (import)

 

Phytosanitary Certificate (import)

DPD UK's Terms & Conditions / Phytosanitary Certificate (import)

 

 DPD UK's Terms & Conditions

 DPD UK's Terms & Conditions

 DPD UK's Terms & Conditions

DPD UK's Terms & Conditions / Excise Goods

Animal Health Certificate

DPD UK's Terms & Conditions / Excise Goods

DPD UK's Terms & Conditions / Excise Goods

DPD UK's Terms & Conditions / Excise Goods

DPD UK's Terms & Conditions

DPD UK's Terms & Conditions

DPD UK's Terms & Conditions

DPD UK's Terms & Conditions

DPD UK's Terms & Conditions

Animal Health Certificate

DPD UK's Terms & Conditions

DPD UK's Terms & Conditions

DPD UK's Terms & Conditions

DPD UK's Terms & Conditions

DPD UK's Terms & Conditions

DPD UK's Terms & Conditions

DPD UK's Terms & Conditions

DPD UK's Terms & Conditions / Animal Health Certificate

Free circulation restrictions

10,00 €

Comment/ Examples

Live or Dead AnimalsLive or Dead AnimalsLive or Dead AnimalsPerishable itemsLive or Dead AnimalsPerishable itemsPerishable itemsRice, Wheat, Grain etcRice, Wheat, Grain etcControlled Drugs i.e OpiumPerishable itemsPerishable itemsAlcohol

Pet food prepared animal fodder

Tobacco, loose leaf tobacco productsDangerous/Hazardous GoodsDangerous/Hazardous GoodsDangerous/Hazardous Goods

Pharmaceutical products

Dangerous/Hazardous Goods

Firearms, Ammunition, Explosives

Dangerous/Hazardous Goods

Raw hides & skinsTrue hemp, cannabis

Dangerous/Hazardous Goods 

Jewellery, Precious Metals and StonesLive or Dead E-Cigarette Products

Dangerous/Hazardous Goods

Dangerous/Hazardous Goods

Firearms, Ammunition, ExplosivesFine art, antiques etc

Industrial Plant

Register with HMRC

Register with HMRC

The United Kingdom has legislation which makes it compulsory for the sender to always pay Value Added Tax (VAT) on parcels ≤£135. This tax is collected by HMRC (Her Majesty's Revenue Custom).

Do you send products with a value of less than £135?

  • Then register on the HMRC website in the UK.

  • After registration you will get a number which you can fill in in all technical solutions of DPD, also when you use the Online Shipping Service. More information about this regulation can be found here.

  • You can register here.

Export and customs information

Shipments going outside the EU will involve customs formalities. You also have to add specific documents to your parcel. Which documents depends on the customs requirements of the country to which you are exporting, the type of product you are shipping and the value of the product.

Could you use a little help with the customs formalities? DPD is happy to help you to ease the customs process.

Export and customs information

Shipments going outside the EU will involve customs formalities. You also have to add specific documents to your parcel. Which documents depends on the customs requirements of the country to which you are exporting, the type of product you are shipping and the value of the product.

Could you use a little help with the customs formalities? DPD is happy to help you to ease the customs process.

Export to the United Kingdom

Export to the United Kingdom

If you have shipments to the United Kingdom, you will be dealing with shipments to a non-EU country. You will therefore have to meet specific customs requirements.

Checklist

  1. Does your company already have an EORI number for export to the UK?

  2. Are you allowed to export your products to the UK?

  3. Do your products have correct HS codes?

  4. DPD offers the INCO term DAP. However you have to make a choice who pays:

    • DAP DP (Duties & taxes Paid - sender pays) Are you sending products to a private person with a value of ≤ £135 based on DAP DP? Then you (the sender) must pay the VAT to HMRC. A registration is then required.

    • DAP NP (Duties & taxes Not Paid - receiver pays) When you use the online shipping service of DPD, you automatically choose DAP NP. The option DAP DP is not offered via the online shipping service.

  5. Each shipment consists of a maximum of one parcel. Bulk shipment is only possible after approval by DPD.

  6. Deliver 100% complete data. If the data is not correct, the parcel will be returned.

  7. DPD uses an automated system. Therefore at first no invoice is needed. However, if Customs wants to check your parcel, Customer Service will ask you to send in the commercial invoice. So always keep this at hand.

Letting DPD complete the export declaration

If you would like DPD to take care of your export declaration, then you must issue a once-only ‘Agreement to act as direct representative’. This authorisation lets us take care of the customs clearance. You do, however, remain liable for the content of the export declaration. DPD does not take over this responsibility.

You can download the authorisation. Once you have completed it, you can send it to [email protected]

Have you already authorised DPD? Then you do not have to issue a new authorisation.

Letting DPD complete the export declaration

If you would like DPD to take care of your export declaration, then you must issue a once-only ‘Agreement to act as direct representative’. This authorisation lets us take care of the customs clearance. You do, however, remain liable for the content of the export declaration. DPD does not take over this responsibility.

You can download the authorisation. Once you have completed it, you can send it to [email protected]

Have you already authorised DPD? Then you do not have to issue a new authorisation.