Export and import documents checklist

Always required

These travel with almost every commercial consignment.

• Commercial invoice — parties, HS code, description, quantity, unit and total value, currency, Incoterm with named place, country of origin.
• Packing list — cartons, net and gross weight, dimensions, marks and numbers.
• Transport document — Bill of Lading (sea), Air Waybill (air) or CMR (road).
• Purchase order or sales contract — the commercial basis the other documents must match.

Usually required

Requested by customs, by the buyer's bank, or under a preferential trade agreement.

• Certificate of origin, and a preferential certificate where a trade agreement lowers duty.
• Insurance certificate under CIF and CIP.
• Inspection or test certificate where the buyer or the destination requires it.

Conditional on the goods

Product category drives the rest of the set.

• Phytosanitary certificate for plants and plant products; health certificate for food and animal products.
• Halal certificate where the destination market requires it.
• Dangerous goods declaration and MSDS for hazardous cargo.
• Fumigation certificate for solid wood packaging (ISPM 15).
• Import licence or conformity certificate where the destination operates a pre-shipment conformity scheme.

The consistency rule

Every document must show the same consignee, the same description, the same quantity and the same value. A packing list weight that contradicts the bill of lading is a common cause of inspection. Fix discrepancies before the goods move, not at the border.

Under a letter of credit, the documents are the deal

Banks pay against documents, not against goods. Read the credit line by line before shipping and match the wording exactly, including spelling of party names and the number of copies required.