Having a detailed commercial invoice is essential when making customs declarations.
Download the commercial invoice template.
Here is what our Customs Compliance Manager recommends for a good 'customs-ready' commercial invoice.
EORI
An Economic Operators Registration and Identification number (EORI) is used when moving goods between the UK and the EU. It is a unique number that customs administrations use for business identification purposes.
Apply for an EORI number : https://www.gov.uk/eori/apply-for-eori
Commodity Codes
A commodity code is a ten-digit number that is used to classify different types of goods for both imports and exports between Great Britain and the EU.
Find the right commodity codes for your goods : https://www.gov.uk/trade-tariff
CPC
Customs Procedure Codes are used to identify which excise and / or customs rules the goods are being removed from or entered into.
Incoterm
Incoterms serve as global standards for uniform interpretation of common contract clauses in international trade.
Your Incoterm will be what has been negotiated between your customer/supplier and you when you agreed to buy or sell the goods being transported.
Learn more: https://www.velotrade.com/guides/what-is-incoterms-2020/
Other information
- Seller : Name, address & VAT reg number
- Consignee: Name, address & VAT reg number
- Buyer (if different from consignee): Name, address & VAT reg number
- Invoice number and date
- Buyer and sellers reference number
- Country of origin of goods (per item)
- Country of destination
- REX statement : When exporting from the EU to the UK, a statement on origin can be made out by the exporter where the value of the consignment is €6000 or less. If the value is above this amount, the EU exporter must have a Registered Exporter Number (REX) and include it in the statement
- Bank details of seller : name of bank, address, sort code, account number, IBAN
- The number of packages
- Total gross weight and total net weight
- Any licence details or special certificates (e.g. CHED)
At an individual level, each item should be listed with a goods description, commodity code, quantity, unit price and total price with currency code.
The invoice must show the full name of the signatory, with the place and date of issue. It must also be signed.
