How to Fill In Customs Information for Non-EU Shipments – Help Center

This article explains how to complete the customs information required when creating a non-EU shipment in Swotzy.

Before You Start

Swotzy generates customs documents as electronic invoices — valid without a physical signature. To use this, your company must be authorised for electronic invoicing. You can check or update this in Settings > Billing under Document Signing.

If your company is not authorised for electronic invoicing, you can still ship outside the EU by uploading your own commercial invoice. See How to Upload a Commercial Invoice for Customs.

Step 1 — Set Duties Payor

In the Customs Information section, in the Duties Payor field, select who is responsible for paying customs duties and taxes:

Sender - DDP incoterm — customs duties and taxes are charged to you as the sender after the shipment clears customs. These charges are not included in the platform prices and will be issued in a separate invoice. See What is a Customs Invoice?
Recipient - DAP incoterm — the recipient is responsible for paying customs duties and taxes before or upon delivery
Third Party - DAP incoterm — a third party, such as a freight forwarder or business partner, is responsible for paying customs duties and taxes

Step 2 — Set Export Reason (optional)

This field is only available for FedEx, DHL, and UPS shipments. If you are shipping with another carrier, skip to Step 3.

Under Customize Customs Information, select the transaction type in the Export Reason field. Choose Sale for sold products. Only choose Gift if the item is being sent as a present with no commercial value.

Selecting the wrong export reason can result in incorrect duty calculations, shipment delays, or rejection at customs.

Step 3 — Enter product information

In the Packages section, once you have entered your package information, click Add Customs Item and fill in the following fields for each item in the shipment:

Title / Description — describe the item clearly. Include what it is, what it is made of, colour and size, and how it will be used. Example: "Men's t-shirt, size M, colour black, 100% cotton, made in Latvia"

Vague descriptions like "gift" or "sample" can cause delays and may result in incorrect duty calculations.

Quantity
Price (commercial value per item) — in EUR
Weight (per item) — in kg
Country of Origin
HS Code — use the Find HS Code link if you are unsure
SKU — optional

Once you have completed these steps, Swotzy will use the information entered to generate the customs documents required for your shipment when you click Create Label.

Customising Your Customs Information

If you need more control over your customs documentation, two additional options are available under Customize Customs Information. Both options are only available for FedEx, DHL, and UPS shipments.

Customise customs information manually — use this if you need to include a declaration statement or align the customs invoice with specific details such as your own invoice number or freight costs.

See How to Customise Customs Information.

Upload your own commercial invoice — use this if you want to upload your own invoice from your sale to the customer instead of the system-generated document. Your invoice must meet specific requirements to be considered a valid customs document.

See How to Upload a Commercial Invoice for Customs.

Need Assistance?

If you have any questions about customs documentation, our support team is here to help.