Forms Needed for International Shipping

Required for All Cross-Border Shipments (Commercial Invoice)

The commercial invoice (or pro forma invoice) is required for all cross-border shipments (except for documents, which have no commercial value). It is the primary form used for importation control, valuation and duty determination.

Our shipping tool will help you fill out your commercial invoice as you’re creating your shipping label. It is important to provide accurate and specific information in order to avoid customs delays.

We can transmit your commercial invoice digitally if you have a UPS account. (If you already have an account, you can enable Paperless^® Invoice, by calling 800-7433-877 or contacting your local representative. If you need an account, you can open one here.) Otherwise, be sure to print out three copies of the commercial invoice and include it with your package.

If you would like to fill out the commercial invoice on your own, without the aid of our shipping tool, we made a guide to help walk you through it.

You can also view more information about Understanding Customs or International Shipping Forms.

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Where was the item you are shipping manufactured? (Certificate of Origin)

A certificate of origin is a document that verifies the manufacturing country of the items being shipped. The item’s origin and destination determine if the certificate is required. Requirement reasons could be because of established treaty arrangements, varying duty rates or preferential duty treatment based on the shipment´s origin.

Generally, if the country of origin is the U.S., a certificate will be needed. To be sure, use our Import and Export Regulations tool to see which forms you’ll need.

Rules for when a certificate is needed change frequently. Be sure to verify your specific requirements before shipping.

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Are You Shipping a List of Goods to a Customer or Vendor? (Packing List - Optional)

A packing list is an optional document that allows shippers to give specific details on a shipment’s contents. A packing list might seem similar to a commercial invoice, but it’s not the same. A packing list should not - and will not - replace a commercial invoice. Why? Because it isn’t used by customs to determine duties and fees associated with the shipment.

Without information about the cost or value of a shipment’s contents, a packing list can still be very useful. For example, packing lists come in handy when a shipment’s contents are being forwarded to a third party, such as a customer or vender.

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