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 that 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. (To enable Paperless^® Invoice, go to your account details screen. If you need an account, you can open one here and will be automatically enrolled.) 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 or understanding customs or international shipping Forms.

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Are You Shipping a “Special” or “Dangerous” item? Or an item worth more than $2,500? (EEI)

Electronic Export Information is a document generally required by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (ACE) for U.S. exports that contain a single item valued at over $2,500. EEIs are filed electronically with ACE, either by you or UPS on your behalf.

Filing options are as follows:

• Self-file at ACE: While free of charge, you’ll need to view the UPS Port of Export Guide to determine from which port the shipment left the U.S. (required by ACE).
• Print an EEI from a UPS shipping system: This can be through the UPS.com shipping app, UPS WorldShip ^® or UPS CampusShip ^® . We’ll need you to provide us with a completed Power of Attorney form to file. A small fee will apply.
• Provide your own company's printed EEI or a completed commercial invoice. A Power of Attorney form is required, and a small fee will apply.

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Are You Shipping an Item Manufactured in the U.S.? (U.S. 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 Regulation 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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