Export Documents and Customs Documentation
Need an EXA Export Declaration, EUR.1 Certificate, Certificate of Origin or T1 Transit Document arranged for a shipment leaving the Netherlands, Belgium or Germany? We prepare the export paperwork and customs documentation so cargo can leave the European Union without delays at the terminal. You don't need to work out which documents apply on your own. Send us the pickup address, cargo details, commercial invoice, packing list, dimensions, weight, photos and destination, and we check what's required and arrange it step by step --- for a single car, a full container, a piece of machinery or a commercial shipment.
What We Arrange
Our export documentation service covers:
- EXA Export Declaration
- EUR.1 Certificate
- Certificate of Origin
- T1 Transit Document
- Import document support
- Commercial invoice and packing list checks
- Bill of Lading instructions
- Air Waybill instructions
- Vehicle export documents
- Container export documents
- Machinery export documents
- Customs clearance support
- Export paperwork for ocean freight, air freight and road transport
Dutch Customs confirms that Union goods leaving the EU must be declared to customs, and Business.gov.nl states that goods exported outside the EU require an export declaration. Depending on the shipment, the Netherlands Chamber of Commerce (KVK) notes that a Certificate of Origin may be required by the destination country or requested by the buyer, and that an EUR.1 Certificate may allow reduced or zero import duties when the goods meet the correct preferential origin rules. For goods moving under customs control, the European Commission explains that customs transit allows cargo to move while duties and taxes are temporarily suspended until the correct customs process is completed.
The Documents, Explained
EXA Export Declaration
An EXA Export Declaration is one of the most common documents required when cargo leaves the Netherlands, Belgium or Germany for a destination outside the European Union. It applies to many types of shipments, including:
- Cars, trucks and buses
- Containers
- Machinery and industrial equipment
- Spare parts
- Commercial cargo and project cargo
- Air freight and ocean freight shipments
To prepare the declaration, we typically need the commercial invoice, packing list, cargo description, HS code when available, value, weight, number of packages, pickup address and destination country. For vehicle exports, we also ask for the chassis number, registration details, make, model and photos.
Send us the available documents and shipment details, and we check the information, prepare the declaration and arrange the export process step by step.
EUR.1 Certificate & Certificate of Origin
These are two different documents, often confused with each other. A Certificate of Origin shows where goods were produced or manufactured, and some destination countries, buyers or banks request it before goods can be imported. A EUR.1 Certificate is used specifically where preferential origin applies under a trade agreement, and can allow the importer to pay reduced or zero import duties when the goods meet the correct origin rules. Which one --- if either --- applies depends on the destination country, the product and the trade agreements in place.
Useful for a wide range of cargo, including:
- Vehicles
- Machinery and industrial equipment
- Commercial goods and spare parts
- Tools and factory equipment
- Project cargo and container shipments
To check which certificate applies, we typically need the commercial invoice, packing list, cargo description, country of origin, HS code when available, value of the goods, buyer and seller details and destination country. This service is often used for exports from the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany to destinations across Africa, the Middle East, Asia, South America and other worldwide markets.
T1 Transit Document & Import Support
A T1 Transit Document is used when goods move under customs control before the final customs process is completed --- for example, cargo transported through Europe, moved between customs locations, or shipped under transit before import or export formalities are finalised. It applies to containers, vehicles, machinery, commercial cargo and spare parts, among other cargo types.
Alongside export documents, some shipments also need import document support. Import formalities are handled in the destination country, but the export side still needs to be prepared correctly --- a clear invoice, packing list, cargo description, HS code, value, dimensions and weight all help the importer arrange customs at the other end. We prepare the export side clearly, so the shipment is properly documented before it leaves the Netherlands, Belgium or Germany.
Vehicle Export Documents and Customs Paperwork
Vehicle exports usually need their own set of documents before a car, truck, bus or trailer can leave the Netherlands, Belgium or Germany --- a step that matters to customs, the buyer, the seller and the transport process alike. We arrange export documentation for:
- Cars, luxury cars and classic cars
- Trucks, buses and vans
- Trailers and motorhomes
- Construction and agricultural vehicles
- Electric vehicles
An EXA Export Declaration is usually required, and depending on the destination, a Certificate of Origin, EUR.1 Certificate or additional customs paperwork may also apply. We typically need the commercial invoice, vehicle registration document, chassis number (VIN), make and model, year of manufacture, vehicle value, buyer and seller details, pickup address, destination country and photos of the vehicle. Vehicles can travel by RoRo shipping, container shipping, flat rack shipping or air freight, and the documents required can vary with the route and method chosen.
Getting the Paperwork Right
Why Accurate Export Documents Matter
Missing or incorrect paperwork is one of the most common reasons a shipment is delayed at the terminal --- a wrong HS code, a mismatched invoice, or the wrong certificate requested for the destination country can all hold up a departure that was otherwise ready to go. Checking the documents properly before the shipment leaves is almost always faster and cheaper than resolving a rejected declaration afterwards.
Bill of Lading & Air Waybill Instructions
A Bill of Lading (for ocean freight) or Air Waybill (for air freight) is a different type of document from the export and customs paperwork above --- it's the contract of carriage issued by the shipping line or airline, confirming what's being carried and under what terms. We check these instructions alongside the export documents, so the details on the transport document match what's declared to customs and what's shown on the commercial invoice. Errors between the two --- a weight or cargo description that doesn't match --- are a common, avoidable reason a shipment gets questioned at the terminal.
Where We Arrange Export Documentation
This service is used for shipments collected across the Netherlands --- including Rotterdam, Amsterdam, Schiphol Airport, Eindhoven, Venlo, Tilburg, Breda, Utrecht and The Hague --- as well as Antwerp, Brussels, Ghent, Liège and Charleroi in Belgium, and Düsseldorf, Cologne, Hamburg, Frankfurt and surrounding regions in Germany, for cars, containers, machinery and commercial cargo moving to destinations worldwide.
How It Works
1 Send the pickup address, cargo details and destination
2 We check which documents actually apply to your shipment
3 You send the commercial invoice, packing list and any supporting details
4 We prepare and submit the export documentation
5 The shipment departs with the correct paperwork in place
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does it take to arrange an EXA Export Declaration?
It depends on how quickly the shipment details are available, but once we have the commercial invoice, packing list and cargo description, the declaration is usually prepared well within the time needed before departure.
Can you arrange documents for a single car?
Yes --- we prepare export documentation for a single vehicle just as often as for a full container or a commercial shipment.
Do you know in advance which documents I need?
Not always without seeing the shipment details --- but that's exactly what we check for you, so you don't need to work it out yourself.
Can you help if my shipment already needs a T1 Transit Document?
Yes --- we regularly arrange T1 documents alongside the standard export declaration, particularly for cargo moving through multiple customs locations.
Ready to Arrange Your Export Documents?
You don't need to know every customs rule before contacting us. Send the shipment details, and we check what's needed and arrange the export documentation step by step --- whether it's a single EXA declaration or the full set of paperwork for a container, vehicle or machinery export.