How to Fill Out a Customs Declaration for an International Parcel from the UK

What Is a Customs Declaration?

A customs declaration is a form that tells customs authorities in the destination country what's inside your parcel, what it's worth, and why it's being sent. Every international shipment leaving the UK needs one whether you're sending a birthday gift to a relative in Australia, returning a faulty item to a seller in the US, or shipping stock for a small business.

Customs officers in the receiving country use this form to decide three things: whether the parcel is allowed in at all, how much import duty or tax to charge, and whether it needs to be opened for inspection. A form that's filled in badly, or not at all, is one of the most common reasons parcels get held up or sent back.



When Do You Need One?

You need a customs declaration for almost any parcel leaving the UK for a destination outside the UK. This includes:

• Any shipment to a country outside the UK, including EU countries (since Brexit, this now applies to EU destinations too)
• Gifts sent to family or friends abroad
• Returns sent back to overseas retailers
• Business shipments and samples
• Personal belongings sent when moving abroad

Parcels sent within the UK do not need a customs form. If you're unsure whether your destination counts as "international" for customs purposes, ask before you pack it's a five-second question that saves a delayed parcel.



What Information You'll Need to Provide

Most customs declaration forms whether it's a CN22, CN23, or a courier's own commercial invoice ask for broadly the same details. Have this ready before you start filling anything in:

• Sender's full name and address
• Recipient's full name and address (get this exactly right, including postcode format for the destination country)
• A description of each item in the parcel specific, not vague (see below)
• Quantity of each item
• Weight of each item
• Value of each item, in the currency requested (usually GBP)
• Country of origin of the goods (where they were made, not where you're sending from)
• Reason for export — gift, sale, return, sample, personal item, etc.
• HS code (Harmonised System code) for commercial shipments a standardised code used to classify goods for customs worldwide



How to Fill In Each Section Correctly

Describing the contents

This is where most people go wrong. Customs officers need to know, at a glance, what's in the parcel vague descriptions cause delays because the parcel has to be flagged for manual review.

• Write "men's cotton t-shirt", not "clothing"
• Write "stainless steel kitchen knife, 20cm", not "kitchen item"
• Write "ceramic coffee mug", not "gift"

If there are multiple different items, list each one separately with its own value and weight rather than lumping them into one line.



Declaring the value

Always declare the genuine value of the item what you paid for it, or what it's genuinely worth if it's a gift you already owned. Under-declaring value to reduce import duty for the recipient is a common temptation, but it's against customs regulations in virtually every country, can result in the parcel being seized, and isn't worth the risk to your business's or your family's reputation.

If it's a gift, declare its fair market value, not what you'd charge a customer for it.



Selecting the correct category

Most forms ask you to tick a category: gift, commercial sample, documents, returned goods, or sale of goods. Choose accurately this affects how customs assesses tax and duty on the other end. A genuine gift under a certain value threshold often qualifies for reduced or waived import charges in the destination country, but only if it's honestly marked as a gift.



HS codes for business shipments

If you're shipping as a business or sending goods for sale, you'll usually need an HS code. This is a standardised numeric code that classifies exactly what type of product you're sending, and customs authorities worldwide use it to calculate duty. You can look up the correct code using the UK Government's Trade Tariff tool, or your courier can usually help you find the right one if you're not sure.



Common Mistakes That Delay Parcels

• Vague item descriptions ("gift," "personal items," "misc")
• Missing or incorrect recipient address details, especially postcodes in countries with different formatting
• Under-declaring value
• Forgetting to sign and date the form — most customs declarations aren't valid without a signature
• Mismatched weight between what's declared and what the parcel actually weighs at drop-off
• Sending prohibited or restricted items without checking the destination country's import rules first (certain foods, plants, batteries, and electronics have specific restrictions)

Do You Need to Fill This Out Yourself?

If you're sending a parcel through an authorised international shipping centre, you often don't have to navigate this alone. At Postal & Courier Etc, our team handles the customs paperwork with you at the counter checking your descriptions are specific enough, your values are correctly declared, and the right form is used for your destination country, whether you're shipping with DHL, UPS, or FedEx. That's often the difference between a parcel that clears customs in a day and one that sits in a warehouse for two weeks.