What you upload
The documents of one shipment, as separate files or in one zip. Import8 recognises which document it is.
- the commercial invoice (or proforma)
- the packing list
- the transport document: bill of lading, air waybill, CMR or CIM consignment note
- the freight invoice, the insurance certificate and the proof of payment
- the certificate of origin
- product documents such as a declaration of conformity, test report, GPSR label, UN38.3 test summary or safety data sheet
Files: PDF, JPG, PNG, XLSX, XLS, ZIP. At most 20 MB per file and 20 files per shipment.
What is checked
Per document
- whether the required details are on it, such as seller and buyer, invoice number and date, description, commodity code, quantity, amounts, currency, Incoterm, country of origin and weight
- whether the amounts add up: quantity times price per line, and the lines to the total
- whether the description is precise enough to classify the product
- which costs on the invoice belong in the customs value, such as freight, insurance and commission
- what forwarders ask for in practice, marked separately because it is not a legal requirement
The whole shipment
- whether the documents match each other: seller and buyer, quantities and HS codes per line, number of packages, gross weight and country of origin
- whether payment and insurance fit the invoice amount
- which documents are missing, also depending on the mode of transport and the Incoterm
- which product rules apply to the HS codes on the invoice, such as toys, electrical equipment, batteries, GPSR or REACH, and which documents go with them
What the report looks like
For each point the report says what is wrong, how to fix it and who has to do it. At the bottom there is a message in English you can send to your supplier as it is. You can download the report as a PDF.
Example for illustration, not a real shipment.
What it costs
Each document costs 1 credit. If you upload several documents of one shipment at once, 1 credit is added for the check of the whole shipment.
A shipment with an invoice, packing list and bill of lading costs 4 credits. With the Micro package (€1.00 per credit) that is €4.00. With Starter (€0.80 per credit) it is €3.18. Prices excluding VAT.
All packagesWhat happens to your documents
The file itself is deleted right after processing. The data from your documents and the findings stay available for 24 hours, then they are deleted. What remains is a log line without content: the status, counts, codes and duration. If you want to keep the report, download it as a PDF.
Who it does not work for yet
The check follows EU rules (the Union Customs Code, the VAT directive, CE and GPSR) and works for imports into any EU country. Where a member state may choose the language, such as for safety information, we assume Dutch for now. We do not check national rules of other countries yet. Import8 does not file customs declarations and cannot release a shipment. The report helps you prepare, it is not a customs decision. As the importer you remain responsible for your declaration.
Questions
What must be on a commercial invoice?
Import8 checks whether these details are on it: name and address of seller and buyer, invoice number and date, per line a description, the commodity code (at least 6 digits of the HS code), the quantity with unit and the amount, the total and the currency, the delivery terms (Incoterm), the country of origin and the net and gross weight. If the Incoterm is missing, customs assumes EXW. Forwarders often also ask for a signature or stamp and the HS code per item. That is not a legal requirement, and the report says so.
What if the invoice and the packing list do not match?
Then the report shows what differs, with the place on both documents. For example the quantity of a product, the HS code per line, the number of packages or the gross weight. For the weight a small difference does not count. Each difference comes with the correction your supplier must make, and it is also in the message to your supplier.
My shipment is held by customs, what now?
Then ask your forwarder or customs why. Import8 cannot release a shipment. What you can do is have the documents of the shipment checked. Then you see what is missing or wrong, and what to ask your supplier to change.
Which files can I upload?
PDF, JPG, PNG, XLSX and XLS, separately or together in a zip. At most 20 MB per file and 20 files per shipment.
How does Import8 know which documents I need?
Every shipment needs a commercial invoice, a packing list and a transport document. Which transport document depends on the mode of transport. Depending on the Incoterm a freight invoice or insurance certificate is needed too. Import8 also looks at the HS codes on the invoice: they decide which product rules apply and which documents go with them. What is not certain is listed in the report as "possibly needed or recommended", so you can check it per product.
Is the report a customs decision?
No. The report helps you prepare the declaration. It is not a decision or binding assessment by customs, and as the importer you remain responsible for your declaration.
You get 5 free credits, no credit card needed.
