Customs clearance

Customs clearance: the set of steps after which goods lawfully cross the border. The EAEU Customs Code calls them customs operations. The goods are placed under the chosen customs procedure, the charges are paid and release is obtained.

How clearance works

1. The declarant or a customs representative prepares the goods declaration.
2. Customs registers the declaration and checks the information: the product code, the value, the country of origin, permits.
3. Duties, taxes and fees are paid.
4. The goods are released and can be used under the rules of the procedure.

Clearance is handled by the foreign trade participant itself or by a customs representative listed in the Federal Customs Service register.

Which documents are needed

Usually these are the contract and specification, the invoice, the packing list, transport documents (for example, a bill of lading), documents on origin and conformity, and payment documents if the goods have already been paid for.

Where it connects to the payment

The goods declaration is one of the key documents for currency control on imports. The bank checks it against the payments under the contract. The price, the currency, and the contract and invoice numbers must match in the declaration and in the payment. If an agent paid the supplier, the set must include the payment confirmation and the agent’s report and completion certificate: they explain why another company acted as the payer.

What to watch for

• The invoice for customs and the invoice for payment must be one document, not two versions.
• Reflect partial payments and discounts in the documents before declaring.

We are not a customs representative. Our part covers the payment to the supplier: selecting the agent and the route, the document set, and following the payment through to execution. The list of documents is on the Documents page.