Like with all methods of international shipping, air freight involves a fair amount of documentation. It is crucial to collate the information required for a shipment or you could face delays, unexpected costs, and penalty fees.
But we don’t want you to feel daunted by the forms. It’s certainly not something that should put you off sending goods by air.
The speed of air freight can offer up opportunities in a whole host of sectors. So, here we will explain many of the documents needed for your cargo to have a smooth journey from start to finish.
Documents you must have
Commercial Invoice
The first document needed is the Commercial Invoice, which contains much of the basic information related to the shipment. It is a document that must be produced by shipper.
Primarily it has a breakdown of all the items being shipped. Including key details such as quantity, unit weight, unit value, origin location, number of packages. As part of the information on the cargo, it will also need the commodity/HS code to be filled in. This is the unique number that distinguishes your products from others. For businesses based in the UK, you can visit the governments' website here to find the correct commodity code for your products.
The commercial invoice will also include the financials related to the shipment, shipping costs, insurance costs, other costs and the incoterms being used. Then it will need the sender and receiver details too.
At the very bottom, it is always best to add your EORI number. EORI stands for Economic Operators Registration and Identification number and is used to identify the business involved when exchanging information with customs.
An example commercial invoice is below:
Packing list
The packing list is a document that contains more detailed information about the cargo; such as dimensions, weight, description, contents of each package. Once again the responsibility for this document is with the business sending the goods.
This document just makes the handling of the shipment a much easier process for the people involved and is likely to speed up the process.
It also gives the loaders a much better understanding of the shipment’s contents. This is likely to improve their handling of it, for example taking the upmost care if they know it is a fragile or high-value item.
It’s also wise to include the commercial invoice number on the packing list.
Airway Bill (AWB)
The Airway Bill is another necessity. It’s basically the air freight version of a Bill of Lading. That means it's issued by the air carrier to the shipper to acknowledge the receipt of the goods for carriage.
Once received it should contain all the expected information. Name, address and contact details of the shipper and consignee, the departure airport, destination airport, weight, value and number of pieces in the shipment including any special instructions.
As it is released by the carrier, so it should also contain information about their terms and conditions. Info like their liability for damage and procedure for making claims.
Documents you might need, depending on destination and cargo
Certificate of Origin (CO)
Think of the Certificate of Origin as the passport of your products, showing their nationality. COs demonstrate the cargo in question has been manufactured, produced or processed in a particular country.
It is common for a Certificate of Origin to be required in the Customs process to ensure the goods are eligible to enter the destination country.
Furthermore, it helps if there is a trade agreement in place between the two countries. Often to qualify for favourable rates brought by a trade deal, proof of origin is required. A CO is that proof.
There are other ways to prove the origin of goods, and we have written a separate article outlining the easiest ways to prove origin here.
Declaration for Dangerous Goods
To ship certain goods which are considered dangerous, an additional declaration needs to be made.
This document certifies that the cargo has been packed and labelled in accordance with the Dangerous Goods Regulations (DGRs). It also confirms that the shipper has the necessary licence for the transport.
For more information on the processes involved with shipping dangerous goods, see our special article here.
MSDS
Unfortunately that might not be the end of the documentation you require when it comes to shipping dangerous goods. A Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) is also required if hazardous chemicals are involved in the transportation.
This is a document which provides extensive details on the hazardous nature of the product, including information for how it should be handled.
One of the primary functions of this document is to help keep the loaders safe. So it is vitally important you get it right!
For more detailed information relating to a MSDS, the University of Regina has produced an article here.
And more
This article has only covered the most common documents for air freight shipping. There are plenty of other documents which might be needed, including but not limited to:
- Receipts of handling
- Insurance documents
- Single Administrative Form (SAD), also called a C88 in the UK
- Letter of indemnity
International air freight is a complicated process, but done correctly it can open up unforeseen opportunities for your business. At WTA we are experts in handling air freight. Managing the transit of goods to meet deadlines and strict budgetary requirements. Get in touch today to find out more.
