Sending a parcel abroad from the UK isn’t the hard part. The paperwork is, if you’ve never handled international shipping before. Get a commodity code wrong, misvalue a shipment, or forget a customs form, and your goods can sit at a border for days while someone works out what to do with them. Here’s what you actually need to know before anything leaves the country.
Why More UK Businesses Are Shipping Overseas
The demand is real. UK goods exports came to £384.6 billion in 2025, according to the Department for Business and Trade’s trade and investment statistics. The United States remains the UK’s single biggest export market, taking 21.8% of everything the UK sells abroad, with Germany, Ireland, and the Netherlands close behind.
That’s a lot of businesses like yours fulfilling orders overseas. Maybe you’re shipping to a client abroad, returning a faulty part to a supplier, or sending samples to test a new market. Whatever the reason, a dedicated international courier gets your goods moving without you needing a full freight setup behind you.
Domestic and international delivery run on different rules, though. Learn them now and you’ll avoid the costly delays that catch out first-timers.
Get Your EORI Number Sorted First
You can’t make a customs declaration or move goods out of the UK without an EORI (Economic Operators Registration and Identification) number. HMRC confirms it’s mandatory for any business exporting from Great Britain, and the full details are on gov.uk/eori.
Applying costs nothing and usually takes a few working days. Numbers issued in the UK start with GB. Trading between Northern Ireland and the EU? You may need an XI-prefixed number too.
No EORI number means no customs declaration, and no customs declaration means your shipment isn’t going anywhere. Get yours sorted well before your first international booking, not the morning you need it.
The Paperwork Every International Shipment Needs
Documentation catches out more first-time shippers than anything else. Miss a detail and the shipment stalls at the border. Nail it and your goods keep moving.
Commercial invoice: the document customs actually clears goods against. It needs a full description of what’s inside, its declared value, country of origin, quantity, and the HS (Harmonised System) commodity code. A wrong value here is one of the most common reasons a shipment gets held.
Packing list: a full breakdown of what’s in every box or pallet, including weights and dimensions.
Customs declaration: submitted through the Customs Declaration Service (CDS). Your courier or freight handler will usually prepare this, but you’re still responsible for the accuracy of what you give them.
Sending something by post? Parcels valued at £270 or under need a CN22 form; anything over that needs a CN23. Ask your courier to confirm which one applies to your shipment.
What International Shipping Actually Costs You
Plenty of businesses get a shock the first time they see the final bill. The number the courier quotes upfront is usually just the freight charge, not the whole story.
Your real cost typically stacks up freight, fuel or remote-area surcharges, export handling fees, import duties and taxes at the other end, and insurance if you want your goods covered in transit. What you pay in duty depends on the commodity code, the declared value, and the destination country’s own rates. The EU, for what it’s worth, charges import VAT on all commercial goods no matter how small the value.
A courier worth using will walk you through the likely landed cost before you confirm anything. Flextro’s international shipping service runs dedicated vehicles for urgent or high-value shipments, with pricing you can see before you book.
Commodity Codes: Worth Getting Right First Time
Every product crossing a border needs a commodity code, sometimes called an HS code. It’s what sets the import duty rate at the other end. Get it wrong and you’re looking at incorrect duty charges, customs queries, or your goods pulled aside for inspection.
The Trade Tariff tool on gov.uk lets you look up the right code for whatever you’re shipping. Not sure which one applies? Your courier or a customs broker can help you classify it correctly. Once you’ve worked it out for a product you ship regularly, that code stays the same every time, so it’s a one-off job.
What Causes International Shipments to Get Held Up
Even a well-packed, fully booked shipment can still run into delays. A handful of causes come up again and again.
Bad or incomplete paperwork tops the list. A missing signature, the wrong declared value, or a vague goods description can stop a shipment dead at either end. Check every field before your goods leave the building.
Weak packaging is next. International parcels change hands more often and travel further than anything going across the UK, so a standard domestic box often won’t cut it. Export-grade packaging with proper internal cushioning costs a little more, but it’s cheaper than a damage claim.
Getting your Incoterms wrong causes trouble at both ends of the journey. Incoterms decide who pays what and who carries the risk at each stage, so picking the wrong one lands someone with charges they didn’t expect, with neither side agreeing who’s meant to cover them.
And commodity codes again: get one wrong and you’re either paying the wrong duty or waiting while customs pulls the shipment for a manual check.
Picking the Right Courier for International Work
Not every courier handles international work the same way. Shared freight networks pass your goods through several depots and handling points before they arrive. A dedicated vehicle service moves your shipment in one vehicle from collection to destination, with none of the waiting or extra handling in between.
For anything time-sensitive or high-value, the same-day courier’s dedicated vehicle model cuts that handling risk right out. Your goods travel alone, never consolidated with someone else’s cargo.
When you’re comparing couriers, ask whether they handle the customs paperwork or leave that entirely on you. Ask whether tracking follows the whole international journey or drops off once your goods leave the UK. Find out if they’ll talk you through duties and landed costs before you book, and whether they offer business account rates if you’re shipping internationally on a regular basis.
A courier that also handles urgent document delivery alongside freight can get export paperwork moving at short notice, which matters when a deadline’s closing in.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need an EORI number to ship goods abroad from the UK?
Yes. Any UK business making a customs export declaration needs one. Apply for free at gov.uk/eori. UK numbers start with the letters GB, and without one, your goods can’t clear UK customs.
What documents do I need to send a business parcel abroad?
A commercial invoice, a packing list, and a customs declaration through the Customs Declaration Service. The invoice needs to state the goods description, HS commodity code, declared value, country of origin, and full recipient details. Sending by post? You’ll also need a CN22 (under £270) or CN23 (over £270).
How do import duties work when I send goods to the EU?
Goods entering the EU from the UK attract import VAT and, depending on the product, customs duty too. What you pay depends on the commodity code and declared value, and rates vary by product and destination. Ask your courier or a customs broker to work out the expected duty before you send anything.
What’s the difference between DDP and DAP shipping terms?
DDP (Delivered Duty Paid) means you, the sender, cover every cost including import duties at the other end. DAP (Delivered At Place) means your recipient pays the import duties when the goods arrive. Which one you use depends on your arrangement with the buyer, and picking the wrong one leaves someone facing a bill they didn’t plan for.
How long does international courier delivery take from the UK?
It depends on the destination and the service you book. European destinations typically arrive in one to three working days with an express service, while the US can take three to five. Customs clearance adds time on top of that if your paperwork isn’t complete.
Can a courier handle my customs clearance for me?
Many couriers, particularly for business account holders, include customs documentation support as part of their international service. They’ll prepare the export declaration using whatever information you give them, but you’re still responsible for making sure that information is accurate.
Ready to Send Something Abroad?
International shipping from the UK is far more manageable once you know what’s actually required. Get your EORI number sorted before you need it, prepare your paperwork properly, use the right commodity codes, and pick a courier that’s upfront about what things cost.
Whatever you’re sending, Flextro collects anywhere in the UK within 60 minutes and keeps your shipment on a single dedicated vehicle for a direct, tracked route abroad. Shipping a pallet overseas? That’s covered as well. Get a quote to see what your shipment would cost.
Hardware shipments have their own requirements — see technology and IT courier services.
Written by
Fabian Oliver — Content Writer, Flextro
Fabian is a content writer at Flextro, a UK-based dedicated courier and same-day delivery company. He writes clear, practical guidance on courier services, logistics, and delivery for UK businesses — from same-day and emergency deliveries to pallet freight, eCommerce fulfilment, and contract runs. Drawing on the expertise of the wider Flextro team, Fabian helps business owners make smarter, safer decisions about moving their goods, without the jargon.
