The document pack that travels with your container

A container clears customs on its paperwork. This page sets out the standard document pack for an FMCG shipment out of Dubai, who issues each document, and which ones are commonly the cause of a delay.

The standard pack

Commercial invoice. Issued by us. States the products, HS codes, quantities, unit and extended prices, incoterm and named place, currency, and both parties' full details. The HS code on the invoice is what the destination customs authority will assess duty against, so it must be right. An incorrect code is a misdeclaration.

Packing list. Issued by us. Cartons, pallets, net and gross weights, cubic volume, container and seal numbers. Must reconcile exactly with the invoice and the bill of lading. Discrepancies between these three documents are the single most common cause of a container being held.

Bill of lading. Issued by the carrier or their agent. The document of title: whoever holds the original controls the products. Under a letter of credit the terms of the credit dictate exactly how it must be made out, and a bill that does not match the credit will be refused by the bank even if the products are perfect.

Certificate of origin. Issued by the Dubai Chamber of Commerce on our application. States where the products were produced, which is what determines the duty rate and any preferential treatment. For re-exported products the country of origin is the country of production, not the UAE. Buyers frequently get this wrong when estimating duty.

Certificate of analysis. Issued by us or the producing plant, per lot. The technical specification of what was actually shipped.

Health certificate. Issued by the competent UAE authority for food products. Required by most destination markets for food and dairy.

Phytosanitary certificate. Issued by the competent UAE authority for plant-origin products: rice, pulses, tea, spices. Certifies freedom from pests and, where required, that fumigation has been carried out.

Halal certificate. Issued by an approved certifying body, where the product and destination require it.

Conformity certificate. Issued by the appointed inspection body under the destination's pre-shipment regime: PVoC, SONCAP, SABER, COSQC. Arranged before loading.

Insurance certificate. Issued by the insurer, where the incoterm is CIF or CIP and we are therefore responsible for arranging cover.

Documents specific to re-export from Dubai

Where products are imported into the UAE mainland and then re-exported, two additional items apply.

Customs declaration. The import declaration under which the products entered.

Exit certificate. Evidence that the products physically left the country. This matters commercially: products imported to the mainland for re-export attract a duty deposit at import, and that deposit is refunded only when exit is evidenced within the permitted period. Missing the window forfeits the deposit.

Where delays actually come from

In order of frequency:

1. Documents that do not reconcile. Invoice, packing list and bill of lading must agree on quantities, weights and marks. They are prepared at different times by different parties, which is exactly why they drift.
2. Certificate of origin naming the wrong country. For re-exported products, origin is the country of production.
3. Conformity inspection not arranged before loading. Cannot be fixed afterwards.
4. Consignee details not matching the import licence. The name on the bill of lading must match the licensed importer exactly.
5. Letter of credit terms nobody read until presentation. Check the credit against what can actually be produced, at the point it is issued. Once documents are presented it is too late to change anything.

What we will send you before shipment

Draft copies of the invoice, packing list and draft bill of lading for your approval before originals are issued. Check them against your import licence and, if applicable, against your letter of credit. Corrections at draft stage cost nothing; corrections after originals are issued cost time and amendment fees.