Before any international shipment leaves India, verify ten items: a valid IEC code, AD code endorsement at your shipping port, a complete commercial invoice with HS codes, accurate declared value, correct packaging for the destination, prohibited-item check, destination customs threshold (de minimis), insurance above ₹15,000, recipient phone and EORI/Tax ID where needed, and pickup-cutoff timing. Missing any one is the most common cause of customs holds and delivery delays.
How to use this international shipping checklist
Run this list 48 hours before pickup, not the morning of. That window is the difference between a clean dispatch and a customs hold. Sit down with the commercial invoice, the parcel, and the recipient’s confirmation email open in front of you. Verify each of the ten items against the physical shipment — not against memory or against a previous booking.
Things to consider before shipping internationally cluster into three buckets: paperwork (items 1-5), parcel readiness (items 6-7), and destination compliance (items 8-10). Skip-checks early in the list cascade — an HS code error at item #4 also breaks the duty estimate at item #8. Mumbai-based exporters running 5-10 shipments a week tell us the same thing: a pre-flight checklist catches more mistakes than any single tool. See courier service in Mumbai for port-side pickup workflows.
For deeper background on the broader process, see the International Shipping from India: Complete Guide.
The 10-point pre-shipment verification list
1. IEC code on file
Your Importer Exporter Code is mandatory for any commercial international shipment from India. It is a 10-digit code issued free by DGFT against your PAN, tied to your business name and bank account. If you don’t have one, apply on the DGFT portal{target="_blank" rel=“noopener nofollow”} — issuance is usually 1-2 working days. Personal gift shipments under specific value thresholds may not need IEC, but every courier will ask for it on commercial bookings. Verify the code is active (not suspended) and matches the GSTIN on your invoice.
2. AD code endorsed at your port
The Authorised Dealer (AD) code links your IEC to the specific port from which you ship — Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai, Bengaluru, or others. Without an endorsed AD code at the shipping port, ICEGATE will block your shipping bill. Get it endorsed once per port via your bank; endorsement takes 1-2 days. If you usually ship through Mumbai and a one-off shipment goes through Bengaluru, you need a second endorsement.
3. Commercial invoice fields complete
The commercial invoice is the single most-checked document at every step. Required fields: shipper name and address, consignee name and full address with phone, invoice number, invoice date, description of each line item (specific, not generic), HS code per line, country of origin, quantity, unit value, total value, currency, Incoterms (DDU/DDP), and weight. Vague descriptions like “gift” or “merchandise” trigger holds. Use “100% cotton women’s t-shirt, blue, size M” — not “garment”. See customs documentation made simple for the full field list.
4. HS codes verified on ICEGATE
Each line item on the invoice needs an 8-digit HS code (Indian Trade Classification). The HS code determines export eligibility, duty rate at destination, and any restricted-list flags. Look up codes at the ICEGATE customs tariff{target="_blank" rel=“noopener nofollow”} portal. Don’t copy HS codes from a previous shipment without re-verifying — codes change with product variants. A wrong HS code can move your item from 0% duty to 25% duty at destination, or worse, into a restricted category.
5. Declared value matches market value
Declared value must reflect what you actually charged the buyer (or fair market value for samples/gifts). Under-declaring is fraud; customs reconcile against destination market prices and will reassess upward, plus levy penalties on the recipient. Over-declaring inflates duty unnecessarily. For samples sent free, declare a nominal value with “Sample — no commercial value” annotation; some destinations still assess duty on samples above a threshold. Keep proof of pricing (purchase order, invoice copy, or marketplace listing) ready.
6. Packaging meets destination spec
Outer carton must be double-walled corrugated, sized to within 2-3 inches of the contents (excessive empty space invites crush damage). Pallets going to Australia, EU, or USA need ISPM 15 heat-treatment stamp on all wood. Lithium-battery shipments need IATA Class 9 labels and UN38.3 test summary. Mark the outermost carton with shipper, consignee, AWB, and any handling marks (Fragile, This Way Up). Remove old labels from reused boxes — scanners read both and misroute.
7. Prohibited / restricted items check
Some items are prohibited outright by every courier (currency notes, narcotics, ivory, live animals). Others are restricted — allowed with a permit, hazard label, or quantity limit (perfumes, lithium batteries, alcohol, herbal/AYUSH products). Run your contents against the prohibited items international shipping guide before booking. Hidden prohibited items lead to seizure, sender penalty, and IEC suspension on repeat offence. When unsure, declare and ask the carrier — never hide.
8. Destination de minimis and duty estimate
Each destination has a de minimis threshold below which no duty is charged: USD 800 USA, GBP 135 UK, EUR 150 EU (duty) / EUR 22 (VAT), AUD 1,000 Australia, AED 1,000 UAE, CAD 20 Canada. Calculate your shipment’s customs value (item + freight + insurance) against the threshold. If above, estimate landed duty + VAT using the destination’s tariff portal so the recipient is not surprised. See de minimis values for international shipping for the full breakdown.
9. Insurance for shipments above ₹15,000
Carrier liability defaults cap at ₹100-₹300 per kg regardless of declared value. A ₹50,000 laptop gets ₹600 back without insurance. Buy declared-value insurance at 1-3% of value for anything fragile, one-of-a-kind, or above ₹15,000. Most aggregators add it as a checkbox at booking. Keep the insurance certificate with the shipping documents — claims require both the certificate and the AWB.
10. Recipient phone, postal code, and EORI/EIN
Last-mile delivery fails most often on incomplete consignee data. Verify a working recipient phone (in destination format, with country code) and the exact postal/ZIP code. Some destinations require additional IDs on the invoice: EORI number for EU commercial imports, EIN/SSN for some USA shipments above duty threshold, CPF for Brazil, RFC for Mexico, VAT number for UK B2B. See country-specific shipping requirements for the destination-add-on checklist.
Common mistakes when running the checklist
The most frequent failure is treating the checklist as a one-pass exercise. Items 1-5 (paperwork) sometimes pass on first look but fail when cross-checked — invoice value and AWB declared value differ, HS code on invoice and HS code in the customs broker’s filing differ, declared weight and physical weight differ. Customs reconcile across all three. Always cross-verify the same fields on three documents: invoice, AWB, and shipping bill.
The second failure is missing the cutoff window. Pickup cutoffs are usually 4 PM local time for next-day departure; later bookings ship the next day. If a shipment must clear destination customs by a specific date (auction, exhibition, embassy event), build a 2-3 day buffer. Run the 7 common international shipping mistakes to avoid against your booking to catch the obvious ones — see 7 Common International Shipping Mistakes to Avoid.
Special add-ons by destination (USA EIN, EU EORI, UAE attestation)
Some destinations have extras that override the universal 10-point list:
| Destination | Add-on | When required |
|---|---|---|
| USA | EIN/SSN on invoice | Commercial shipments above USD 800 |
| EU | EORI number for importer | All B2B commercial imports |
| UK | EORI + VAT number | B2B commercial above GBP 135 |
| UAE | Attestation of commercial invoice | High-value commercial; varies by emirate |
| Brazil | CPF (recipient tax ID) | All commercial shipments |
| Mexico | RFC | All commercial shipments |
| Australia | Quarantine declaration | Wood, plant, animal products |
| Saudi Arabia | SASO conformity | Electronics, appliances, food |
Confirm the add-on requirement with the recipient before booking — they need to supply the relevant ID. Booking without it leads to a hold at destination customs even when the Indian side is clean.
When to escalate to a freight forwarder vs courier
Couriers (DHL, FedEx, Aramex, India Post) handle parcels up to 30-70 kg per piece with built-in customs clearance. They are the default for documents, samples, and e-commerce parcels. Above that — full pallets, heavy machinery, full-container exports, dangerous goods classes other than Class 9 lithium — a freight forwarder is the right partner. Freight forwarders handle larger consignments, sea/air booking with multiple carriers, complex customs filings, and trade finance documentation. The pre-shipment checklist still applies; only the booking channel changes.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the most important thing to check before shipping internationally from India?
The commercial invoice. Customs uses it to verify contents, value, origin, and HS code. A single inconsistency — vague description, mismatched weight, wrong HS code, or under-declared value — can hold the parcel 3-7 days. Run the 10-point checklist with the invoice open in front of you; verify each line item matches the physical parcel.
How long before pickup should I run the international shipping checklist?
Ideally 48 hours before pickup. That gives time to fix anything missing — getting the AD code endorsed at your port (1-2 days), arranging insurance (same day), buying compliant packaging (same day), or correcting an HS code. Last-minute checklist runs catch mistakes too late; the parcel still ships on time but with errors that surface at customs.
Do I need to declare every item separately on a multi-item shipment?
Yes. List each line item on the commercial invoice with its own description, HS code, quantity, unit value, and total. Combining unrelated items under a single description (“merchandise” or “gifts”) triggers customs holds. If you ship a single SKU in bulk (e.g., 50 cotton t-shirts), one line is fine — list the SKU, total quantity, unit value, and total.
When should I add insurance to an international shipment?
Add insurance whenever the declared value exceeds ₹15,000, the item is fragile or one-of-a-kind, or the destination has a history of theft or rough handling. Insurance costs 1-3% of declared value. Without it, carrier liability caps payouts at ₹100-₹300/kg regardless of value — a ₹50,000 item gets ₹600 back.
What’s the difference between a de minimis threshold and a duty-free threshold?
De minimis is the customs value below which the destination country doesn’t charge duty or tax — USD 800 USA, GBP 135 UK, AUD 1,000 Australia. Duty-free thresholds are separate gift-or-personal allowances at airports (cabin baggage). Always plan against de minimis on commercial shipments; the duty-free passenger limit doesn’t apply.
Conclusion
International shipments fail at the same five or six points — incomplete invoice, wrong HS code, missing AD endorsement, no insurance on high-value, missing destination add-on. The 10-point checklist exists so you catch them at home, not at customs. Run it 48 hours before pickup, with the invoice and parcel in front of you. To compare carrier quotes and route options before you ship, get an international courier quote.