You’ve been spending weeks improving your ecommerce, expanding your catalogue, adjusting pricing, and finally you’ve activated international shipping. You launch with a new order coming from the United Kingdom—great sign! But just when everything seems to be running smoothly, the dreaded email arrives: “Shipment held at customs due to incomplete documentation”.
These kinds of setbacks can delay your deliveries and also impact the customer experience. That’s why, if you are taking the step to sell outside the EU, understanding how customs clearance works is essential to ensure your orders arrive on time and without surprises. Customs clearance is not only about paying taxes, but about the full set of procedures and controls required for imported or exported goods.
Essential registrations for exporting from Spain
Before shipping outside the EU, you will need to complete two basic procedures:
- EORI number: identifies you as an economic operator. It is only mandatory for shipments to non-EU countries.
- Customs clearance authorization: allows GLS Spain or its agent to act on your behalf to manage customs procedures. This step is essential so the logistics operator can start the export process and ship without delays.
Other aspects to consider before shipping to third countries
In addition to the documents mentioned above, you should also take into account:
- Correct selection of Incoterms (International Commercial Terms): these are a set of rules that define who pays for what (transport, duties, taxes, etc.), in other words, the responsibilities of the seller and buyer in international shipments. For example, DDP means that you as the sender assume all costs.
- Assigning the correct HS (Harmonized System) code for your products: in international trade, every product must have a correct HS code to avoid penalties or errors in tax calculation. This code consists of six internationally standardized digits that classify goods based on their nature, product type, or function.
- Cost optimization through shipment consolidation: if you ship frequently, grouping shipments can optimize costs and procedures. This is known as cargo consolidation, a logistics process that groups multiple individual shipments into a single consignment for customs clearance.
What if I only sell within the European Union?
Then you have good news: you do not need customs clearance or an EORI number. However, this does not mean you are exempt from obligations:
- Intrastat: a mandatory statistical reporting system for certain shipment volumes.
- VAT in destination country: if you exceed certain thresholds in a specific country, you must register under the OSS scheme or comply with local taxation rule.
What can GLS do for your ecommerce?
GLS Spain, as a logistics operator, not only handles delivery but also:
- Manages customs procedures in an agile and digital way.
- Offers international tracking, customs support, and tools to calculate taxes.
- Provides services such as GlobalExpressParcel for urgent international shipments, or GlobalBusinessParcel, combining speed and traceability for shipments outside the EU.
At GLS Spain we have created Start selling globally, a free guide with everything you need to properly manage customs documentation and avoid errors that slow down your shipments. It includes real examples, editable templates, and practical recommendations for your ecommerce. You can download it now from here.