Simply print out accompanying documents for your shipments

Module extension for your forms and movement certificates

All forms in one overview

Time savings and a smooth process when creating and completing the form

Extensive data basis

Accurate form printing for the templates from Formularverlag Niemaier

How much does FORMS cost?

*In addition to the annual costs, there are one-off costs for set-up and training. There are no demand-based costs with FORMS.

FORMS product description

Background information on the topic of accompanying documents

What are accompanying documents? ?

Accompanying documents are documents that accompany a consignment of goods and contain information on the goods, origin, country of destination and legal status. In customs and preferential law, these include movement certificates such as EUR.1 or A.TR, certificates of origin, commercial invoices, packing lists and customs documents. They enable transparent communication between exporters, logistics service providers, recipients and customs authorities and are indispensable for the legally compliant movement of goods.

What do you need accompanying documents for?

Accompanying documents …

• … are proof of the origin of the goods (and therefore important for claiming customs concessions under trade agreements).
• … are sometimes required for export controls.
• … may be necessary in the context of letters of credit or export credit insurance.

Who needs accompanying documents?

Above all exporters, importers and freight forwarders involved in international shipments of goods (especially when exports are made to countries with EU free trade agreements).

What accompanying documents are there?

1) Non-formal preference documents

These documents prove the origin of goods that can be given preferential treatment under a specific free trade agreement – e.g. they can be imported at a reduced rate of duty. However, they do not require official confirmation and may be issued by the exporter himself. The respective formulation depends on the importing country.

Non-formal preference certificates include, for example

• Declaration of origin on the invoice: Proof of preference if the value of the shipment is less than EUR 6,000
• Declaration of origin by an approved exporterApproved exporter: also permitted above EUR 6,000 if an authorization is available

2) Formal proof of preference

This type of accompanying document must be completed so that the final certificate for the favorable customs rate is issued when the goods are moved through customs. This is because some consignments require certain documents as proof of preferential origin. There are various types of such movement certificates (WVB), including, for example

• Movement certificate EUR.1: EUR.1 can be obtained from the responsible customs office (application by form). This movement certificate must be used as soon as the value of the consignment exceeds EUR 6,000.
• Movement certificate A.TR: These are certificates that suppliers require in part for the movement of goods with Turkey (for non-ECSC goods and non-agricultural products).
• Movement certificate EUR-MED: These are certificates for the preferential movement of goods under customs law in the Pan-Euro-Mediterranean cumulation zone (Pan-Euro-Med zone).

3) Non-preferential proofs of origin

These documents are not used to reduce customs duties, but as proof of origin for trade policy purposes.
Example:

• Certificate of origin: Confirmation of non-preferential origin, issued by the Chamber of Industry and Commerce

4) Trade and transport documents

They accompany almost every shipment and form the basis for customs clearance and logistics.

• Commercial invoice: Central basis for customs value and clearance
• Packing list: Overview of contents, weights and packaging
• Freight documents (e.g. CMR, Bill of Lading): Proof of transportation

5) Customs documents and supplementary evidence

These documents are created as part of customs clearance or serve as internal security.

• Export declaration (AES): Customs document for declaring goods for export from the EU, basis for issuing WVBs
• Import customs documents
• Supplier declarations: Basis for the determination of origin and preference calculation

Example: Create movement certificate EUR.1 with FORMS – simply explained

The movement certificate EUR.1 is one of the most important documents in preferential law. A structured and software-supported process is particularly worthwhile for regular exports.

What is EUR.1?

EUR.1 is a formal preference certificate that confirms the preferential origin of a product. It enables the importer to reduce or completely eliminate customs duties in the country of destination on the basis of EU free trade agreements.

Who needs EUR.1 and for what?

An EUR.1 is required if goods with a value of over 6,000 euros are exported to a country with an EU preferential agreement. This is because trade agreements between EU states and other countries make duty-free or low-duty goods traffic possible. However, in order to benefit from a free trade agreement or tariff preference during customs clearance, suppliers must prove the preferential origin of their goods – with a so-called preference certificate, such as EUR.1.

How does the EUR.1 process work without software?

Without software, the creation of EUR.1 is mainly organized manually and is very time-consuming. Various documents are initially required to obtain EUR.1. These must prove the origin of the goods, which is to be treated preferentially according to the applicable agreements.

In addition, the supplier must complete the corresponding EUR.1 form. A lot of information is required here, including

• Address of the exporter
• Country of destination
• Address of the consignee
• Type of transportation of the goods
• Country of origin (note exceptions EEA, cumulations, etc.)
• Description of the goods and the corresponding number for each item
• Gross mass
• MRN (Movement Reference Number)
• etc.

Last but not least, the supplier must provide information in the EUR.1 form that serves to determine the origin of the goods. In the case of a product manufactured in-house, for example, the supplier must describe how the goods were processed in order to explain their origin in more detail. In this context, it may be necessary, for example, to explain the input materials or indicate part of the tariff number.

This example shows: Completing the forms for issuing movement certificates is usually very time-consuming. However, anyone who wants to prove the preferential origin of their goods in order to claim EU agreements for customs clearance often has to go through this declaration of origin process. This is very time-consuming and therefore costly for suppliers who ship goods to other countries.

How do I create EUR.1 with the BEX software?

Digital software such as FORMS is the ideal solution for complex processes relating to the creation of accompanying documents such as EUR.1. With FORMS, you can complete the relevant documents with just a few clicks: Relevant data is automatically transferred from the system and processes are automated. This makes applying for a movement certificate very easy!