Sending a parcel abroad from Nigeria: the paperwork, step by step

A parcel going to London, Houston or Accra crosses at least two borders, and each one wants to know what is inside. Most delays at customs are not about what was sent. They are about how it was described. Here is what to prepare, in the order you will need it.

1. Know what you are sending, item by item

Customs does not read "clothes" or "gift". It reads each item separately. For every different thing in the box, write down:

• What it is, in plain words: "women's cotton dress", not "fabric item".
• How many there are.
• What each one is worth, and in which currency.
• How much it weighs.
• Where it was made: Nigeria, or wherever the item came from.

If you sell four Ankara dresses and two jars of shea butter, that is two lines, not one.

2. Find the customs code

Every kind of goods has a code that customs officers use around the world, called an HS code. You do not need to learn them. In EviPostal you describe the item in plain words and pick the right code from a short list, so nobody at the counter has to type a number from memory.

3. Declare the value honestly

Declare what the items are really worth. A value that looks wrong is a common reason for a parcel to be stopped and opened. EviPostal records the declared value in naira and in dollars, so the figure means the same thing at both ends.

You will also be asked why the parcel is going: a sale to a customer, a gift, a sample and so on. Choose the one that is true. It changes how customs treats the parcel.

4. Check what cannot be sent

Every destination country and every carrier keeps a list of goods it will not accept or that need a permit. Food, cosmetics, medicines, batteries and anything that looks like a weapon are the usual ones to check. Look before you pack, not after the carrier has refused the parcel.

5. Compare the carriers for that country

Not every carrier goes everywhere, and prices for the same parcel can differ a lot between services. Enter the destination, the weight and the size of the box and compare what each carrier offers: the price, the estimated delivery time and the service. A large but light box is charged by its size, so pack in the smallest box that protects the goods.

You can see the carriers and their prices for a route on the rate calculator before you commit to anything.

6. Print the label and the commercial invoice

When you book, the carrier issues the label and a commercial invoice: the document that lists every item, its value and its origin for customs. In EviPostal it prints with the label. Put the invoice in the clear pouch on the outside of the box, keep a copy, and stick the label flat on the largest side.

7. Track it to the door

The tracking number covers the whole journey, including the time in customs at the other end. Share it with your customer so they can follow the parcel without calling you. If customs holds the parcel and asks for something more, such as a better description or a payment, the tracking is where it shows first.

Before you hand it over

• Every item listed separately, with its value and where it was made.
• The reason for the shipment chosen honestly.
• The destination's restricted list checked.
• The label flat on the box and the invoice in the pouch.
• The tracking number shared with your customer.

More on how EviPostal handles international parcels is on the sending abroad page.