Make the first document check count
This is a practical intake checklist for commercial imports into Great Britain, not a statement that every document is required for every procedure. Requirements depend on the goods, route and customs treatment. Send original supporting documents and explain anything missing.
1. Importer and commercial information
Provide the importer’s legal name, address and GB EORI, plus VAT details where relevant. Include the commercial invoice or other evidence of the transaction: supplier, customer, invoice reference and date, currency, values and clear goods descriptions. Explain the delivery terms and any relevant freight or insurance charges. Do not invent an invoice number or value to fill a blank.
2. Goods and packing information
Include a packing list where available, package counts and types, gross and net weights, quantities and the relationship between invoice lines and packages. Avoid counting shared packaging twice. For classification questions, supply the product’s material, function and model or reference where relevant. Include supporting origin evidence and any required licences or certificates.
Shared cartons and extra goods: an example
Illustrative example, not a customer case: two invoice lines are packed together in one carton, while a delivery note also lists an item absent from the invoice. Counting one carton against both lines would duplicate the packaging. Ignoring the extra item would leave the documents inconsistent.
The useful next step is a source-backed package breakdown and confirmation of the extra item’s commercial and customs documents. We do not invent a second carton, a value for the extra item, or a replacement invoice to make the totals pass.
3. Transport and route
Provide the CMR or other transport document, actual document reference, vehicle and trailer details where applicable, route, operator and planned arrival. Explain which party will handle the import declaration, ENS and GMR. If another broker is clearing the goods, make that clear before requesting ENS-only work.
4. Check the documents against each other
Compare party names, invoice references, goods, package totals and weights. Highlight extra goods on delivery notes, missing invoice pages, conflicting totals or a changed vehicle. Ask the supplier or carrier to clarify facts they own instead of silently changing documents to make them fit.
Is an old declaration enough?
Send the original commercial invoice and packing information where available, along with the CMR and relevant declaration. A previous declaration is useful cross-checking evidence, not a substitute for confirming what is actually being shipped now. Explain revised quantities, shared packaging or changed goods rather than assuming an old code, weight or value still applies.
Send one clear request
Email info@dubee.agency with the documents and a short summary of what you need. Include unresolved questions in the message rather than leaving them hidden in attachments. Do not send payment-card details or bank credentials.
For the service, see our guide. For ENS-only requests, see our guide. HMRC’s importer checklist is at Read the official guidance → and its agent information guide is at Read the official guidance →