Customs requirements for sending off-island
Driven by Universal Postal Union (UPU) regulatory changes, anyone sending parcels overseas must provide electronic pre-advice customs information. This includes information on the sender, the recipient, and the details of the contents within the parcel.
In the past, when sending items to the UK or International destinations, you would have completed customs declarations on a handwritten CN22 or CN23 form. However, authorities around the globe now require more information electronically and in advance of items arriving at their destination if they contain goods.
To save you time, the required customs information can be submitted online, from the comfort of your own home, when you purchase postage labels online. The postage label you create online will include the required customs information.
From 1 April 2022, handwritten CN22 and CN23 forms are no longer accepted when sending overseas.
Electronic Advance Data (EAD) is now required electronically and in advance of the goods arriving at their destinations. This is to enable speedy customs clearance, enhance global security and improve delivery processes. Please note this is not required for sending letters or document items or sending locally.
What happens if you don’t comply?
It’s really important to complete this information online before sending any items. Without the correct customs information, your items could be held in Customs at the destination country and will be delayed, returned or even destroyed. In some countries, the postal authority will even charge the recipient a handling or admin fee, if queries are raised as a result of incomplete customs information.
Returning an item?
Retailers should be supplying customers with return labels that are EAD compliant. However, if you have an item to return and you haven’t been supplied with an EAD return label, you can continue to use the handwritten CN22 and CN23 labels for return packages for the time being. Please ask at any post office counter for these labels.
Create, buy and print
your postage labels
online.
Recipient Details
To ensure a smooth customs clearance process, please remember to include the recipient contact details in case of any customs queries on arrival.
Option 1: Online
The simplest and most convenient way for you to provide the required customs information is through Jersey Post’s online postage portal. By going online, you can save time and skip the post office queues by creating and printing postage labels that meet the new requirements. By buying your postage online, you benefit from a 2% discount.
No printer? No problem.
We have printing machines at all our post offices, which means you can still use our online postage portal to create your postage labels. Visit any post office and show one of our counter staff the label and barcode number. They will then print the label instore for you to affix to your parcel.
Option 2: At our Post Offices
If you are unable to use the online postage portal, you can visit any island-wide post office, bringing with you the required information when sending items overseas.
In store, one of our counter staff will complete the form on your behalf, all you have to do is address your parcel as usual and supply the description, quantity, value and weight of each item within the parcel.
Selling of goods
If you are posting an item you have sold, you will need to state that the item contains the ‘sale of goods’ and include the HS commodity code. Further information on this can be found here. Please note that receiving customs authorities may reject and return items if you declare the ‘sale of goods’ and don’t include the HS commodity code in the pre-advice customs information.
The information that is currently captured on CN22 and CN23 custom forms now needs to be presented in advance, between the originating postal networks and the destination countries. Additionally, some fields that are currently optional on these forms will become mandatory, and the most considerable change is that for each item within the parcel, you will now need to list the individual:
- Description
- Weight
- Quantity
- Value
We have adapted our combined postage customs label to capture this information and to include a Universal Postal Union (UPU) compliant S10 barcode that ensures each item can be linked, via the barcode, to the electronic pre-advice information.
There are benefits to providing complete and accurate electronic customs data as there will be less delays in customs, resulting in faster and more successful deliveries and fewer customer complaints. Providing complete and accurate electronic customs data will allow you to be ready for and comply with emerging and future legislative changes and individual country requirements.
• To avoid delays in customs and/or penalty charges
• To enable an easier and slicker customs clearance and import process for recipients, resulting in faster and more successful deliveries as a result
Electronic customs data is required to ensure that existing, emerging and future legislative, security and customs requirements in overseas destinations are met. Some countries are applying penalties, delaying or returning items in the absence of the required data and we want to help you avoid this.
EAD for Business
Jersey Post Business customers should visit the dedicated EAD Business page.
Electronic Advance Data (EAD)
Online Postage
Sign up for a Jersey Post free account to create and print postage labels at home or work.
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Customs Information
If you’re sending Parcels containing goods or merchandise to anywhere outside of Jersey, a customs form is required.
View the Forms