Declaration header

Under “Declaration header”, provide the basic information, delivery terms, transport information, locations and other necessary information concerning the whole consignment.

Basic information

Provide here the required basic information. Read the detailed guidance below.

Trader reference, additional trader reference and unique consignment reference (UCR)

The trader reference specifies the customs declaration and it is a free-form reference issued by the declarant. The reference can contain no more than 22 characters, and it can consist of numbers, letters or special characters. Under “Additional trader reference”, you can provide some other reference, e.g. the representative’s own reference number.

The field “Unique consignment reference (UCR)” can usually be left blank. Complete the field only if the consignor has issued a UCR (Unique Consignment Reference), which remains the same throughout the supply chain. It can be a WCO (ISO 15459) code or some other similar code. 

Declaration type

The declaration type is filled in automatically based on your earlier choices. 

When goods are imported from outside the EU customs territory, the declaration type is “IM – Import from countries outside Union”. When Union goods are imported from another EU country across the tax border to Åland, the declaration type is “CO – Union goods in the context of trade between parts of the customs territory of the Union”. If the declaration type is incorrect, you’ll have to start lodging the declaration all over again.

7.4.1.3 Additional declaration type

If you are lodging a standard declaration, choose one of the following as the additional declaration type: 

• “A – Standard customs declaration”, if the goods have already arrived in Finland and can be presented to Customs either at the warehouse or at the place of arrival
• “D – Pre-lodged standard customs declaration”, if you are lodging a declaration prior to the presentation of the goods and you know the identifier of the previous document.

If you have lodged a declaration during a service interruption under the fallback procedure using a form or a document and are lodging an electronic declaration retrospectively, select “A” as the additional declaration type and provide the additional information code “FIFAL” later under “Additional information”.

If you are lodging a retrospective customs declaration and you have an authorisation granted by the Customs Authorisation Centre, the service automatically fills in “R” as the additional declaration type based on your earlier choices. If you are lodging a replacement customs declaration to replace a customs declaration to be invalidated, provide the additional information code “FISUR” later under “Additional information”.

Tax determination date

The tax determination date is provided only in exceptional cases.

If you are lodging an import declaration for goods imported from outside the EU, you can leave this field blank.

Exceptions to this are the following situations:

• You are lodging a declaration after the time limit has expired. As the tax determination date, provide the actual arrival date of the goods, that is, the date when the goods should have been presented to Customs to be placed under the import procedure.
• You are lodging a recapitulative supplementary declaration for several simplified customs declarations or for several EIR declaration-related presentation notifications. The service automatically fills in the first day of the period as the tax determination date based on your earlier choices.
• You are lodging a supplementary customs declaration separately for one EIR declaration-related presentation notification. As the tax determination date, enter the date when the goods were released for the procedure with an entry in the records.

If you have lodged a declaration during a service interruption under the fallback procedure using a form or a document and are lodging an electronic declaration when the service interruption is over, the tax determination date is not provided. In that case, provide the additional information code “FIFAL − Fallback procedure” and as its description the acceptance date of the fallback procedure document (format: yyyy.mm.dd) later. 

Total amount invoiced and invoice currency

The amount invoiced is the value of the temporarily admitted goods. It is primarily entered at goods item level under “Goods items”. Only if you can’t provide the amount at goods item level, provide the detail as the total amount here.

Provide the price actually paid or payable for the whole consignment as well as the currency. The price shall be provided with no more than 2 decimal places.

Provide the currency codes for the transaction price as well as for any costs to be added or deducted.

If the total amount was invoiced in several currencies, provide euro as the currency. Provide the total amount invoiced in euros using the conversion rates confirmed by Customs.

If the currency you need can’t be found in the drop down menu, you need to request the currency conversion rate from the Customs Information. You should convert the transaction price into euros using the currency conversion rate that you received from Customs. Enter the transaction price in euros. In addition, at goods item level, provide the currency conversion rate that you received with additional information code “FIKUR” and enter as the description the received conversion rate and the currency code (i.e. “19.14 MDL”).

Total gross mass

In temporary admission, the total gross mass must always be provided.

The gross mass is primarily entered at goods item level under “Goods items”. Only if you can’t provide the amount at goods item level, provide the detail as the total amount here.
The gross mass is provided in kilograms and it is the weight of the goods including packaging but excluding the means of transport and containers. If the gross mass is below 1 kg, enter the value e.g. in the format “0,654”, but with no more than 6 decimals. If the weight exceeds 1 kg, you can round it off to the closest full kilogram.

Providing the weight of pallets: If the weight of pallets is included in the weight of the goods indicated in the transport documents, you can include it in the total gross mass. However, if the weight of the pallets has been indicated separately in the transport document, don’t include it in the total gross mass. 

Nature of transaction

From the drop-down menu, select the code that describes the import transaction e.g. “60 –  
Transactions not involving transfer of ownership, e.g. repair of goods; hire, loan, operational leasing or other temporary uses, for less than 24 months”. 

You can use the search function or browse the drop-down menu by clicking on the field “Nature of transaction”. 

Delivery terms

From the drop-down menu, select the INCOTERM code, that is, the delivery terms that determine, for example, the division of responsibilities between the seller and the buyer. The delivery terms are agreed on for example in the sales contract. The menu will be displayed when you click on the field “INCOTERM code”. If you are not using the Incoterms published by the ICC (International Chamber of Commerce), select the code “XXX – other delivery terms”.

Provide the location either in the field “Location (UN/LOCODE)” or “Location”. In the field “Location”, provide the name or the location or terminal specified in the terms of delivery. UN/LOCODE is not normally provided as the terms of delivery location.  UN/LOCODE is the United Nations Code for Trade and Transport Locations. From the dropdown menu, select the code of the country of destination according to the location specified in the terms of delivery.

Transport information

Under “Transport information”, provide the required details of the mode of transport at the border and on arrival. Read the detailed guidance below.

Mode of transport at the border

In the field “Mode of transport at the border”, select the mode of transport from the drop-down menu based on the means of transport that carries the goods to the customs territory of the EU or across the tax border. As the method of transport, select the active means of transport, that is, the means of transport which propels the whole combination. For example, if a lorry has been loaded onto a seagoing vessel, provide the seagoing vessel.

In the field “Nationality of active means of transport crossing the border”, select the nationality of the means of transport from the drop-down menu Provide the nationality of the means of transport as it is indicated in the information you have. Provide the nationality in the case of sea, air or road transport or inland waterway transport or a means of transport with own propulsion. You can use the search function or browse the drop-down menu by clicking on the field “Nationality of active means of transport crossing the border” or use the search function”. 

Arrival transport means

If the goods are cleared through customs at the place of entry, select in the field “Inland transport mode” the same mode of transport as the mode of transport at the border. If the goods are transported from the border to another location before the customs declaration is lodges, select the mode of transport code from the drop-down menu based on the means of transport that carries the goods to their location.  

In the field “Arrival transport means”, provide the identifier of the means of transport on which the goods are loaded when they arrive at their location. The identification is provided if the goods are carried by mail or by a fixed transport installation. For road transports, enter the vehicle registration number. If a tractor unit and trailer is used, provide identification for both of these (format “the registration number of the tractor unit / the registration number of the trailer”, e.g. ABC-123 / AB-1234). For sea transports, provide the name of the vessel. For air transports, provide the flight number and date (if the flight number is not known, provide the aircraft registration number). For rail transports, provide the rail wagon number. 

From the drop-down menu of the field “Type of identification”, select the type of the means of transport in the case of sea, air or road transport, inland waterway transport or means of transport with own propulsion.

Route

Under “Dispatch”, provide the original country of dispatch. The service may also have filled in this detail automatically based on your earlier choices. You can find the code for the country of dispatch from the dropdown menu by typing the beginning of the country name or code in the field or by using the search function. If, en route, there is a stop unrelated to the transport or a commercial transaction (e.g. sale or processing), use the code of the country where it occurs. Consolidation of goods consignments en route is not considered a stop.

Under “Destination”, provide the country of destination to which the goods are imported. You can find the code for the country of destination from the dropdown menu by typing the beginning of the country name or code in the field or by using the search function. If the goods stay in Finland, provide the country code “FI”. If the goods are moved to another EU country, provide the country code of that country. 

Locations

Under “Locations”, provide either the identification of warehouse or the address details of the goods location.

Warehouse or temporary storage

If the goods are in a customs warehouse or in a temporary storage facility when the declaration is submitted, provide the warehouse in whose records the goods have been entered as the location. Provide the identification of warehouse under “Warehouse or temporary storage”. The identification of warehouse is the EORI number with code extensions (e.g. FI1234567-800101).

Goods location

If the goods are not in a warehouse, provide the address details of the location under “Goods location”. For example, if the goods are at the place of entry when the declaration is lodged, provide the address details of the place of entry.

Proposed control location

Under ”Proposed control location”, enter the location where you wish for Customs to inspect the goods. The proposed control location must be suitable for the inspection. It can, for example, be a location where the goods can be unpacked.

Under “Type of location”, select the type of control location from the drop-down menu.

If you propose a temporary storage facility or a customs warehouse as the control location, select “B – authorised place” as the type of location and “X – identification of warehouse (EORI number with extensions)” as the qualifier of location. The details of the economic operator will then be displayed. Under “Economic operators”, in the field “Identification of warehouse”, provide the warehouse identifier, which has the form FI1234567-800101. Leave the field “Additional identifier” blank.

If you propose a customs office or your business’s warehouse or production facility as the control location, select “D – Other” as the type of location. The service will then automatically fill in “Z – Street address” as the qualifier of location. The type “D – Other” can also be used in force majeure situations.

If you propose as the control location a control point (CP) approved in advance as referred to in the Official Controls Regulation or a place approved by Customs for temporary storage (HPA authorisation), select “C – Approved place”. There controls prescribed in the Official Controls Regulation can be performed on the goods (e.g. food, food contact materials, fruits, vegetables, berries, live animals, food of animal origin, plants intended for planting, cut flowers and wood). Select “Z – Street address” as the qualifier of location and provide the address details of the approved control location (HPA or CP). Read more about approved control locations on the Customs website.

In an import declaration, “A – Designated location” can’t be selected as the type of location.

Additional information

If needed, provide one or more than one header level additional information code under “Additional information”. The service will automatically fill in the additional information code “FIPDF”.This means that the service generates a PDF document in the prescribed form, and you can retrieve it later from the e-service. Don’t remove this information if you need e.g. a decision on release to be presented to the transport company or the warehouse keeper.

If you need to provide other additional information, you can add it by clicking on “+Add information”. From the drop-down menu, select the code needed in the declaration. If needed, provide the description of the additional information code in the field “Description”.

If you haven’t given your consent for electronic notice, there is the additional information code “FINCO – The customer does not consent to receiving electronic notifications” in the additional information at declaration header level.

However, if you wish to make changes to the consent, that is, if you nevertheless want to receive electronic notifications from Customs by email, edit the consent details in the user settings. For detailed guidance on making changes to the consent details, Settings – Customs instructions.

If you are lodging a declaration for goods released with a fallback procedure document, select the additional information code “FIFAL − Fallback procedure”. As the description, provide the date when the fallback procedure document was accepted by Customs, that is, the date when Customs released the goods for the customs procedure with the fallback procedure document.

If you are lodging a retrospective declaration that will replace the original customs declaration, select the additional information code "FISUR − Replacement declaration". As the description, provide the MRN of the customs declaration to be replaced.

If you have added an additional information code row by mistake, remove it by ticking the box next to the “Code” column and clicking on the button “Remove selected” above the rows.

Additional documents

Provide here the details of the additional documents concerning the whole declaration. A document specifying the goods and their value must always be provided in the import declaration, e.g. “N325 – Proforma invoice”.

If there are other additional documents that concern the goods and that shall be declared to Customs, provide them too. If the proforma invoices are goods item-specific, don’t provide them here. Instead, provide them at goods item level.

Add a document by clicking on “+Add document”. From the dropdown menu, select the type of additional document and provide the identifier, such as the number of the additional document or other identifier. 

You don’t need to upload the document as an attachment, unless Customs separately asks for it. You can speed up the processing of the declaration by uploading the document already when filling in the declaration. If you are lodging a customs declaration for inward processing, temporary admission or end-use, Customs usually asks you to send an invoice or some other document indicating the value as the attachment. You can upload an attachment by clicking on “Upload file”. The supported attachment file types are PDF, JPG, PNG and TIF. The maximum attachment size is 5 MB. If you upload a document as an attachment, the service will automatically fill in the field “Attachment reference”.

You can, if necessary, add documents by clicking on “+Add document”. If you have added a document row by mistake, remove it by ticking the box next to the “Type” column and clicking on the button “Remove selected” above the rows.  

Containers

The container details can be provided either at header level here or at goods item level under “Goods items”. If the container itself is placed under the temporary admission procedure, don’t provide the container details here.

Click on ”+ Add container” and provide the container ID. If the declaration involves several containers, you can add new containers by clicking on “+Add container”.

The identification of a sea container is provided using four letters + six digits + hyphen + check digit.