From January 1, 2021, the UK will no longer be part of the EU’s customs tax treaty applicable to trading. When it comes to the UK, the procedure will follow that of countries such as China or Russia, which are not part of the EU. The change will also have an effect on how letters and parcels containing goods are sent and received, so it’s a good idea to familiarize yourself with it in advance.
When sending or receiving goods as a business (contract customer), please take the following tips into account from January 1, 2021 onward
- All items containing goods sent from Finland to the UK must be cleared through customs.
- The letter and parcel items that must be cleared include: Priority and EMS parcels as well as international letter items containing goods.
- Please make sure that you know the full details of a recipient residing in the UK as well as all of the information required for an invoice/pro forma invoice.
- Contact Customs to request an EORI number (Economic Operators Registration and Identification System) if you don’t have one already.
- Apply for a VAT account (SPRN/HMRC) from the UK’s Inland Revenue if you are selling to a private person.
- You can find further information and instructions on the Finnish Customs’ website
- You can find further information and instructions on the Finnish Tax Administration’s website
- Parcel items and tracked goods letter items: provide Posti with the sender and recipient information as well as the information required for the CN22 or CN23 customs clearance using the sending channels (e.g., SmartShip) or using an EDI message, depending on the value of the item. Attach the customs clearance slip on the item. Attach 3 commercial/pro forma invoices to the item. Date and sign the customs clearance form to confirm the information or approve the information online.
Mandatory delivery information:
- The sender’s full information and address in the CN23 customs declaration, including the company name
- The recipient’s full information and address in the CN23 customs declaration, including the company name
- An accurate description and quantity of the goods in English, e.g., ‘men’s cotton shirt, 2 pcs’
- The weight of each item in kg, for example, the above-mentioned shirts, a total of 0.45 kg
- The value and currency of each good, e.g., EUR 48.60
- The total weight of the item
- The total value and currency of the item
Voluntary delivery information:
- Customs tariff number (a minimum of six digits). The tariff number has particular significance in case of items sent for commercial purposes.
- The country of origin of the goods. This information has particular significance in case of items sent for commercial purposes.
- Untracked letter items: Register the sender and recipient information as well as the item’s content using the CN22 form at posti.fi/tullaustiedot, print out and sign the form and attach it on top of the item. You can also use a ready-printed CN22 label with a bar code and register the information on it under the code.
- You can also use the customs information registration tool for Express Letters if you use the express label. Fill in the necessary information using the CN22 form, enter the item ID of the Express Letter in the tool, print out and sign the form and attach it on top of the item in addition to the express label.
- Goods items arriving in Finland from the UK are subject to an inward clearance
- Items containing goods with a value in excess of EUR 22 or which are gifts will be cleared through customs.
- Complete the inward clearance and, if necessary, pay Posti’s handling fee within 20 days of the item’s arriving in Finland. Posti can provide you with a notice of arrival for a cleared item including detailed instructions regarding the inward clearance and the payment of the handling fee.
- Incomplete information about contents may delay the handling of items in the country of destination and thereby extend the item’s delivery time.
