A proforma invoice is the document that travels with shipments to and from countries outside the European Union. It tells customs what's in the parcel, what it's worth, where it was made and why it's being sent. Sending a gift to London, samples to a client in Switzerland or your own belongings to the US? You'll need one. In this City Sender guide you'll see when it's required, how it differs from a commercial invoice and how to fill in every field, with examples.
In short
You need a proforma invoice when you send a parcel to a country outside the EU, such as the United Kingdom, Switzerland or the United States. On City Sender you fill it in online while booking, with a detailed description, quantity, value, country of origin, weight and reason for export, and you receive it ready to print with your shipping label.
What is a proforma invoice?
A proforma invoice brings together everything customs authorities need to assess and clear an international shipment. It isn't a sales invoice and doesn't commit anyone to pay. It simply describes, accurately, what's inside the box and what it's worth.
Based on that information, customs in the destination country decide whether import duties, taxes or other fees apply. That's why a complete and accurate proforma reduces the chance of your parcel sitting at customs while officers ask for clarification.
Who fills in the proforma invoice?
The sender. You know what you're packing, what it's worth, where it was made and why you're sending it, and you're responsible for the accuracy of what you declare. On City Sender you fill it in online, as part of the booking. When a parcel is coming into Greece from outside the EU, the sender abroad fills in the proforma.
When do you need a proforma invoice?
You need a proforma invoice for any international shipment that goes through customs, meaning a parcel leaving Greece for a country outside the European Union, or arriving from one. Some common destinations:
- Great Britain (England, Scotland, Wales)
- Switzerland and Norway
- United States, Canada and Australia
- Turkey, Albania, North Macedonia, Serbia and the other non-EU Balkan countries
- Canary Islands, Ceuta and Melilla: they belong to Spain, but shipments there are treated as imports from outside the EU
Shipping within the EU?
From Greece to another EU country, such as Germany or Italy, there are no customs checks, customs duties or import VAT, so as a rule you don't need a proforma invoice. Special territories such as the Canary Islands are the exception.
Proforma invoice or commercial invoice?
The two documents have almost the same fields, which is why they're easy to mix up. The difference is the purpose: a commercial invoice proves a sale, while a proforma describes the shipment without being a sales document.
- Proforma invoice: doesn't commit anyone to pay and is the usual document when there's no sale, such as gifts, samples, personal belongings, returns or faulty parts sent for replacement.
- Commercial invoice: a legal document issued by the seller to the buyer that confirms the sale. You need it when you ship something you've sold, for example an order from your online shop.
Every country has its own rules
Some destinations ask for a commercial invoice even for gifts or shipments with no commercial value. If you're not sure what applies to your destination, ask the City Sender team before you book.
What information goes on a proforma invoice?
On City Sender you enter the proforma details online while booking. Here's what you'll be asked for:
- Sender and recipient: name or company name, address, country and phone number, as entered in your booking, plus the sender's tax number.
- Description: a detailed description of each item, on its own line.
- HS code: the item's customs code, if you know it.
- Country of Origin: the country where the item was made.
- Net weight: the weight of a single piece.
- Quantity: how many pieces of the same item you're sending.
- Unit Value and currency: the value of one piece.
- Subtotal and total value: unit value times quantity for each line, and the sum of all lines.
- Reason for Export: gift, merchandise, sample, return, personal items or documents.
How to fill in the proforma invoice during booking, step by step
Make your list before you seal the box
Once the box is sealed, it's easy to forget an item or how many pieces you packed. List the contents as you fill the box, then seal it, weigh it and measure it, and only then book. That way the proforma and your shipment details are right first time.
- Before you seal the box, list every item you put in: what it is, what it's made of, how many pieces, what each is worth and where it was made.
- Seal the box, weigh it and measure its dimensions.
- Book on City Sender using the parcel's actual weight and dimensions.
- When you reach the shipment contents, add one line for each different item on your list, with a specific description in English.
- Add the HS code if you know it. If not, leave the field blank.
- Enter the country of origin, net weight per piece, quantity and value per piece.
- Choose a Reason for Export and complete your booking.
Sending several pieces of the same item
In Net weight and Unit Value you enter the weight and value of a single piece. The multiplication happens in Sub total. Two pairs of shoes at €40 each are declared as Unit Value 40 EUR, Quantity 2, Sub total 80 EUR.
Example line: a gift to Great Britain
- Description
- Women's leather shoes
- Customs Commodity Code
- (blank, if you don't know it)
- Country of Origin
- Greece
- Net weight
- 0.8 kg
- Quantity
- 2
- Unit Value & currency
- 40 EUR
- Sub total value & currency
- 80 EUR
- Reason for Export
- Gift
How do I describe the contents properly?
The description should let a customs officer understand what's in the parcel without having to ask you. For clothes and shoes, say who they're for (men's, women's, children's), what exactly they are and what they're made of. For food, name the specific product and, where needed, its main ingredients. For jewellery, the type of piece and the material.
Instead of a generic description, write…
- Clothes
- Men's cotton T-shirts
- Shoes
- Women's leather shoes
- Food
- Extra virgin olive oil / Milk chocolate with hazelnuts
- Cosmetics
- Face cream for personal use
- Electronics
- Bluetooth wireless headphones
- Toys
- Plastic construction toy for children
- Books
- Printed educational books
- Kitchen items
- Stainless steel cooking utensils
- Jewelry
- Silver necklace with decorative pendant
What value should I declare for a gift, sample or personal items?
The real one. Even if you didn't pay anything, the item has a value and customs needs it to assess the shipment. For a gift you bought, use the purchase price. For samples or used personal items, a reasonable current value.
Don't undervalue
A value that doesn't match the contents can lead to extra checks, a revaluation by customs or delays. And marking a parcel as a gift doesn't automatically mean the recipient pays nothing: import duties, taxes or fees may apply under the destination country's rules.
Which Reason for Export should I choose?
Reason for Export: the options
- Gift
- A gift to a friend or relative, with no payment
- Merchandise
- Goods that have been sold
- Sample Merchandise
- Product samples, e.g. for a prospective client
- Returned Merchandise
- A product being returned to the seller
- Personal Items
- Your own personal belongings, e.g. when moving abroad
- Documents
- Documents
What is an HS code and what if I don't know it?
The HS code (Harmonized System) is the numeric customs code that classifies each product, so customs can identify it without doubt. If you know it, enter it when you book. If not, leave the field blank. In that case a detailed description matters even more.
Do I need an EORI number?
If you're a business established in the EU and you ship goods outside the EU, as a rule, yes. EORI is the number businesses use to identify themselves in customs procedures. Private individuals usually don't need one, unless national law or the specific procedure requires it. In Greece, you apply for an EORI number online through AADE, at the customs office for your area.
What do I do with the proforma after booking?
- Once your booking is complete, City Sender sends you the proforma invoice together with your shipping label, ready to print.
- Print the proforma and put it in a clear document pouch (Documents Enclosed) on the outside of the parcel, next to the shipping label.
- Keep a copy for yourself and send one to the recipient, so they know what was declared to customs in their country.
For exactly where the shipping label and accompanying documents go, see our guide on placing your shipping label correctly. If you're shipping to the US, also read our guide to US customs.
Mistakes that can delay customs clearance
- Generic descriptions such as “Clothes”, “Gift” or “Various items”.
- A zero value, or a value that doesn't match the contents.
- Total weight or total value entered where the per-piece figure belongs.
- A box sealed before the contents were listed, with items missing from the proforma.
- Weight and dimensions entered before the box was sealed, which don't match the final parcel.
- A proforma that wasn't printed, or was put inside the box instead of in the pouch outside.
Proforma invoice FAQs
Is a proforma invoice the same as a pro forma or preliminary invoice?
Yes. Proforma invoice, pro forma invoice and preliminary invoice all refer to the same document. For shipments outside the EU it's used for customs purposes and describes the contents, value, origin and purpose of the shipment.
Do I need a proforma invoice to send a parcel to the UK?
Yes. Since the United Kingdom left the EU, shipments to England, Scotland and Wales go through customs. Fill in a proforma with a detailed description and the real value, as you would for any destination outside the EU.
Do I need a proforma for shipments within the European Union?
Usually not. Shipments from Greece to another EU country don't go through customs, so no proforma invoice is needed. The exception is territories that belong to an EU country but are treated as outside the EU for shipments, such as the Canary Islands.
If I send a gift, will the recipient pay duties?
It depends on the destination country. Choosing “Gift” doesn't automatically mean an exemption: import duties, taxes or fees may apply under the destination country's rules. These charges aren't included in the shipping price and are normally paid by the recipient.
Can I leave the HS code blank?
Yes. If you don't know the item's customs code, leave the HS code field blank. Just make the description as specific as possible, so customs can classify the product correctly.
Who fills in the proforma when a parcel comes from abroad?
The sender in the country of dispatch. If, for example, someone sends you a parcel from England to Greece, they declare the contents, value and reason for export, because they know what they're sending.
Do I have to print the proforma and fill it in by hand?
No. On City Sender you fill it in online while booking and receive it ready to print with your shipping label. You just print it and put it in a clear pouch on the outside of the parcel.
Can City Sender help me with the proforma?
Yes. If any field isn't clear, contact City Sender support before you complete your booking. The team replies within 20 minutes during business hours and helps you declare the contents correctly.
City Sender is a Greek courier comparison and booking platform. Enter the destination, weight and dimensions, see the available services side by side with price and estimated delivery time, and book online without having to create an account. For shipments outside the EU, you fill in the proforma in the same booking and receive it ready to print with your shipping label.