Proforma invoice: create a finished PDF in two minutes
Fill in the seller, the recipient and the goods and you get a proforma invoice or commercial invoice customs accepts, with HS code, country of origin, weight, currency and delivery terms in the right place. Free, no account.
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Proforma invoice, commercial invoice or packing list? How they differ
All three accompany the shipment, but they answer different questions from customs. The invoice states who is sending what to whom, and which value duty and VAT are to be calculated on. The packing list states how the goods are packed.
NOT A DEMAND FOR PAYMENT
Proformafaktura
An invoice in form but not in substance: the recipient is not meant to pay. Used when goods change country without being sold, for example samples, warranty repairs, returns, gifts and trade fair goods. Customs still needs a value and a description to work out duty and VAT.
DEMAND FOR PAYMENT · CUSTOMS’ BASIS
Handelsfaktura
The seller’s real invoice in a cross-border sale. It is what customs works from when the customs value is set, so HS code, country of origin, delivery terms and currency must be included beyond what accounting law requires. Sometimes called a customs invoice.
PACKAGES AND WEIGHT
Packing list
Shows how the shipment is packed: the number of packages, the contents per package, net and gross weight and dimensions. Not always required, but lets customs and the carrier check the goods without opening everything. With several packages or mixed goods it should always be included.
Proforma invoice, pro forma invoice, commercial invoice …
The same document appears under several names with forwarders, customs authorities and in foreign trade systems. What matters is the content, not the heading. Common terms:
proforma invoice pro forma-faktura commercial invoice tullfaktura customs invoice exportfaktura handelsfaktura invoice for customs purposes onlyHow to fill in a proforma invoice in five steps
The generator above goes through the steps in the same order. This is what each field means and why customs wants the information.
Seller and recipient
Full company names, street addresses and organisation numbers. For exports outside the EU, the seller’s EORI number should be included, and the recipient’s VAT or organisation number eases the clearance in the destination country.
Describe each item
Write what the item is, not just an article number or a brand. “Steel brake discs for passenger cars” works, “spare parts” does not. State quantity, unit and price per unit on every line.
HS code and country of origin per line
The commodity code governs the duty rate and the country of origin decides whether a free trade agreement can give 0% duty. State at least six digits, preferably eight. If you don’t know the code, there is the HS code tool.
Value, currency and delivery terms
Even a proforma must carry a realistic value, since duty and VAT are calculated on it. State the currency and the Incoterm with a place, for example DAP Oslo, so customs knows which freight costs are included in the price.
Purpose, weight and signature
Write why the shipment is not being paid for: samples, repair, return. State net and gross weight. Print, sign and put the document in the shipment, or send it digitally to the forwarder.
What must be on the invoice for customs to accept it
Neither Swedish Customs nor the EU has a fixed form. Instead, the customs code sets requirements on the details, and the forwarder stops the shipment if something is missing. Six details cause most of the stops.
Consignor and recipient with full address
A PO box is not enough. Company name, street address, country and organisation number or EORI. If the buyer and the recipient are different parties, both must be included.
A description in plain language
Customs must understand what the item is without looking up the article number: material, function and use. Catch-all words like “parts”, “samples” or “miscellaneous” are rejected.
An HS code for every goods line
Six digits are international, eight are required in the Swedish export declaration. The wrong code gives the wrong duty rate and, at worst, retroactive billing, so the code on the invoice should be the one you declare with.
Country of origin, not country of dispatch
The country where the item was manufactured, per line. The origin decides whether the goods get preferential duty with a proof of origin, and it must not be confused with the country they are shipped from.
Value, currency and Incoterms
Price per unit and in total, in the stated currency. Even gifts and samples must carry a market value. The delivery term decides whether freight and insurance are included in the price or must be added to the customs value.
Weight, number of packages and date
Net and gross weight in kilos, the number of packages, plus the invoice number and date. The weight is used for statistics and to check that the goods match the documents.
The invoice is the basis for the declaration, and the responsibility is the importer’s
The forwarder declares from the invoice. If the HS code, origin or a reasonable value is missing, someone guesses, and the guess ends up in a declaration that can be reviewed for three years, in some cases longer.
3 years
usual limit for demands when value or code was wrong
20 %
customs surcharge on duty withheld through incorrect details
SEK 0
is what it costs to let us review the invoice before the shipment goes
Want to know what the shipment costs in duty and VAT? Calculate in the duty calculator, and read about proofs of origin which can give 0% duty.
Want us to review the invoice before the shipment goes?
Send the invoice and a customs specialist checks the commodity codes, origin, value and delivery terms. A reply within 10 minutes, every day 07–23. Free and without commitment.
When one line on the invoice became money in the bank
A statement on origin is one sentence on the invoice. An A.TR is a certificate that accompanies it. Both give 0% duty when the origin is right, and both are forgotten more often than you would think.
The customers below had invoices that looked complete. What was missing was the detail that governs the duty rate. Read more about proofs of origin and EUR.1 certificates.
131 00SEK 0
back after a reassessment
The customer had for two years imported through a broker who never used the statement on origin on the invoices. We requested a reassessment of the declarations and got the duty refunded. Read more about importing from the UK.
SEK 36,453
saved on one shipment
Stretch film with commodity code 3920 10 89 and 6.5% duty. With an A.TR certificate from the supplier, the duty became 0% and the customer saved the amount on the first shipment. Read more about importing from Turkey.
A proforma is not always enough. How to choose right
If you ship goods that are not being sold, a proforma invoice is enough: samples, repairs, returns, gifts, trade fair equipment. If you sell the goods, the commercial invoice applies. A proforma instead of a commercial invoice causes problems with the VAT reporting, the payment and the customs value.
For exports from Sweden, an export declaration is also required when the goods leave the EU, whatever document accompanies them. For Norway, the Digitoll pre-notification before the border applies; for the UK, the statement on origin for 0% duty; and for the USA, an English commercial invoice with the HTS code.
From finished invoice to finished declaration
The generator gives you the document. We make sure the details on it hold up in the declaration, and do the declaration if you want.
Your own customs specialist
Send the invoice. A customs specialist checks the commodity codes, origin, value and delivery terms and gets back to you within 10 minutes, every day 07:00 to 23:00.
A statement on origin with the right wording
We know which wording goes on the invoice for which agreement, when a EUR.1 or A.TR is required and which thresholds apply. Right from the start instead of a reassessment afterwards.
A finished declaration within 2 hours
An export or import declaration in Swedish Customs’ systems within two hours, with the right customs value, the right codes and the right VAT reporting.
A fixed price per declaration
Ett customs broker with no lock-in, contract or hidden fees. You know what it costs before we start.
Want to know what the shipment costs? Work out duty and VAT in the duty calculator, or search the commodity code for free.
Questions and answers about proforma and commercial invoices
Can’t find the answer? We reply within 10 minutes.
Ask your questionWhat is a proforma invoice?
A proforma invoice is an invoice that looks like an ordinary invoice but is not a demand for payment. It is used when goods are shipped across a border without being sold, for example samples, repairs, returns and gifts, and gives customs the details needed to work out duty and VAT: consignor, recipient, description, HS code, origin, value and weight.
What is the difference between a proforma invoice and a commercial invoice?
The commercial invoice is the seller’s real invoice in a sale and forms the basis for payment, bookkeeping and the customs value. The proforma invoice is used when no sale takes place, or before the final invoice exists. The details customs needs are the same. The difference is that the proforma is not to be paid.
Must a proforma invoice carry a value?
Yes. Customs calculates duty and VAT on the value of the goods even when the recipient does not pay. State a realistic market value, what you would have charged. “No commercial value” with SEK 0 is not accepted. Instead, write the value and that the shipment is a sample, a repair or a gift.
What details must a commercial invoice carry for customs?
Seller and buyer with full address and organisation or EORI number, invoice number and date, a description in plain language, HS code and country of origin per goods line, quantity, price per unit, total amount, currency, delivery terms per Incoterms, net and gross weight, and the number of packages. For exports outside the Nordics, the invoice should be written in English.
In which language should the invoice be written?
Swedish Customs accepts Swedish and English. For exports, English is safest, since customs in the destination country must also be able to read the invoice. For Norway, Swedish or Norwegian works. The generator creates the document in Swedish, English or Norwegian.
Do I need an HS code on the proforma invoice?
There is no legal requirement, but in practice yes. The forwarder declares from the invoice, and if the code is missing the forwarder picks one themselves, often the wrong one. State at least six digits per goods line, preferably eight. You find the code for free in the HS code tool at easytull.se/en/hs-code-search/.
What is a statement on origin on the invoice?
A standard wording on the invoice where the exporter certifies that the goods have preferential origin, for example EU origin for exports to the UK or Norway. With it, the importer can get 0% duty. For shipments over EUR 6,000, the exporter normally needs to be a registered exporter (REX) or an approved exporter.
Can I use a proforma invoice in a sale?
Not as the final document. In a sale, the commercial invoice must accompany the shipment, since it governs payment, VAT and the customs value. A proforma can be sent in advance as a quote or a basis for advance payment, but is then replaced by the real invoice.
What is a packing list and when is it needed?
A list of how the shipment is packed: the number of packages, the contents per package, dimensions and net and gross weight. It is not mandatory, but most forwarders ask for it and it eases customs controls. If you ship several packages or mixed goods, it should always be included.
Is the invoice enough, or is a customs declaration needed too?
The invoice is the basis, the declaration is the actual notification to customs. Every shipment leaving the EU requires an export declaration and every shipment coming in requires an import declaration. The forwarder or a customs broker makes the declaration from the invoice.
Does EasyTull store my invoices?
No. The document is created in our invoice engine and sent straight to your browser. We store neither the details nor the PDF. If you want us to review the invoice, you leave your email voluntarily afterwards.
What does it cost to have EasyTull review the invoice?
Having the invoice reviewed costs nothing. If you want us to do the declaration, you get a fixed price per declaration in advance, with no lock-in or contract. Call +46 31 755 77 76 or email info@easytull.com.
The right invoice from the start. We handle the rest.
Create the document above, or send the one you already have. We review, correct and do the declaration so the goods move without stopping.
Reply within 10 min
Declaration within 2 hours
No lock-in
Call +46 31 755 77 76 or email info@easytull.com
Sources: Swedish Customs (invoice requirements at import and export, customs value, proofs of origin), the EU customs code (UCC) on the customs value of goods, the European Commission (the REX system, origin rules in free trade agreements). Page updated September 2026.
