Free export document checklist template (per-shipment tracker)
Every export shipment needs documents from different people: the seller, the carrier, the customs broker, a chamber of commerce, an insurer or an inspection body. This sheet lists the usual documents for one shipment and lets you mark which ones this shipment needs, who issues each, how many originals and copies are required, and when the draft was sent, approved and the final dispatched. It counts what is still open.
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What the template covers
- Shipment: invoice or order number, buyer, destination, mode of transport, Incoterms rule, payment terms and ETD
- Commercial documents: proforma invoice, commercial invoice, packing list
- Transport and customs: booking, shipping instruction, bill of lading or air waybill, export declaration, VGM
- Certificates where needed: certificate of origin, insurance, inspection, phytosanitary or fumigation, dangerous goods declaration and others
- For each document: needed or not, issued by, originals and copies, draft sent, approved, final sent and courier reference
- Status of each line and the number of documents still open, by formula
- Letter of credit: number, latest shipment date, presentation deadline and expiry
- Notes and the person responsible
Guides on this topic
One list per shipment
Many delays at the end of a shipment come from a document nobody chased: a certificate of origin that was never applied for, a bill of lading draft waiting for approval, an insurance certificate missing from a letter of credit set. A checklist for each shipment shows at a glance what is needed, who issues it and where it is.
Which documents are needed
The core set is usually the commercial invoice, the packing list, the transport document and the export declaration. Other documents depend on the goods, the Incoterms rule (insurance under CIF and CIP), the destination, the buyer and the payment terms. Mark only what this shipment needs, and check the buyer's instructions or the letter of credit for the exact list, the number of originals and copies, and the wording.
Drafts, approval and dispatch
Send drafts early and ask the buyer to approve them before originals are issued, especially the bill of lading and the certificate of origin, which are hard to correct later. Record when the final documents were sent and the courier reference. Under a letter of credit, present the documents within the period the credit sets (under UCP 600, by default no later than 21 calendar days after shipment when original transport documents are included) and before the credit expires.
Common questions
What documents are needed for an export shipment?
Usually a commercial invoice, a packing list, a transport document such as a bill of lading or an air waybill, and an export declaration, plus documents that depend on the goods, the destination, the Incoterms rule and the payment terms.
Who issues each export document?
The seller issues the commercial documents, the carrier or a forwarder acting as carrier issues the transport document, the exporter or its customs broker files the export declaration, and chambers of commerce, insurers and inspection bodies issue certificates.
How many originals and copies do I need?
As many as the buyer, the letter of credit or the rules of the destination ask for. Record the number for each document on the checklist.
When must documents be presented under a letter of credit?
Within the period the credit sets and before it expires. Under UCP 600, a presentation that includes original transport documents must by default be made no later than 21 calendar days after shipment.
Does the template count what is still open?
Yes. Each document marked as needed shows its status from the dates you enter, and the sheet counts the documents that are still open.
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