If you deliver goods outside of the European Union (EU), you will have to deal with the Customs Administration of the Netherlands. You will need to use an export declaration and take product requirements abroad into account. Import duties will usually apply. On invoices, you will state the 0% VAT rate.
You must notify the Customs Administration of the Netherlands that you are exporting goods to a country outside the EU. You do so using the export declaration ( aangifte ten uitvoer ).
Dutch Customs will use the commodity code to check if there are any additional conditions you have to meet. Such as an export permit. Are you inexperienced at exporting goods? Then it is advisable to let a forwarder or transport company take care of the customs declaration.
On the Dutch Customs website, there is an overview of all the various authorisations, declaration methods, permits, exemptions, etc., that you may need for your export.
When you export goods to a non-EU country, you must use the 0% VAT tariff . This means you do not have to charge VAT. It makes no difference if your customer is an individual or a company. You do need to state the 0% VAT rate on your invoice.
You must be able to demonstrate that your goods have really left the EU . To that purpose, keep:
A copy of the freight bill A copy of the export declaration The transporter's invoice The import certificate of the destination countryIn general, you are advised to keep any documentation that can function as proof that the goods have left the EU.
Take into account the import duties and laws of your destination country. And submit the right export documents with your export shipment. Find out in the EU Access2Markets database what documents you will need. You will find an overview per country of the relevant export documents.
You can order several export documents via KVK: the ATA Carnet, Certificate of Origin, EUR1 / EUR-MED certificate, and legalisation / certificate. See also: Export documents
Check whether your product meets the product requirements for export. You might find out that alterations to your product or packaging are needed for export outside the EU. Many countries demand product information in the local language. Not just on the packaging, but also on labels and in manuals. Sometimes a technical adjustment is required, such as a different plug.
Find out if you have to meet laws or regulations specific to your export country. For instance: non-EU countries often require product testing prior to approval. You can find the relevant rules and regulations per country can be found on RVO.nl (in Dutch).
The EU Market Access Database provides information on boycots and trade barriers .