Shipping Documents
Shipping Documents Guide: Bill of Lading, Invoice & More
Guide to 20 shipping documents, including the bill of lading, certificate of origin, commercial invoice, and packing list: purpose, fields, and issuers.
International shipments depend on documents for transport, customs, payment, and insurance. This guide covers 20 of them, with their purpose, key fields, and who issues each one.
Documents covered
- Bill of Lading: The primary document in ocean freight serving as receipt, contract of carriage, and document of title.
- Sea Waybill: A non-negotiable transport document for ocean freight where ownership transfer is not required.
- Air Waybill: The primary transport document for air freight serving as receipt and contract of carriage.
- CMR Consignment Note: International road transport document governed by the CMR Convention.
- Multimodal Transport Document: A single document covering transport by multiple modes (sea, air, road, rail).
- Commercial Invoice: The primary commercial document between buyer and seller detailing the transaction.
- Proforma Invoice: A preliminary invoice sent before shipment to confirm terms and enable import licenses.
- Packing List: Detailed list of shipment contents including packaging, weights, and dimensions.
- Customs Declaration: Official declaration to customs authorities with details of imported/exported goods.
- Export License: Government authorization required to export controlled goods or to specific destinations.
- Import License: Government permit required to import specific goods or quantities.
- Certificate of Origin: Document certifying the country where goods were manufactured or produced.
- Inspection Certificate: Document confirming goods have been inspected and meet specified standards.
- Phytosanitary Certificate: Official document certifying plants and plant products are free from pests and diseases.
- Health Certificate: Official document certifying food and animal products meet health and safety standards.
- Dangerous Goods Declaration: Mandatory declaration for shipping hazardous materials with safety information.
- Cargo Insurance Policy: Insurance contract providing coverage for goods during transportation.
- Insurance Certificate: Document evidencing cargo insurance coverage for a specific shipment.
- Letter of Credit: Bank guarantee of payment to seller upon presentation of compliant documents.
- Bill of Exchange: Written order to pay a specified sum on demand or at a future date.
Browse all pages (20)
- Air Waybill (AWB) – Purpose & Key Fields
- Bill of Exchange (B/E) – Purpose & Key Fields
- Bill of Lading (B/L) – Purpose & Key Fields
- Cargo Insurance Policy – Purpose & Key Fields
- Certificate of Origin (C/O) – Purpose & Key Fields
- CMR Consignment Note (CMR) – Purpose & Key Fields
- Commercial Invoice – Purpose & Key Fields
- Customs Declaration – Purpose & Key Fields
- Dangerous Goods Declaration (DGD) – Purpose & Key Fields
- Export License – Purpose & Key Fields
- Health Certificate – Purpose & Key Fields
- Import License – Purpose & Key Fields
- Inspection Certificate – Purpose & Key Fields
- Insurance Certificate – Purpose & Key Fields
- Letter of Credit (L/C) – Purpose & Key Fields
- Multimodal Transport Document (MTD) – Purpose & Key Fields
- Packing List – Purpose & Key Fields
- Phytosanitary Certificate – Purpose & Key Fields
- Proforma Invoice – Purpose & Key Fields
- Sea Waybill (SWB) – Purpose & Key Fields
More in this directory
Frequently asked questions
What is a bill of lading?
The primary document in ocean freight serving as receipt, contract of carriage, and document of title.
What is a certificate of origin?
Document certifying the country where goods were manufactured or produced.