Export customs clearance in Hannover: we file the export declaration, write the invoice and ship the goods.
A company outside the EU cannot be the exporter on a German export declaration; a party established in the EU has to file it. When your German supplier will not, we do: BFF Logistics files the electronic export declaration in the German customs system ATLAS, prepares the commercial invoice and the packing list with the right HS codes, obtains the exit confirmation and adds the origin statement where a trade agreement lowers your duty. The same team collects, packs and ships the goods, so the paperwork and the crate always match.
The short version.
For goods leaving the EU with a value above 1,000 euros or a weight above 1,000 kg an electronic export declaration is mandatory. Below that, the commercial invoice is enough for most carriers, but we still file when the supplier needs the exit confirmation for VAT.
Only a person or company established in the EU. A buyer in the USA, UAE or India cannot. We act as the German party that files the declaration for goods you bought ex works.
The exporter needs an EU EORI number; we use ours. You do not need an EU EORI as a buyer outside the EU. Your own importer number is on your side.
Importer, exporter, HS code per item, value and currency, country of origin, Incoterm, weights. The HS code on the supplier's delivery note has priority; without one we classify.
For countries with an EU trade agreement, such as the UK, Switzerland, Canada, Japan, South Korea or Singapore, an origin statement on the invoice lowers or removes import duty on EU-origin goods.
Dual-use goods need a BAFA licence; we check the classification with the supplier before we file. Sanctioned countries and parties we do not ship to.
Checked October 2026. Customs rules and carrier limits change; your quote states what applies on the day.
What happens between the supplier's door and the aircraft.
The supplier sells ex works, we become the exporter
Most German suppliers who do not export sell ex works: the goods are yours at their door. Under EU customs law the exporter must be established in the EU, so the declaration cannot be filed in your name. We file it in ours, with you as the consignee and your supplier's invoice as the basis. The supplier gets the exit confirmation from us and can invoice you without German VAT, or refund it. Whether that happens up front or afterwards is between you and the supplier.
The export declaration in ATLAS
The declaration is filed electronically in ATLAS, the German customs system, before the goods leave Hannover. Customs may release immediately or order an inspection at our premises. The declaration produces a movement reference number that travels with the shipment; when the goods leave the EU, customs confirms the exit electronically and we receive the Ausgangsvermerk, the exit confirmation. We forward it to you and the supplier.
Invoice, packing list and HS codes
The commercial invoice is what your customs reads. We prepare it with the HS code per item, the value in the invoice currency, the country of origin and your importer details. The packing list matches the crates by number, dimensions and weights. Where a supplier's invoice is incomplete, we ask the supplier in German and correct it before the shipment leaves, which is where most import delays are avoided.
Origin statements and lower duty
EU-origin goods going to the UK, Switzerland, Norway, Canada, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Vietnam and other partner countries enter with reduced or zero duty if the invoice carries the correct origin statement. We ask the supplier to confirm the origin and add the statement in the required wording. For the USA, India, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, South Africa and Nigeria there is no such agreement; duty follows the national tariff and we tell you what to expect on our country pages.
Export control and what we do not ship
Some industrial goods, such as certain machine tools, valves, pumps, sensors and software, are dual-use items under the EU export control regulation and need a licence from the German authority BAFA before they leave the EU. We ask the supplier for the classification and file nothing until it is clear. We do not ship weapons, militaria, or goods to sanctioned countries or parties.
Four steps from Hannover to your door.
- You write to us
Supplier and order number, or where the goods are, plus your delivery address. We reply within one working day with a quote that covers collection, packing, export documents and transport.
- We collect
At the supplier, the plant or the fairground, with your authorisation where needed, across northwest Germany. Items are photographed on arrival in Hannover.
- We pack and declare
Made-to-measure packing or a wooden crate, export declaration with EU exit confirmation, commercial invoice with the right HS codes for the destination country's customs. You pay our invoice after packing, by card or PayPal.
- Delivery to your door
DHL Express, UPS or FedEx with tracking, insured on request for the value you name. Import duty and tax are collected by the carrier on arrival; our country pages tell you what to expect.
Frequently asked questions.
Can a foreign company file a German export declaration?
No. The exporter must be established in the EU. A German supplier or a German service company such as BFF Logistics files it; we do that for goods you buy ex works in northwest Germany.
Do I need an EU EORI number as a buyer?
No. The EORI is needed by the exporter, and we use ours. You need your own importer registration in your country, for example an EIN in the USA or an IEC in India.
What is the Ausgangsvermerk and why does my supplier want it?
It is the electronic exit confirmation from German customs that the goods have left the EU. The supplier needs it as proof for an export delivery free of German VAT. We obtain it and send it to you and the supplier.
Do you prepare the commercial invoice?
Yes, from the supplier's invoice and delivery note, with HS codes, values, origin and your importer details, in English.
What is an origin statement?
A sentence on the invoice confirming EU preferential origin, used under EU trade agreements so that your customs charges reduced or zero duty. We add it where the agreement and the goods allow.
Can you also handle the import clearance in my country?
Import clearance is done by the carrier's broker or your own broker in your country. We prepare the documents so that the entry can be filed at the first attempt and tell you in advance what duty and tax to expect.
Question not listed?
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More answers for companies buying in Germany.
Destinations
Import duties, VAT, thresholds and transit times for the countries we ship to most.
One shipment or regular orders?
Tell us what needs shipping, where it is now and where it is going. A photo or a catalogue link helps. You receive a personal quote by email from the person who will handle your shipment.
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We will reply by email within one working day.
Or message us directly on Telegram:
BFF Logistics is the international shipping service of BFF Business Services GmbH (HRB 209217, Amtsgericht Hannover). We run Mail Boxes Etc. centre 0051 in Hannover, which is why our email address ends in @mbe.de.
Your contact: Michael Leikine, Managing Director. We reply within one working day, in your language: write to us in English, Spanish, French, Italian, Portuguese, Japanese, Korean, Chinese or Arabic.
Günther-Wagner-Allee 13-17, 30177 Hannover, Germany.