Frequently asked Questions

You are free to contact us via our Contact Form.

We are located in 16 countries worldwide.

Spring Global Delivery Solutions offers international distribution solutions for businesses. If you are interested in our services please contact us.

It depends on the country of destination and shipment value, as well as the clearance mode:

1. A customs form is not required for deliveries inside the European Union.

2. For non-EU to EU deliveries with a value of € 425 or less under DAP, you are required to fill out a CN22 form.

3. For non-EU to EU deliveries with a value of more than € 425 under DAP, you are required to fill out a CN23 form.

4. For non-EU to EU deliveries with a value of lower than € 150 under IOSS, a customs form is not required.

Yes, we can arrange to pick up your parcels. Rates are calculated based on for example the number of parcels or pallets to be collected, collection frequency, your location, the total weight of the shipment etc.

Please contact us to provide you with a tailored solution.

Delivery times vary depending on the country of destination.

Unfortunately, we are not able to provide information on your parcel without a tracking code. Please contact the sender to obtain your tracking number.

Your customer should track the parcel on the track & trace module. Although the couriers endeavour to deliver within the correct transit times, it is possible that on some occasions unforeseen circumstances can push the delivery date back.

If delivery cannot be completed, the driver will leave a notification with a parcel reference number. Please follow the instructions on the notification to learn the location of your parcel.

There is no need to worry. It is normal for parcels to be routed through intermediate countries. In order to show you the latest status information, we track your parcel through each of these intermediate countries.

If an item is not collected within 10 to 21 days, it will be returned to the sender. For international items, the retention period varies from post to post but the average duration ranges between 7 and 30 days.

If your customer is not at home when the parcel is being delivered, You customer will receive a notification with instructions how to collect their parcel.

There is no need to worry. It is normal for parcels to be routed through intermediate countries. In order to show you the latest status information, we track your parcel through each of these intermediate countries.

EORI stands for “Economic Operator Registration and Identification number”.

Businesses, and in some cases individuals, wishing to trade crossing EU borders use the EORI number as an identification number in all customs procedures when exchanging information with Customs administrations.

Having one single type of identification number across the EU is more efficient, both for economic operators and customs authorities. It is also more efficient for statistical purposes and security purposes.

The EORI number exists out of two parts: EORI

- the country code of the issuing Member State; followed by

- a code or number that is unique in the Member State

Business/individuals established in the customs territory of the Union should apply for the EORI number to the customs authorities of the EU country in which they are established or the HMRC for the UK.

Business/individuals not established in the customs territory of the Community should apply for the EORI number to the customs authorities of the EU country responsible for the place where they first lodge a declaration or apply for a decision. Typically it is the same country where you have a VAT registration number as the EORI number interacts with the VAT registration number.

The Harmonized Commodity Description and Coding System generally referred to as "Harmonized System" or simply "HS" is a multipurpose international product nomenclature developed by the World Customs Organization (WCO).

The HS is thus a universal economic language and code for goods, and an indispensable tool for international trade. A full list of descriptions and related HS Codes is available authorities website.

The HS contributes to the harmonization of Customs and trade procedures, and the non-documentary trade data interchange in connection with such procedures, thus reducing the costs related to international trade. A full list of description and related HS Codes is available on foreign-trade.com.

Duties consists of different taxes including but not limited to import duty and import vat.

Import duties are a trade barrier tool for countries to protect their internal market.

Simplified this means that if local production exists of a certain product, the import of a similar product is subject to import duties with a tariff of >0%. If no or limited production exists of a certain product, the import of a similar product is subject to import duties with a tariff of 0%. Import duty amount is calculated as % of the customs value of the goods.

Import VAT is a domestic consumption tax which must be paid upon importation. Exemptions of import VAT could apply.

VAT is a consumption tax imposed by the national government. Different types of VAT exist.

Upon import, import VAT applies in which case the VAT is calculated on the basis of the value of the goods, the total transportation costs, any additional costs (insurance costs, packaging costs) and customs duties (for example, import duties, excise duties and anti-dumping levies).

Upon local sales, supply VAT applies which is a standard % over the transaction value.

The VAT rate depends on the type of product. A list of VAT rates per EU country can be found here EC.

Delivery Duty Unpaid and Duty At Place. The receiver will cover VAT and import duties at destination.

DDU and DAP are incoterms. Incoterms are international commercial terms which reflect a standard set of agreements on a split on roles and responsibilities between seller and buyer.

Every 10 years a new version of incoterms is published to modernize the incoterms. DDU is often still used in the market but in fact replaced by DAP (delivered at Place) in newer versions of the incoterms.

The new rules of the European Union’s VAT e-commerce package will contain changes for both shipping goods into and within the EU.

For goods shipping into the European Union, the VAT exemption on imported products up to €22 will be abolished. This means VAT will be applicable on all goods shipped into the European Union from the first cent.

The One Stop Shop (OSS) scheme will be introduced to facilitate a simple VAT administration.

The One Stop Shop is one digital portal in which businesses can manage, declare and pay their VAT on goods imported into or shipped within the European Union. It provides businesses with one single point of contact to deal with obligations towards any of the 27 member states.

The Import One Stop Shop (IOSS) has been created to simplify the VAT administration for goods imported into the European Union, in a parcel with total value up below €150.

Switching to IOSS becomes beneficial when your business ships goods to multiple member states. In that case having a single registration to manage your VAT can add efficiency to your business process. Your business only deals the with tax authority of the member state in which you have registered for the OSS. Via the OSS your VAT payments will be distributed to the relevant member states.

Consumers may also experience great benefits of the IOSS scheme. Upon sale the consumer pays the VAT and will not be surprised by unexpected fees. Delivery including the required customs clearance will run smoothly.

You can register your business on the OSS portal of any European Union member state. To do so your business needs to have an entity in the European Union. If that is not the case, you must make use of an intermediary based in the European Union to fulfil your VAT obligations.

VAT rates worldwide vary greatly from country to country. We recommend to always check with the local tax authorities to find out the current rates.

Here are a few useful resources to help you on your way.

Wikipedia

PWC