Export Declaration: Your exports to third countries, fully processed

The export declaration is the electronic customs declaration used to move your goods out of the EU customs territory toward a third country, covering everything from the description of goods and the customs tariff number to the chosen office of exit. At Mönig, we handle this part entirely: we check your documents, assist with the customs tariff number, create and submit the declaration, handle communication with customs authorities, and monitor the process until the Exit Summary Advice is issued—the proof that your goods have actually left the EU. In 2025, we processed around 600 export declarations, primarily to the UK, Switzerland, Hong Kong, Serbia, Ukraine, and the USA. You don’t need your own customs department for this. You just need a power of attorney, complete product details, and a contact person who knows your shipments.

In 2025, Germany exported goods worth 1,569.6 billion euros, one percent more than the previous year, with 80.2 billion euros of that going to the United Kingdom alone (Federal Statistical Office). Behind every one of these shipments is a declaration that must be correct to ensure the goods continue moving across the border as planned.

What we handle for your export processing

The more complete your information is when it reaches us, the faster the customs declaration will be. Your effort is limited to documents that are generated in-house anyway.

Documents we need from you

  • Power of attorney, provided by us, completed and signed
  • Commercial invoice and packing list
  • Number of packages and weights
  • Precise description of goods including the nature of the goods
  • Customs tariff number, if already known to you
  • Desired office of exit, i.e., the customs office through which the goods leave the EU

Steps we take care of

We check your documents for completeness and plausibility and assist in determining the customs tariff number if it is still missing. We then create and submit the export declaration, handle communication with the customs authorities, and process their inquiries. We monitor the export process until completion and provide you with the Exit Summary Advice as proof of completion, which you need for your accounting and to prove tax-free export delivery. Your invoices show prices, customers, and conditions—information that is no one else’s business. We treat all documents you provide to us confidentially and do not pass them on to uninvolved third parties. We only transmit to the customs authorities what is necessary for the declaration of your export.

How your export declaration works

You can see where your shipment stands at every point because a dedicated contact person accompanies the process. Formally, an export runs in a two-stage export procedure: it is opened at the customs office of export and closed at the customs office of exit, through which the goods leave the customs territory of the Union.

01

Inquiry and power of attorney

You describe the shipment, destination country, and deadline to us, and we provide the power of attorney.

02

Document review

We review the invoice, packing list, and product details and clarify any open points before the declaration is sent out.

03

export declaration

The declaration is made electronically via ATLAS Export, the IT procedure of the customs administration, using the Dakosy customs software in our case. Electronic declaration is mandatory throughout the EU, regardless of whether the goods travel by truck, ship, plane, or rail.

04

Export Accompanying Document

After release, you will receive the Export Accompanying Document, or EAD. It accompanies the shipment to the customs office of exit and bears the MRN, the registration number under which your transaction is managed by customs.

05

Exit Summary Advice

As soon as the customs office of exit has confirmed the exit, the customs office of export creates the Exit Summary Advice. If we include your email address in the declaration, it will reach you automatically without you having to ask.

How quickly is your export declaration ready?

With complete and correctly prepared documents, we usually process your export declaration at short notice and with high priority. We handle standard processes quickly thanks to well-established workflows, and we also reliably process complex shipments with many items. How long it takes in individual cases depends on the scope and complexity of the shipment and how completely the documents reach us. You should be aware of one special feature when scheduling: if the goods are presented outside the customs office premises, the customs office usually only provides the Export Accompanying Document on the following working day. The prerequisite is that the declaration was submitted at least two hours before the closing time of the responsible customs office. If you need the EAD on the same day, the goods must be presented at the customs office on-site.

Customs tariff numbers, preferences, and export control

Finding the right commodity code

The most common uncertainty for our export customers concerns the classification of goods. The customs tariff number determines which regulations apply to your shipment and whether a permit is required. We check your details based on the description of the goods, their nature, and intended use, and assist in determining the appropriate number. If we have correct customs tariff numbers and complete product details, we also check whether export control requirements apply as part of the processing. If the check indicates that an export license might be necessary, we will inform you and identify the required steps. The decision on the licensing requirement itself is made by the Federal Office for Economic Affairs and Export Control.

Where our support ends

We tell you in advance what we do not handle so that you can plan for it in time:

  • Export licenses are not applied for by us, nor are registrations in the F-gas portal or for CBAM.
  • Certificates of origin cannot be applied for by customs agencies. Your company handles this itself at the responsible Chamber of Industry and Commerce. We are happy to tell you which documents are required and what the process looks like.
  • Preference calculations must be carried out by your company itself. We will explain the process to you and, upon request, provide a template for the calculation table. A proof of preference such as the EUR.1 movement certificate is the prerequisite for your customer in the destination country to benefit from a reduced customs rate.
  • Approved Exporter: we do not hold this status; we declare your shipments using the normal procedure.

Import, export, and transit: customs from a single source

The value of joint management of customs and transport is demonstrated by a mechanical engineering customer for whom we organized the export of a packaging machine to Switzerland. The system was so large that the transport had to be split across three trucks, which required close coordination between customs and dispatch. In addition to the export declaration in Germany, we coordinated the import clearance at the Swiss border via a Swiss customs agent. The machine reached the recipient on time, without any downtime at the border.

If goods come into the country in the opposite direction, we handle the import processing just as completely: checking the documents, import declaration, and the import duties, which we pay to the Federal Treasury via our deferment account. If a shipment passes through several countries before reaching its destination, we open the transit procedure transit procedure, under which the goods remain uncleared until the customs office of destination. We also handle inward and outward processing in the same department and with the same systems.

Because customs, transport, and warehouse are located in the same building, there are no interfaces where information can be lost. For machines and other bulky goods, we provide Complete loads without reloading. Shipments to Hong Kong or the USA run via our Sea freight. For spirits, wine, and beer, our excise warehouse with EMCS connection is available, where goods remain under tax suspension.

Why Mönig for your export?

Your export in experienced hands

An export declaration with Mönig means: you provide the power of attorney and product details, and we handle the review, declaration, communication with authorities, and monitoring until the Exit Summary Advice is issued. Behind this is a dedicated customs department, around 600 export declarations a year, and a company that has been integrating transport, warehouse, and customs since 1957. If you want to have your export declaration created instead of building up your own customs expertise, you’ve come to the right place.

Describe your shipment to us with the destination country, type of goods, and deadline, and we will get back to you with a specific proposal.

Frequently asked questions about export declarations

Which documents do you need for an export declaration?
Generally, we need a signed power of attorney, the commercial invoice, and a packing list, as well as precise details about the goods: description of goods, nature, weights, and number of packages. If you know the customs tariff number, please provide it. In addition, there is the desired office of exit through which the shipment leaves the EU.
Then we will determine it together with you. Based on your product details, the nature, and the intended use, we assist in determining and checking the appropriate customs tariff number. This way, you avoid inquiries from the customs office. The binding decision on classification is made by the customs authority.

In principle, electronic declaration is mandatory throughout the EU. For small shipments up to 1,000 euros or 1,000 kilograms of net mass, an oral declaration at the customs office of exit is possible, provided no prohibitions or restrictions apply. Splitting a shipment into partial shipments to stay below the value limit is not permitted.

Yes. As soon as the exit is confirmed, the Exit Summary Advice is created and sent to you automatically if we include your email address in the declaration. It is your proof of completion of the proper export and also serves as evidence for the tax office.
We handle those. We are in direct contact with the customs authorities, clarify open points, and get in touch with you as soon as we need information or a document from your side. The goal is to complete the process quickly so that your shipment stays on schedule.
Mönig treats all documents you provide to us for customs clearance confidentially and does not pass them on to uninvolved third parties. Only the information that the customs authorities need for the declaration of your export is transmitted. Invoice values, customer data, and product details remain with the employees processing your transaction.