An international order typically generates more paperwork than a domestic one — the shipping label itself, plus customs declaration forms, and sometimes additional documentation required by the destination country. Unlike a domestic label, where the extra content is just an invoice you can crop away, international customs paperwork often needs to physically travel with the parcel, not just be filed for your own records.
Understanding what needs to go where
- The shipping label itself needs to be printed and affixed to the parcel, the same as any domestic shipment.
- Customs declaration forms often need to be either attached to the outside of the parcel in a clear pouch, or enclosed inside, depending on the courier and destination country's specific requirements.
- Any additional required documentation (a commercial invoice, for certain goods or destinations) may need to travel with the parcel as well.
Steps
- Download the full label and customs documentation set from your courier or marketplace.
- Identify which pages are the shipping label and which are customs paperwork, checking your specific courier's guidance on how each should be handled.
- If the shipping label needs cropping to a thermal size, use Split PDF to separate it from the rest before cropping, since the automated marketplace label croppers are built around domestic label formats and may not handle an international document's different structure correctly.
- Print the label and the required customs paperwork separately, following your courier's specific instructions for how each should be attached to or included with the parcel.
Why international label formats differ from domestic ones
Domestic shipping labels from a given marketplace generally follow a consistent, predictable layout, which is what the dedicated marketplace label croppers are built around. International shipments often involve a different combination of forms, sometimes from the courier directly rather than the marketplace, and the layout can vary more by courier and destination, making a one-size-fits-all automated crop less reliable than for a standard domestic label.
Checking your specific courier's requirements before printing
Different couriers have different specific requirements for how customs paperwork should be presented — some want it in an external pouch, others require it printed on a specific paper type, and requirements can vary further by destination country. Check your courier's current guidance for international shipments specifically, rather than assuming the same approach that works for a domestic label applies.
Keeping accurate records for international shipments specifically
International shipments often carry additional record-keeping importance, given customs and export requirements that do not apply to domestic orders. Keep the full original documentation set, not just the shipping label, filed in your records, following the general approach in our guide to storing and reprinting shipping labels, extended here to include the customs paperwork as well.
What to do if a shipment is delayed or held at customs
If an international shipment is delayed or held, having your complete original documentation on hand — the label, the customs declaration, any additional forms — makes it considerably easier to respond to a courier or customs query accurately and quickly, compared to trying to reconstruct what was actually included in the shipment from memory.
Handling a batch of international orders alongside domestic ones
If you process both domestic and international orders in the same session, handle them as clearly separate batches, given how differently their paperwork needs to be treated, following the same principle covered in our guide to choosing the right label crop tool for your marketplace, extended here to the domestic-versus-international distinction rather than just marketplace differences.
Double-checking customs-related fields before printing
International shipments typically carry additional customs documentation alongside the label itself, and it's worth confirming those details are correct and consistent with the label before printing anything, since a mismatch between a customs form and the shipping label can cause delays at a border checkpoint that a purely domestic shipment would never encounter. Cross-check the recipient's address and any declared value between both documents specifically, since these are the fields most likely to cause a hold-up if inconsistent.
Keeping international orders visually distinct in your workflow
If you handle a mix of domestic and international orders, keeping them visually separated in your own printing and packing workflow — a different coloured folder, a distinct section of your desk, whatever works for your setup — reduces the risk of an international order's extra paperwork getting separated from its package during a busy processing session.
Keeping a record of international shipments separately
Given the extra documentation and occasional complications international shipments can involve, keeping a simple separate log of these specific orders — tracking numbers, customs values, dates sent — makes it easier to follow up on any that run into a delay, compared to searching through your full order history to find the relevant international ones.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use the standard marketplace label cropper for an international shipment?
It may not handle the different layout reliably; check the result carefully, and consider manual splitting if the automated crop does not look correct.
Does customs paperwork need to be printed in colour?
This varies by courier and destination; check your specific courier's current requirements rather than assuming.
Should I keep a copy of the customs declaration for my own records?
Yes, keep the complete documentation set filed, not just the shipping label, particularly for international shipments given their additional record-keeping importance.
What if my courier's requirements differ from what I have described here?
Always follow your specific courier's current stated requirements over general guidance, since these can vary and change.
Does this apply the same way to every destination country?
Requirements can vary by destination; check the specific requirements for the country you are shipping to.
Is there a risk in getting international paperwork wrong?
Yes, incorrect or incomplete customs paperwork can delay or complicate a shipment at the border; following your courier's specific guidance carefully is worth the extra care.
Are the tools used to prepare these documents free?
Yes. No sign-up, no watermark, and files are removed from the server automatically about an hour after processing.