Postal Shipments Abroad
If you are sending goods to countries outside Finland, international regulations require you to provide detailed advance information about the contents of your postal shipments. This applies to both letters and parcels.
International Regulations for Shipments of Goods
Since Åland is outside the EU's taxation and customs union, Åland Post collects information about the contents of goods shipments sent abroad. This information is forwarded to the postal operator responsible for delivering the shipments to the destination country. We do this to ensure a smooth delivery chain and to comply with international requirements. For example, customs and border protection authorities in the United States have implemented stricter controls on international postal shipments.
Customs Label and parcel bill
When sending goods abroad, you as the sender must attach a customs label (CN22/CN23) or a parcel bill (CP87) on your shipment. You can obtain these labels at our post offices and postal agents, or download them from our website.
Information collected from customs labels and parcel bills:
1. Sender's name and full address
2. Recipient's name and full address
3. Detailed description of the item in English, including the quantity (e.g.: men’s cotton shirt, 2 pcs).
4. Weight of each item in kilograms, e.g the shirts in the example above: : 0,300 kg per shirt.
5. Value and currency of each item, e.g. EUR 20.10.
6. Total weight of the shipment
7. Customs commodity code:
- Outside the EU: the commodity code must always be provided.
- Within the EU: the commodity code must be provided if required by the destination country.
- Commercial shipments: use the eight-digit customs tariff number.
- Private individuals: a commodity code should also be included for shipments between private individuals.
8. Country of origin (optional). This information is especially important for commercial shipments.
9. Total value and currency of the shipment (optional)
Important! Missing or incomplete information may result in delays or the shipment being returned from the destination country.