Before starting your international shipping journey from Ireland, you will need a DHL Express Account. A DHL Express account offers many advantages – including preferred pricing, online import/export shipping tools, and access to DHL tools designed to help simplify the complexities of international shipping.

Plus, free shipping supplies delivered right to your door.

Request an account now.

An important step in the international shipping process is classifying your commodity. The calculation of duties depends on the assessable value of a dutiable shipment. For the purpose of determining this estimate, dutiable goods in the shipment are given a classification code (up to ten digits) known as either:

• Harmonized Tariff Schedule (HTS) code,

• Export Control Classification Number (ECCN) or 

• Schedule B number. 

When determining a classification code, commodity descriptions might appear to be similar, but they can have significantly different rates of duty. This step is key to knowing how to ship correctly.

Learn more about classifying your shipment commodity

The next step in your international shipping checklist is selecting the appropriate DHL service. All DHL Express services are time-definite and offer secure door-to-door delivery service of goods and documents to and from virtually every country in the world. 

Whether you need your shipments delivered early morning or by the end of the working day, DHL’s import and export services offer full track-and-trace visibility so you always know where your shipments are throughout the process.

Export services

DHL provides door-to-door international export delivery of important time-sensitive documents and non-document shipments by the next possible business day.

Learn more about Export Services

Import services

DHL Time Definite Import Services allow you to import shipments from around the world by a specific time or the end of the next possible business day.

Learn more about Import Services

As part of your international shipping checklist, calculating costs and transit times is essential. Whether you are importing or exporting, DHL makes it simple for you to calculate a shipping rate quote with the service options of your choice, as well as find up-to-date transit times.

Getting a rate quote online is easy. You’ll need the following:

• Your DHL Express account number

• Your package origin and destination details

• The package scale weight and dimensions (length x width x height). 

Dimensions are used to calculate Volumetric Weight. Shipping charges are based on the greater of the shipment’s actual weight or volumetric weight. 

All available DHL Express services – with a guaranteed delivery date and estimated charges – will be presented. If you do not have a DHL Express account, rates as published in the DHL Express Service and Rate Guide apply.

As part of your international shipping checklist, a “landed cost estimate” — a calculation of the total amount you can expect to pay for transit costs and insurance charges — will be important. Your landed cost estimate should also account for applied duties, taxes, and fees for the commodities being shipped. This helps you grasp the full cost of the shipping process.

Diverse and ever-changing trade regulations and requirements in different parts of the world create complexities and challenges in shipping. Designed to help simplify things, the DHL Trade Automation Services (TAS) solution provides total visibility on critical detailed trade information, all streamlined and customizable to meet your particular needs. 

To ensure your goods are transported as efficiently as possible, TAS provides access to millions of trade rules, giving you the information you need to ensure that your Customs paperwork is filled out completely and accurately – and provide a precise landed-cost estimate for your international shipments.

Your DHL Express Waybill contains all the information DHL needs to know to keep your shipment moving smoothly through the process. All DHL online shipping solutions make it easy to prepare your international shipment. By creating your waybill online, you will have visibility to missing or incomplete information, as well as be advised of applicable DHL services.

A Commercial Invoice is the first international document that you prepare as an exporter – for dutiable shipments. It serves as a bill for the goods from the importer to the exporter and is evidence of the transaction.

Exporting: Some additional required and special case documents may be required for exporting. Examples include Electronic Export Information (EEI) – for high-value shipments, Certificates of Origin, and other Special Case Documents.

Learn more about required documents for exporting

Importing: A variety of required documents are required for importing in to the U.S. and other countries. Examples include a Certificate of Origin, Packing List, Power of Attorney, Licenses, Permits, Carnets, and more.

Learn more about required documents for importing

When a shipment enters or leaves the country, Customs reviews the accompanying paperwork to ensure the shipper has followed all the appropriate rules and regulations.

Before handing over your shipments to DHL, making sure you’ve filled out the paperwork properly and completely will help avoid delays in the Customs process.

To help ensure faster Customs clearance, be sure to:

• Provide all necessary documents

• List each commodity separately with accurate descriptions

• Check for consistency across all documents

• Make sure documents are clearly written, typed or electronically submitted

• Provide as much detailed information as possible

• Confirm that all associated costs are correct

• Ensure that receiving country or person is not on a Denied Parties list

Learn more about clearing Customs for exporting
Learn more about clearing Customs for importing