Synopsis: This guide covers everything Indian businesses need to know about the Air Waybill: what it is, why it matters, and how to fill one in correctly. You'll also find a breakdown of the specific details required for shippers from India, practical tips for accuracy, and how to generate your DHL international Waybill quickly and easily through MyDHL+.
If you're a business in India shipping goods overseas, whether it's a Mumbai textile exporter sending fabric samples to a buyer in Germany, or a Bengaluru tech firm dispatching hardware to a client in Singapore, every shipment you send internationally requires an Air Waybill.
An Air Waybill (or “Waybill”) is a document issued by the carrier and attached to a shipment. It captures essential details, including the sender’s and recipient’s names and addresses, a description of the goods being shipped, and who is responsible for paying the duties and taxes.
Think of it as your shipment’s passport, providing customs authorities with everything they need to process and track it smoothly from origin to destination.
A Waybill supports the efficient identification, handling, and accountability of your shipment at every stage of the international shipping process, from the moment it leaves your premises in India to its delivery overseas. Here is why your Waybill is important:
The international Waybill acts as a formal agreement between you, the shipper, and the carrier, documenting the key terms of your shipment: what is being transported, how, and by whom. This means that from the moment your goods are collected to the moment they are delivered, both parties have a clear, shared record of what was agreed.
Once a shipment has been delivered, the Waybill acts as evidence that the goods arrived at their destination in the condition described. This gives you and your buyer a record that supports smooth post-delivery reconciliation and builds long-term trust.
The Waybill also serves as an invoice for the carrier service, recording the agreed freight charges and, critically, which party is responsible for payment. This is determined by whether the shipment is set up as Duties & Taxes Paid (DTP) or Duties & Taxes Unpaid (DTU), which will be covered in more detail below.
Every international air waybill carries a unique AWB number and barcode that allows the shipment to be tracked in real time throughout its journey. DHL uses this to power DHL’s AWB tracking, allowing both you and your recipient to monitor the shipment's location and estimated delivery time at every stage. Simply key in your international waybill number in MyDHL+ to track your shipment.
The responsibility for filling out a Waybill lies with the sender of the shipment, and with DHL Express, generating one is straightforward.
When you book a shipment online with DHL Express, you can generate your Waybill using DHL's international shipping tool, MyDHL+.You will be required to enter shipment details, including the recipient’s information, before your Waybill is automatically generated and ready to print.
Have all your shipment details to hand before you begin, as accuracy at this stage is essential for smooth customs clearance at the destination.
Knowing how to create a Waybill correctly is one of the most important steps in preparing an international shipment. Each field on the Waybill serves a specific purpose, and incomplete or inaccurate information can result in customs delays or additional charges. Here is a breakdown of every how to fill in a Waybill:
Include your full name or business name, address, contact number, email address, and company information. This must match the details registered with your carrier account and, for Indian businesses, should align with your tax and export compliance records.
Fill the Waybill with the full name, address, contact number, email, and company information of the recipient at the destination. Ensure the destination address is complete and accurate, including postcode and country, to avoid misrouting.
This refers to the name and details of the carrier handling the shipment. If you are using DHL shipping, this is typically populated automatically when you generate your international Waybill through MyDHL+.
Include a clear, specific description of the items being shipped. Precise descriptions like “cotton woven fabric samples" or "printed circuit board assemblies" as opposed to "goods" or "items" are necessary to assess and process your shipment correctly.
The declared customs value of the shipment, typically in USD or the currency of the transaction, should be included as well. This figure is used by customs authorities to assess applicable duties and taxes.
Include the total number of packages, the gross weight of the shipment, and the dimensions of each package. Accurate measurements are essential for calculating freight charges and ensuring your shipment is handled correctly.
Include the IATA airport codes for the origin and destination airports. For example, BOM for Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport and FRA for Frankfurt.
Add any specific requirements for how the shipment should be handled in transit. Common examples include "Fragile," "Keep Upright," or "Dangerous Goods." If your shipment contains hazardous materials, this field is mandatory and must comply with IATA Dangerous Goods Regulations.
You must specify whether your shipment is:
This is an important commercial decision that should be agreed upon with your buyer before shipping.
In addition to the standard fields above, Indian businesses and individual shippers have specific compliance requirements that must be reflected on the Waybill. These include:
Getting your Waybill right the first time saves time, avoids delays, and keeps your customers happy. Keep these best practices in mind every time you ship:
A Waybill is a critical piece of your export documentation, but it is not the only one. To clear your goods through customs, you will also need:
For Indian exporters, additional documents such as a Shipping Bill (filed with Indian Customs via the ICEGATE portal) and, where applicable, a Letter of Undertaking (LUT) for GST-exempt exports may also be required.
For businesses ready to ship internationally from India, MyDHL+ makes the process straightforward. As DHL's all-in-one shipping platform, MyDHL+ gives you everything you need in one place:
As an expert international shipping service, DHL Express can guide you through all aspects of customs clearance, including completing necessary paperwork, so your goods get to where they need to be without delay.
The Waybill is provided by the carrier. When you use DHL’s global shipping services, your international Waybill is automatically generated once you have entered all required shipment details. As the sender, you are responsible for ensuring that the information you provide is complete and accurate before the Waybill is issued.
Watch out for these common mistakes:
A DHL Waybill is the full shipping document containing all your shipment details: sender and recipient information, goods description, declared value, handling instructions, and duty payment terms. A shipping label is the physical sticker affixed to your package, displaying the key Waybill information in a condensed, scannable format, including the barcode used for DHL AWB tracking internationally. When you generate your Waybill through MyDHL+, the label is produced in the same step, ready to print and attach.
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