How to Declare EU Shipments Under the 2025 Rules
Under the 2025 EU shipping regulations, customs authorities now require far more precision in how goods and parties are declared.
Whether you're shipping as a business or an individual, your declaration must go beyond generic labels and partial contact information. If your descriptions or address details are incomplete, your shipment may be held, flagged, or rejected outright by ICS2.
To comply, it’s important to follow three key standards in your declaration: how you describe the goods, how you name the shipping party, and how you provide address information.
Goods Description
When describing your goods, you must name the exact item being shipped — not the category, use case, or commercial label.
The goal is to make the item immediately identifiable by someone unfamiliar with your business or product range, such as a customs officer. The description should focus on what the item is, not what it does or why it's being sent.
Avoid vague terms like “gift,” “accessory,” “device,” or “sample.” Instead, use clear and specific product names.
Here are a few examples:
Unacceptable Description | Acceptable Description |
Appliances | Bathroom fittings, lighting and electrical accessories. |
Battery | Lithium batteries |
Apparel | Men’s cotton T-shirts, lingerie, girls' vests, boys’ jackets |
Auto Parts | Automobile brakes, windshield glass for automobiles |
When possible, include the European Union HS code to help customs classify your item more accurately, though it’s not mandatory in every case.