Individuals can also declare other consignments than postal parcels online – in case of exceptions, you can declare the goods on a form or at a customs office

The majority of our customers use our e-services and declare their consignments themselves. In January, more than 99 per cent of customs declarations lodged by private individuals were submitted via the Import Declaration Service for private persons. Although the volumes of e-commerce have grown, there are few who still visit a customs office to declare their consignments. Using e-services is the fastest and easiest way to declare goods.

Besides Posti, goods are also carried by many other transport companies. By now, most of our private customers also declare these consignments online using the Import Declaration Service for private persons, through which most goods can easily be declared from home. In cases where customers cannot use e-services, they can submit the declaration using a form, for example at a customs office. 

- The declaration can usually always be submitted online from home or on a declaration form at a customs office in cases where customers want to submit the declaration themselves. We do not leave our customers in trouble. A consignment can be declared with our help even if the customer is not able to use e-services. If a customer needs help and does not have the necessary digital devices, we will still be there to assist that person at one of our customer service points offering customs clearance services, says senior customs officer Nadja Painokallio.

At the customs offices you can declare live animals, removal goods, burial urns, diplomatic consignments or certain other goods imported for special situations, such as goods admitted temporarily for a fair. 

There are alternatives for submitting the customs declaration

To use the Import Declaration Service, you need online banking codes, a mobile certificate or a certificate card. If you cannot use the e-service, there are various options for submitting the customs declaration. For example, you can authorise another person to submit the declaration, or you can buy the customs clearance as a service from the transport company. If a customer has a disability, such as a visual impairment, an officer at the customs office can help with filling in the declaration.

If the customer does not have a device needed for submitting an online declaration, the customs offices have computers that customers can use for this purpose. Customs’ staff will assist in using the service if needed.  

You can find more information about other service alternatives on the Customs website.

More information
Nadja Painokallio, Senior Customs Officer, tel. 040 332 7577, nadja.painokallio(at)tulli.fi