How to fill out a certificate of origin
A certificate of origin states where goods were produced, which decides the duty rate they attract and whether they are admissible at all. Origin is not where the shipment sailed from and it is not where the seller is registered — it is where the goods were wholly obtained or last substantially transformed. Most rejected certificates fail on that distinction alone.
The 11 fields on a certificate of origin
Taken from the document itself, in the order it prints them.
- Shipper / Exporter
The exporter, named as the party making the origin declaration. This is who is answerable for it, so it should be the entity that can actually evidence where the goods were made.
- Country of Origin
The heart of the document. Where the goods were wholly obtained or last substantially transformed — not the port of loading, not the seller's country. For assembled goods this turns on the rule of origin for that tariff heading, which is usually a change of classification or a percentage of local value.
- Document No.
- Consignee
The importer at destination. Where the certificate supports a preferential duty claim, this name has to match the one on the customs entry.
- Method of Dispatch
Sea, air, road or rail, with the routing. Chambers of commerce check this against the transport document before stamping.
- Notes
Where a letter of credit demands particular wording, it goes here verbatim. Banks reject on paraphrase.
- Name
- Title
- Place
- Date
- Company
The company standing behind the declaration, which may be the exporter or an agent acting for them. A chamber will ask for evidence of authority before certifying an agent's signature.
The line-item columns
One row per product. Columns can be hidden, renamed or added in the generator.
- Item #
- Marks & Numbers
Ties the certificate to specific packages rather than to a general class of goods, which is what makes it evidence for this shipment.
- Pkgs
- Pkg Type
- Description
Must match the commercial invoice. A chamber compares the two documents before stamping and will refuse where the descriptions differ.
- HS Code
Needed because rules of origin are written per tariff heading. Without it, nobody at destination can check whether the origin claimed is the origin the rule produces.
- Qty
- Unit
- Gross Wt
Reconciles against the packing list and the transport document. Another figure the chamber checks.
A working certificate of origin, prefilled with a sample shipment. Every field above is editable here, and it downloads as a PDF.
| 6 Item No. | Marks & Numbers | No. of Pkgs | Kind of Packages | Description of Goods | HS Code | 7 Quantity | Unit | Gross Weight (KG) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
It is hereby certified, on the basis of control carried out, that the declaration by the exporter is correct and that the goods described above originate in .
Your entries are kept as you move between documents: the parties, ports, container and line items all carry across.
Preferential against non-preferential
A non-preferential certificate simply states origin, and is used for quotas, statistics, labelling rules and embargo checks. A preferential one claims a reduced duty rate under a trade agreement, and must be issued in that agreement's own form — an EUR.1 movement certificate, a Form A, a USMCA certification. This generator produces the general non-preferential certificate; a preference claim needs the specific instrument, and presenting the wrong one loses the rate.
When you need a chamber of commerce stamp
For a plain non-preferential certificate, many destinations accept a self-issued declaration. Others require certification by a chamber of commerce, and a smaller set — several Middle Eastern markets in particular — additionally require consular legalisation on top of the chamber stamp. Find out which applies before the goods ship, because the legalisation chain can take longer than the voyage.
Substantial transformation, in practice
If a product is made from materials from several countries, origin is where the last substantial transformation happened. What counts as substantial is defined per tariff heading: usually a change in HS classification at four or six digits, sometimes a minimum percentage of local value added. Repackaging, labelling, simple assembly and dilution do not confer origin, however much work they involve.
+Who issues a certificate of origin?
The exporter completes it, and depending on the destination it is either self-certified or stamped by a chamber of commerce. The chamber certifies the signature and the consistency of the paperwork, not the underlying origin — that remains the exporter's responsibility.
+Is the country of origin the same as the country of export?
Often, but not always, and treating them as identical is the usual mistake. Goods manufactured in Vietnam and shipped from Singapore originate in Vietnam.
+Can one certificate cover several countries of origin?
Yes, provided the origin of each line is stated against that line. A single header origin on a mixed consignment is a misdeclaration.
+How long is a certificate of origin valid?
A non-preferential certificate relates to one shipment and has no separate validity. Preferential instruments do have time limits — a USMCA blanket certification, for example, may cover up to twelve months.
Judge it by the document, not the feature list.
Everything above is already on the form. Fill it in and download the PDF — no account needed.
Open the certificate of origin generator