How to fill out a declaration of origin
A declaration of origin is your own signed statement of where goods were made, without a chamber of commerce involved. It is faster and free, and it is accepted wherever the destination and the buyer do not require third-party certification — which is more often than people assume, and not always.
The 15 fields on a declaration of origin
Taken from the document itself, in the order it prints them.
- Document No.
- Date
- PO Reference
- Shipper / Exporter
The party making the declaration, and the one answerable for it. Where you are a trader rather than the producer, you are relying on your supplier's word and carry the consequence if it was wrong.
- Consignee
- Invoice No.
What ties this statement to a consignment. A declaration with no invoice reference is a general assertion rather than evidence for a shipment.
- B/L / AWB No.
The transport document, so the declaration can be matched to what actually moved.
- Container No.
Where relevant, tying the statement to a specific box.
- Description of Goods
Matching the commercial invoice exactly. The declaration attaches to specific goods, and a description that differs from the invoice is a description of something else.
- Country of Origin
Where the goods were wholly obtained or last substantially transformed. Not where they shipped from, and not where your company is registered. Goods made in Vietnam, warehoused in Singapore and sold to Rotterdam originate in Vietnam.
- Name
- Title
- Company
On letterhead, signed. Self-certified does not mean informal — the document's value is that a named company stands behind it.
- Place
- Date
A working declaration of origin, prefilled with a sample shipment. Every field above is editable here, and it downloads as a PDF.
The exporter of the products covered by this document declares that, except where otherwise clearly indicated, these products are of preferential origin. The exporter accepts responsibility for the accuracy of this declaration and undertakes to produce supporting evidence to the customs authorities on request.
Your entries are kept as you move between documents: the parties, ports, container and line items all carry across.
It claims no duty preference
A declaration of origin is non-preferential. It states origin; it does not claim a reduced rate under a trade agreement. A preference claim needs that agreement's own instrument — a USMCA certification, an EUR.1, an origin declaration in the specific form the agreement prescribes. Presenting this document for a preference claim gets the claim refused, and the saving was usually the point.
When a chamber stamp is required instead
Many destinations accept self-certification for general purposes. Others require a certificate of origin stamped by a chamber of commerce, and a smaller set additionally require consular legalisation on top. The question that gets a useful answer from a buyer is not \u201cdo you need a certificate of origin\u201d — the term is used loosely — but \u201cdoes it need to be stamped by a chamber of commerce\u201d.
Substantial transformation, briefly
Where materials come from several countries, origin sits where the last substantial transformation happened: usually a change of HS classification at four or six digits, sometimes a percentage of local value, applied per tariff heading. Repackaging, labelling, simple assembly and dilution never confer origin, however much work they involve.
+Is a declaration of origin as good as a certificate?
Where the destination accepts self-certification, yes, and it is faster and free. Where certification is required, it is not a substitute.
+Can I declare origin for goods I did not manufacture?
Yes, on the basis of your supplier's information — and you carry the consequence if they were wrong. Get their declaration in writing first.
+Does it need notarising?
Not normally. Someone asking for notarisation is usually reaching for chamber certification, which is a different document.
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 declaration of origin generator