9 Documents to Export Freight from the Baltics

The documents for export a Baltic shipment usually come down to nine: a commercial invoice, a packing list, a CMR, an export declaration, and a handful of conditional ones (certificate of origin, EUR.1, licences, dangerous-goods paperwork, insurance). Get those four core papers right and matching each other, and 90% of loads clear without a single phone call. Get one figure out of line and you wait at the border. This guide walks through each one, who issues it, and the mistakes that cost you a day.

General information only - not customs, tax or legal advice.

The 9-document export checklist (table)

Here is the full export documents checklist for a typical road shipment leaving Lithuania, Latvia or Estonia. The first four are needed on almost every load; the rest depend on destination, goods, and value.

#	Document	Who issues it	When you need it
1	Commercial invoice	You (the seller/exporter)	Every export outside the EU; useful internally for EU moves
2	Packing list	You (the exporter)	Every shipment with more than one package or mixed goods
3	CMR consignment note	You / forwarder / carrier	Every cross-border road shipment under the CMR Convention
4	Export declaration (EX1)	You or a customs broker	Every export of EU goods to a non-EU country
5	EORI number	National customs (once)	Any business doing customs formalities - register once, reuse
6	Certificate of origin	Chamber of commerce	When the buyer or destination customs asks for proof of origin
7	EUR.1 / origin declaration	Customs / on the invoice	Preferential tariff under an EU trade agreement
8	Licences / permits	Relevant authority	Dual-use, food, controlled goods (case by case)
9	Insurance certificate / ADR docs	Insurer / shipper	Insured cargo; dangerous goods (ADR) on the road

For an EU-to-EU move (say Vilnius to Hamburg), you mainly need the CMR plus an invoice and packing list - no export declaration, because the goods stay in the customs union. The moment your destination is outside the EU (Vilnius to Oslo, Klaipėda to a UK port), items 1-4 all become live.

A quick worked example

A pallet of furniture parts, Vilnius to Oslo (Norway, outside the EU):

Goods value: EUR 6,400
Weight: 820 kg gross, 760 kg net
Packaging: 2 EUR pallets, 1.6 LDM, stretch-wrapped
Transit: ~3 days door to door
Documents: commercial invoice, packing list, CMR, export declaration (EX1), and an EUR.1 to claim the preferential rate under the EU-Norway agreement

Skip the EUR.1 here and the importer may pay duty that the trade agreement would have removed - a direct cost passed straight back to your buyer.

Commercial invoice - what customs needs to see

The commercial invoice for export is the single document customs leans on most. It tells them what is moving, who owns it, what it is worth, and on what terms. A weak invoice is the number-one reason loads get held.

It must show, at minimum:

Seller and buyer - full legal names, addresses, VAT/EORI numbers
Invoice number and date
Goods description - plain, specific, no internal codes
HS (commodity) code for each line
Quantity, unit price, line total, and currency (EUR-first for Baltic exporters)
Incoterms with the named place - e.g. "FCA Vilnius" or "DAP Oslo". If you are unsure which term shifts customs and cost responsibility, the Incoterms reference breaks down who pays for what
Country of origin of the goods
Total invoice value and gross/net weight

The invoice value drives duty and import VAT at the destination. Round numbers that do not reconcile with your packing list or declaration are an instant red flag.

Packing list - and why it must match the invoice

The packing list export document breaks the shipment down physically: how many boxes, what is in each one, the weights and dimensions. Customs and the carrier use it to verify the load without opening every carton.

The golden rule: the packing list and the commercial invoice must agree. Same number of items, same descriptions, same weights. If the invoice says 760 kg net and the packing list says 740 kg, an inspector now has a reason to pull the load apart.

A clean packing list shows:

Invoice number it refers to (so they travel as a pair)
Number and type of packages (pallets, cartons, crates)
Contents per package
Net and gross weight per package and in total
Dimensions / volume and LDM where relevant
Markings on each package

Paperwork ready? Send the lane to your carriers as an RFQ in 60 seconds and let them quote against the same package and weight figures you put on the docs.

CMR - the road consignment note

The CMR document is the contract of carriage for international road transport under the CMR Convention, which Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia all sign up to. It is not proof of ownership - it proves the goods were handed to a carrier, in what condition, and where they are going. The signed CMR on delivery is your evidence the load arrived.

A CMR is usually printed in three or four copies: one for the sender, one for the carrier, one travelling with the goods to the consignee. Key boxes to fill correctly:

Box 1-3: sender, consignee, place of delivery
Box 5: documents attached (list your invoice and packing list here)
Box 6-12: goods description, packages, weight, volume - these must match your invoice and packing list
Box 13: sender's instructions (customs, special handling)
Box 16-17: carrier and any successive carriers
Box 21-24: place, date, and the three signatures (sender, carrier, consignee)

Box 24 - the consignee's signature on delivery - is what closes the loop. Without it you have no clean proof of delivery if a claim comes up. Use a clean, complete CMR template so no box gets left blank at the loading dock.

Three numbers - weight, packages, goods description - appear on the invoice, the packing list, and the CMR. Keeping all three identical across all three documents is the whole game.

Certificate of origin, EUR.1, and when you need them

These two get confused, but they do different jobs.

Certificate of origin states where the goods were actually made. It is issued by your national chamber of commerce (in Lithuania, Latvia or Estonia) and is requested when the buyer's bank, a letter of credit, or destination customs wants formal proof of origin. It does not, by itself, reduce duty.

EUR.1 movement certificate (or an "origin declaration" printed on the invoice for smaller consignments) is what unlocks a preferential, lower or zero tariff under an EU free-trade agreement - with Norway, the UK, Switzerland, Turkey and many others. This is the document that saves your importer money.

	Certificate of origin	EUR.1 / origin declaration
Purpose	Proves where goods were made	Claims preferential (reduced) duty
Issued by	Chamber of commerce	Customs (or self-declared on invoice)
Effect on duty	None directly	Can cut duty to a lower or zero rate
When	Buyer / customs requests it	There is a trade agreement to use

A quick rule of thumb: certificate of origin proves where, EUR.1 saves money. On the Vilnius-to-Oslo example above, the EUR.1 is the difference between your buyer paying duty or not.

General information only - not customs, tax or legal advice. Origin rules are technical; confirm the specific rule for your goods with a broker.

Export declaration and EORI basics

The export declaration (the EX1 / export accompanying document, MRN) is the formal notice to customs that goods are leaving the EU customs territory. For any export from the Baltics to a non-EU country, this is mandatory. You can lodge it yourself through the national customs system or - far more common - have a customs broker or your forwarder file it for you.

Before you can declare anything, you need an EORI number (Economic Operators Registration and Identification). It is a one-time registration with your national customs authority, free, and reused on every shipment afterwards. No EORI, no declaration - so register it well before your first export, not on loading day.

A typical export-declaration flow:

Goods ready, invoice and packing list finalised
Broker lodges the EX1 with customs, gets an MRN (Movement Reference Number)
MRN travels with the load to the EU exit office (often the border or port)
Exit office confirms the goods left - this generates your proof of export
You keep that proof to zero-rate the export for VAT

That last step matters for cash: without confirmed proof of exit, your tax authority may not accept the VAT zero-rating, and the export becomes a lot more expensive than planned.

FAQ

What documents do I need to export from Lithuania to a non-EU country?

At minimum: a commercial invoice, a packing list, a CMR consignment note, and an export declaration (EX1) lodged against your EORI number. Add a certificate of origin, EUR.1, licences or ADR papers depending on the goods and destination. For an EU-to-EU move you usually need just the CMR, invoice and packing list - no export declaration.

Is a CMR document mandatory for export?

For cross-border road freight under the CMR Convention - which Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia all follow - yes, the CMR is the standard consignment note and contract of carriage. It is your proof the goods were handed over and, once signed in box 24, your proof of delivery.

What is the difference between a commercial invoice and a packing list?

The commercial invoice for export covers the commercial side - values, parties, Incoterms, HS codes - and drives duty and VAT. The packing list export document covers the physical side - how many packages, what is in each, weights and dimensions. They must match each other exactly, or customs has a reason to inspect.

Do I need a certificate of origin and a EUR.1?

Not always both. A certificate of origin proves where goods were made (often requested by the buyer or a bank). A EUR.1 (or origin declaration on the invoice) claims a preferential lower or zero duty rate under an EU trade agreement. You only need the EUR.1 when such an agreement exists and the goods qualify.

What is an EORI number and how do I get one?

An EORI is your business's customs identifier across the EU. Register once with your national customs authority - it is free - and reuse it on every export declaration. You cannot lodge an export declaration without it, so set it up before your first shipment.

Who fills in the export declaration?

You can lodge it yourself through the national customs system, but most Baltic exporters use a customs broker or their forwarder to file the EX1 and obtain the MRN. Keep the confirmed proof of exit afterwards - you need it to zero-rate the export for VAT.