Documents required to ship from Dubai to the UK

Short answer: every Dubai to UK shipment needs a commercial invoice, a packing list and a transport document (bill of lading for sea, air waybill for air). Commercial imports also need a GB EORI number, and personal effects need an inventory and a ToR reference.

Always required

• Commercial invoice — seller, buyer, description of goods, quantity, unit and total value, currency, incoterm and country of origin.
• Packing list — piece count, dimensions, gross and net weight per package. Customs and the carrier both work from this.
• Bill of lading or air waybill — the contract of carriage and, for an original bill of lading, the document of title to the goods.

Commercial shipments

• GB EORI number — required for the importer of record.
• Certificate of origin — issued by a UAE chamber of commerce where the buyer, a bank or the commodity requires it.
• Import licences — for controlled goods such as chemicals, food, plant products or telecoms equipment.
• Letter of credit documents — where payment runs through a bank, the document set must match the credit exactly.

Personal effects and household moves

• Detailed inventory — numbered, room by room, with approximate values.
• Transfer of Residence approval — the ToR reference from HMRC, obtained before arrival.
• Passport copy and visa cancellation — evidence you were resident outside the UK.
• Proof of a UK address — tenancy agreement or similar.

Common mistakes that hold cargo

• Invoice value that does not match what is on the packing list
• Vague descriptions such as "goods" or "spare parts" instead of what the item actually is
• No commodity code, forcing a guess at clearance
• Applying for ToR after the vessel has sailed — approval is not instant
• Missing wood treatment (ISPM-15) marks on pallets and crates

Send us your draft documents before booking and we will check them against what the UK entry will need.