Shipping internationally means you must have accurate and complete documentation. From ever-changing government regulations and treaty arrangements to customs issues delaying / preventing a shipment reaching its destination, there are a lot of variables in play and good documentation is one of your best defenses. To help you we compiled a list of links and forms in order to complete a proper International Air Waybill as well as a Commercial Invoice, two important documents for international packages. We also have these items in PDF format for your convenience.

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For simplicity we’ve put the FedEx and UPS international shipping resources side by side for you. You will want these forms complete in triplicate.

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FedEx International Air Waybill

1. Sender: be sure to include name, phone, your FedEx account number, and address
2. Recipient: be sure to include name, phone, and address, and if applicable their tax / VAT or similar ID
3. Shipment: be specific and detailed (the link below provides more details for each of the individual fields)
4. Service: choose at your discretion; International Priority is the default if left blank
5. Packaging: mark “other” if using your own
6. Special Handling: choose special options as desired
7. Payment: select and complete
8. Internal Billing: for your own records, include your own invoice / shipping data; FedEx will carry over the first 24 characters to your FedEx invoice
9. Signature

Drill down through the instructions in this page for full details.

You can order air waybills from FedEx online or over the phone.

Note: FedEx® International Next Flight and FedEx International MailService® use their own special air waybills.
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UPS International Air Waybill

1. Sender: be sure to include name, phone, your UPS account number, and address
2. Recipient: be sure to include name, phone, and address, and if applicable their tax / VAT or similar ID
3. Payment: select and complete
4. Service: choose your desired service
5. Shipment: be specific and detailed (the PDF below provides more details for each of the individual fields)
6. Country of Origin: indicate where the goods were manufactured
7. Signature & Date

Page 3 of this PDF gives full detail of the instructions.

You can order air waybills from FedEx online or over the phone.
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FedEx Commercial Invoice

The commercial invoice is required when using these services:

• FedEx International Priority®
• FedEx International Economy®
• FedEx® International Next Flight
• FedEx International First®
• FedEx Express® international (Canada)
• FedEx International Ground® (Canada)
• FedEx Express® international (Puerto Rico)

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UPS Commercial Invoice

The commercial invoice is required when using these services:

• UPS Express Critical
• UPS Worldwide Express Plus
• UPS Worldwide Express
• UPS Worldwide Express Freight
• UPS Worldwide Saver
• UPS Worldwide Expedited
• UPS Standard
• UPS Worldwide Express NA1
• UPS 3 Day Select from Canada

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More FedEx Resources

You can order pre-printed air waybills online or by calling 1.800.GoFedEx 1.800.463.3339 (say “order shipping supplies”).

You can prepare documents online using FedEx Ship Manager® at fedex.com. You can also prepare customs documentation using FedEx International Document Assistance®.

FedEx Express International Document Preparation Terms and Conditions (as of 9/8/2005).

International Shipping – how it works and full details of services.
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More UPS Resources

The online MyUPS site can help determine which forms are required for a given shipment. Login, enter your start and destination countries in the “Forms for Export” box, and the proper forms will appear with the option to complete them online.

International Shipping How-To Guide

UPS Video – How to Ship Internationally
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Refund Retriever is not affiliated with FedEx or UPS. The PDF files above are copyright FedEx and UPS and are given solely for your convenience.