Recommendations
- Consignees and consignors are invited to communicate in customs clearance matters first of all with their contractual partners providing them customs clearance services.
- Authorised consignees and consignors are asked to exercise their rights to start and terminate a transit procedure, instead of contacting or directing their customers to customs officials.
- Where the clearance of goods involves a trader holding an authorised consignee’s authorisation, the trader should also use the declarant service in addition to the authorised consignee service in order to limit contacts between various people.
- Please avoid opening TIR-carnets where possible; as an alternative, please draw up a transit declaration and use the authorised consignor service.
- We would be grateful if you could avoid, wherever possible and as far as possible, contacts with officials and the use of paper documents.
- Please be prepared for potential delays regarding customs-related activities.
- We would like to ask you to understand and be patient with any inconveniences the temporary measures may entail.
Changes and additional information
Issue of certificates of origin
Instructions for exporters
- Exporters using copies of certificates of origin
- The exporter/declarant must send the application for a certificate of origin electronically to customs. The EUR.1 certificate of origin/customs status certificate A.TR, together with documents certifying origin/status, will be scanned and forwarded for verification to the e-mail address of the customs office of acceptance.
- a copy of the certificate of origin will be signed and stamped by a customs official;
- the customs authority will send the signed and stamped copy of the certificate of origin to the exporter/declarant;
- the exporter/declarant will forward the certificate of origin to his customer in the importing country.
- If the value of goods of preferential origin in the consignment exceeds 6000 euros
Exporters to whom the approved exporter’s authorisation has been issued by customs authorities will be able to draw up the origin declaration/invoice declaration laid down in a contract corresponding to an invoice or other commercial document.
Information on the application for the approved exporters’ authorisation
- If the value of goods of preferential origin in the consignment is up to 6000 euros
An invoice declaration/origin declaration may be made out for an invoice or other commercial document by any exporter (does not have to be an approved exporter and no further contact with customs authorities is required).
- Certificates of origin are issued at all places of customs clearance.
To validate a certificate within a day, you have to send it to the e-mail address of the customs office of acceptance by 15:00 at the latest on the same day.
Once the certificate of origin has been validated, a notification thereof is sent to the business operator. Certificates of origin are validated at all customs clearance places from 15:00 to 16:15; on Fridays from 15:00 to 15:30.
- Use of certificates of origin (EUR.1, A.TR, EUR-MED) from 1 March 2020 during the COVID-19 crisis in the European Union and EU partner countries. The European Commission has compiled information on the use of certificates of origin in the guidelines „Origin of goods".
for detailed information on the use of certificates of origin, click on the in-text links „EU Member States", „Pan-Euro-Mediterranean countries" and „Other EU trade partner countries". Please bring supporting paper documents attached to the customs declaration for which a time limit for submission has been set to the customs office as soon as possible.
Discharge of transit
Please be aware that in connection with the emergency situation declared in Estonia, it is strictly recommended to avoid contacts with other people and therefore a customs agent (including a consignee, logistics expert, principal or other person involved in the trade), should, from now on, send the documents relating to the discharge of the transit operation by e-mail, depending on the customs office of destination, to one of the following temporary e-mail addresses:
| Customs office of destination | Code of the customs office | E-mail address |
|---|---|---|
| Sillamäe customs office | EE5130EE | [email protected] |
| Muuga customs office | EE1210EE | [email protected] |
| Airport customs office | EE1310EE | [email protected] |
| Narva service bureau | EE5100EE | [email protected] |
| Tartu service bureau | EE4100EE | [email protected] |
| Rakvere service bureau | EE5100EE | [email protected] |
| Võru service bureau | EE4100EE | [email protected] |
| Valga service bureau | EE4100EE | [email protected] |
| Pärnu service bureau | EE3300EE | [email protected] |
| Kuressaare service bureau | EE3300EE | [email protected] |
- In the subject line of the e-mail, please indicate the vehicle registration number and the MRN of the transit declaration.The documents accompanying the goods (invoice, CMR, etc.) must be attached to the e-mail.
- An e-mail to the temporary e-mail address of the customs office of destination must be sent no later than the arrival of the vehicle with the goods at the customs office of destination.
- When the documents of goods have been sent to the e-mail address of the customs office of destination and the vehicle is at the customs office of destination, the driver (or customs agent or other interested person) has to notify the customs of destination of the arrival of the vehicle by calling on the phone number on the front door of the customs office.
- The customs official performs required activities in the information systems and, when it is allowed to proceed with the customs clearance, the official records the arrival of the transit shipment in the NCTS.
- The declarant draws up an IM declaration. The declarant sends the number of IM declaration to the official by e-mail. The MRN of the transit declaration must be indicated in the subject line of the e-mail, and the message must include the number of the IM declaration.
- If the IM declaration receives the status "goods released", the official discharges the transit operation. The official informs the declarant of the discharge of transit operation by e-mail.
- The driver receives from the declarant the information on the discharge of the transit operation, whereupon the driver is allowed to drive to the consignee for unloading the goods.
Starting a transit operation
Please be aware that in connection with the emergency situation declared in Estonia, it is strictly recommended to avoid contacts with other people and therefore a principal (including consignor, logistics experts, other person involved in the trade) should, from now on, send documents relating to the commencement of the transit procedure by email to one of the following temporary e-mail addresses, depending on the customs office of departure:
| Customs office of departure | Code of the customs office | E-mail address |
|---|---|---|
| Sillamäe customs office | EE5130EE | [email protected] |
| Muuga customs office | EE1210EE | [email protected] |
| Muuga free zone border | EE1210EE | [email protected] |
| Airport customs office | EE1310EE | [email protected] |
| Narva service bureau | EE5100EE | [email protected] |
| Tartu service bureau | EE4100EE | [email protected] |
| Rakvere service bureau | EE5100EE | [email protected] |
| Võru service bureau | EE4100EE | [email protected] |
| Valga service bureau | EE4100EE | [email protected] |
| Pärnu service bureau | EE3300EE | [email protected] |
| Kuressaare service bureau | EE3300EE | [email protected] |
- In the subjectline of the e-mail, please indicate the vehicle registration number and the MRN. Documents accompanying the goods (the invoice, CMR etc.) must be attached to the e-mail.
- The e-mail to the temporary e-mail address of the customs office of departure must be sent no later than the arrival of the vehicle with the goods at the relevant office of departure.
- If the documents of goods have been sent to the e-mail address of the customs office of departure, and the vehicle is located at the customs office of departure, the driver (or a principal or other interested person) has to notify the customs of departure of the arrival of the vehicle at the customs office of departure by calling on the phone number on the front door of the customs office.
- The customs official performs required activities in the information systems and, when it is allowed to proceed with the customs clearance, the official opens a transit operation in the NCTS. The official sends the transit declaration opened in the NCTS back to the e-mail address of the business operator. Please note that Member States also accept electronically transmitted transit accompanying documents (TADs).
- The driver receives the information from the principal (consignor, logistics expert or other person involved in the trade), about the commencement of the transit declaration, whereupon the driver is allowed to drive to the business operator, from whom he/she receives the barcoded printout of the transit declaration.
-
In some cases, the driver is also issued a barcoded transit declaration printout by officials of the office of departure (for example, the Airport Customs Office as the office of departure provides customers with barcoded transit declaration printouts for express consignments).
Validation of status documents
We have set up a temporary solution for confirming status documents by e-mail. For this purpose, business operators are kindly requested to send scanned documents to the e-mail address of the customs office/service bureau
After validation by the customs, the documents are returned by e-mail to the business operator in scanned form.
Masks to protect against viruses must meet requirements applicable to personal protective equipment
Lately it has become popular to offer home-made masks for sale online and in social media. In light of this it should not be forgotten that masks to protect against viruses must meet requirements applicable to personal protective equipment and such protective properties must be verified and proven.
The Consumer Protection and Technical Regulatory Authority has issued guidelines on the requirements and marketing of personal protective equipment (in Estonian, PDF). The Consumer Protection and Technical Regulatory Authority advises all businesses and inquirers on a daily basis and recommends that everyone first review the guidelines that contain the most important information. A separate email address [email protected]has also been set up for obtaining information and advice.
Home-made masks, regardless of how many layers it contains or which materials have been used, must not be advertised as a protective mask and no claim may be made that it helps protect against the coronavirus. If such mask becomes moist it may bring about the opposite effect that would, on the contrary, increase the chances of catching the virus.
Import of personal protective equipment
- Personal protective equipment may be imported under simplified procedure. Importers of personal protective equipment must, however, note that the simplified procedure only applies on an exceptional basis to personal protective equipment marketed to healthcare workers.
- Personal protective equipment meant for normal sale and use must fully comply with the provisions of the Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council No. 2016/425 . If necessary the Consumer Protection and Technical Regulatory Authority (or in case of medical masks the Health Board) provide an assessment as to compliance when necessary.
Additional information
The competent agency that regulates compliance with requirements applicable to personal protective equipment is the Consumer Protection and Technical Regulatory Authority.
Guidelines of the Consumer Protection and Technical Regulatory Authority on the requirements and marketing of personal protective equipment (in Estonian, PDF)
Guidelines for medical masks for manufacturers
Instructions of the Health Board (in Estonian)
Last updated: 25.08.2023
