Documents required for customs clearance
What stops shipments in Jordan is rarely a customs decision — it is a missing page or a line written in haste. This page sets out what each document must show, and what gets it rejected.
The essential four
Almost every import shipment needs four documents: a commercial invoice, a certificate of origin, a bill of lading and a packing list — plus a regulatory approval depending on the goods.
And those four must tell the same story. What holds a file up is usually not a missing document but a contradiction between them: a description on the invoice that differs from the packing list, a quantity that doesn't match, a consignee name written two ways. Checking them against each other before shipping is far cheaper than correcting it after.
1. The commercial invoice
Everything is built on it: the tariff heading, the value, the duty. A terse invoice weakens your position for no reason.
It must show:
- The seller's full name and address, and the buyer's — in exactly the same form across all documents.
- Invoice number and date.
- A precise description of each item: type, model, specification, and the material it is made of where that affects classification.
- Quantity and unit of measure, unit price, and total.
- The currency, stated explicitly.
- The delivery term (FOB, CIF, EXW…) — it determines whether freight and insurance are inside the price.
- The country of origin.
Why they get rejected: a generic description such as "spare parts" or "assorted goods" with no detail · a price far below what is usual for that heading with nothing to explain it · no delivery term · a description that differs from what inspection finds in the package.
2. The certificate of origin — the most-returned document
It evidences the country the goods were produced in, and it is what unlocks preferential treatment where Jordan has an agreement with that country. It is also the document most often sent back for correction.
Watch for:
- The issuing body. It is issued by the authorised body in the country of origin — the supplier writing it on their own letterhead is not enough.
- Attestation. Some cases require it, and an unattested certificate where attestation is required means a full round trip back to the supplier's country. Ask about this before shipping, not after.
- Consistency. The items and quantities on it must match the invoice exactly.
- Origin, not shipment. Goods made in one country and shipped from another originate in the first.
Why they get rejected: issued by an unauthorised body · missing attestation · items that don't match the invoice · a date later than the shipping date · a country stated that is the country of export rather than production.
3. The bill of lading
This is the contract of carriage and the title to the goods. Sea freight uses a Bill of Lading, air uses an Air Waybill, road uses a road consignment note.
Check: the consignee name in your company's correct legal form · the goods description, number of packages and weight · port of loading and port of discharge · marks and package numbers · that every original copy required is actually in your hands.
What holds the shipment: a consignee name that doesn't match the commercial register · a package count that contradicts the packing list · an original bill that hasn't arrived yet.
4. The packing list
The least-regarded document and the one that saves you most at inspection. It itemises what is inside each package.
It must show: each package's number and marks · its contents in detail with quantities · net and gross weight per package · dimensions where needed · and in total: the number of packages and the overall weight.
Why it matters: at inspection one or more packages are opened and compared against what is written. A precise list ends the inspection quickly; a vague one turns it into a full stocktake.
Additional documents by goods type
- A regulatory approval — Food and Drug, Standards and Metrology, Ministry of Agriculture, Civil Defence or Public Security, depending on the goods.
- A health or veterinary certificate for food and animal products.
- A certificate of analysis or conformity for chemicals and certain industries.
- A catalogue or technical specification — not an official document, but often what settles a dispute over the tariff heading.
- An insurance policy where the delivery term includes insurance.
A pre-shipping checklist — print it and work through it
- The invoice carries a detailed description of every item, not a generic one
- The delivery term is stated explicitly on the invoice
- The currency is named
- Your company name is in the same legal form on every document
- The certificate of origin is issued by an authorised body
- You asked about attestation before shipping
- Items and quantities match across invoice, certificate and packing list
- The package count on the bill of lading matches the packing list
- You know whether your goods need a regulatory approval
- You started the approval if one is required
Send us a photo of the invoice before shipping and we'll tell you which of those ten you're missing, and which approvals you'll need. It is the cheapest possible moment to find the problem: the goods are still with your supplier, and the fix is a phone call rather than a journey.
Questions we get asked
What are the basic documents for any import shipment?
Why does the certificate of origin get returned so often?
Is a generic invoice description like “spare parts” enough?
When should I send you the documents?
Send us the documents — we'll tell you what's missing
We read the invoice, certificate of origin and bill of lading, and tell you what will stop your shipment before it arrives — not after it is sitting in the yard. No obligation.