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Export documents for international business

  • Edited 4 November 2026
  • 6 min
  • International
  • Managing and growing
  • Marco van Hagen

If you export goods to countries outside the EU, you will often need export papers. These include a certificate of origin, a EUR.1 certificate, an invoice statement, the legalisation of a signature, or an ATA carnet. You need export papers for trade policy reasons and to get a cut in, or exemption from, import duties. You also use them to provide legal certainty and for temporary imports. You can apply for them at KVK.

What are export documents for?

By using an export document with your shipment, your customer often pays less import duties. Your product can be imported into another country and you offer your foreign customer legal certainty. In this article you can read which KVK export documents you need in which situation, and the advantage this offers you or your customer. There is also an explanation about how to apply for export documents.

What export documents does KVK issue?

KVK issues 4 types of export documents: Certificate of Origin (CVO), EUR.1 certificate, legalisation of signature, and an ATA carnet

1. Certificate of Origin (CVO)

A Certificate of Origin (CVO) is a document for trade policy reasons.

Document for trade policy reasons

Some countries do not want to allow products from certain countries for political, economic, or health reasons. If you deliver an order to such a country, the local government wants to know in which country the goods from your order are made. This way, they can rule out that products come from a country that is subject to a trade policy measure.

Certificate of Origin (CVO)

Customers ask you for a Certificate of Origin (CVO) if the authorities in their country want to know where a product was made. For example, because they do not want to import products from certain countries. This is known as a trade policy measure. A CVO is also referred to as a Certificate of Non-Preferential Origin. This is how you prove the country of origin of your products. Origin means where the product was made, harvested, extracted, or born. If no CVO is included with the delivery, and the destination country requires one, the customs authority in that country will hold the shipment until you provide a CVO. This will delay delivery to your customer.

Customers in the EU may also ask you for a CVO. Often such a customer delivers part or all of the order to a country outside the EU.  Your customer will then apply for a new CVO themselves and use your CVO to prove the origin of the products.

2. EUR.1 certificate, invoice statement

An EUR.1 certificate and an invoice statement are documents for reduction or exemption from import duties.

Documents for reduction or exemption from import duties

The EU has trade agreements with different countries outside the EU. One of the subjects in these treaties is 'giving preference'. This means a reduction or exemption of import duties on each other's products. The term preferential origin is derived from this. Whether a product qualifies for a reduced import duty is stated in the trade agreement itself. With the Access2Markets ROSA tool, you can check whether your product complies with the rules to obtain preferential origin.

Contact about origin or export documents

For more information on preferential origin and non-preferential origin, contact the KVK's Export Documents department. To do so, use the chat function on this page or send an email to Export documents region West or Export documents regions East/South. You can also call. Region West: 088 585 18 87 or regions East/South: 088 585 18 89.

EUR.1 and invoice statement

Documents proving the preferential origin of a product are a EUR.1 certificate and an invoice statement.

  • EUR.1 certificate. With this document you demonstrate the preferential origin of a product. KVK certifies this document. For export, Dutch Customs validates the EUR.1.
  • Invoice statement. This is a prescribed text on your sales invoice. If the value of the goods of preferential origin is less than €6,000, this statement replaces an EUR.1. You can also use an invoice declaration when you have an Approved Exporter (toegelaten exporteur, TE, in Dutch) or a Registered Exporter (REX, search in the list) permit. Whether you use REX or TE depends on the destination country. You enter your permit number or registration number on the invoice statement. You prepare an invoice statement yourself, you do not apply for it to KVK. Some countries use only an invoice declaration instead of an EUR.1

3. Legalisation signature

A legalisation is a document for legal certainty. Your customer or government organisations in your customer's country sometimes want confirmation of who signed an invoice or contract. With a legalisation, KVK declares that the person signing is authorised to do so.

4. ATA carnet

You use an ATA carnet to temporarily take your own goods to a country outside the EU. For example, trade samples, exhibition material, and professional equipment. Goods you take back with you in the same condition. With an ATA carnet, you do not pay import duties or VAT. And, you can complete customs forms fast and easy: an export form in the Netherlands, and an import form in your destination country. This also applies to your re-export and re-import on the return trip.

Export within the EU

There is free movement of goods within the EU. This means there are no customs formalities and you do not need export documents for export within the EU. Documents such as an invoice, packing list, and a transport document are usually enough. Additional rules apply to some goods.

When do you use which export document?

See the overview below to find out when to use each export document.

Using KVK export documents
Type of export documentUse
EUR.1 certificate and invoice declarationTo pay less or no import duties.
Certificate of Origin (CVO)If the destination country requires it for trade policy reasons.
LegalisationConfirms who signed the invoice or contract. The authorities in the destination country or your customer may require it.
ATA CarnetIf you are temporarily taking your own goods abroad.

Choose the export document you need?

The document you need depends on the product and the country you are exporting to. In the EU tool Access2Markets you can find out which documents you need per country and product. For this you need the HS-code (also called a product or commodity code) for the product you are exporting.

Sometimes you will need several export documents. For example, if you are delivering to a customer in Saudi Arabia, in addition to a CVO, you will also need your invoice to be legalised.

Video: Want to know the rules when exporting? Use Access2Markets

In Access2Markets you enter the commodity code of your product. Then you select the country of origin and the destination country.

  • As a result, you can see at 'Tariffs' what percentage of import duty applies to your product.
  • In addition 'Procedures and formalities' are mentioned, listing which documents the destination country requires.
    • At 'Overview' you will find general information about the destination country.
    • At 'General' you can see which documents are generally required.
    • At 'Specific' you can see which documents are extra required for your specific product.

Read which other documents you sometimes need besides the KVK export documents.

How do you apply for export documents from KVK?

You can digitally request a CVO, EUR.1, legalisation, or an ATA carnet at KVK. You have 2 options for your digital application. You engage a logistics service provider or you arrange this online through an intermediary.

Requests via logistics service provider

You can leave the entire application process to a logistics service provider, such as a freight forwarder. The service can differ per  forwarder and depends on your wishes. Do you want a forwarder to only complete the export documents for you and request them digitally, or do you also want advice on the complete delivery process?

Together with your forwarder you determine what needs to be done and you agree on how and when you will receive your export documents printed and signed. You will receive the bill, including the KVK handling charges, from your forwarder. 

Request export documents online through an intermediary

By using software from various suppliers or an intermediary, you can establish a connection with the KVK application Digitale Afgifte Exportdocumenten (DAE). Which services an intermediary offers differs per company. Make sure you get all the information you need about this, because you have several options:

  • You purchase the software yourself or work with a web application.
  • You provide your documents with a digital signature or you work with a mandate.
  • You print your documents yourself or have this done and then receive them by post.

KVK sends you a monthly invoice for the issue costs, the fees. You can find these in the KVK tariffs.

Software

KVK has an online portal for requesting export documents: Digitale Afgifte Exportdocumenten (DAE). Specialised companies supply the software that allows you to connect to DAE. And they can help you with your applications.

The suppliers (in Dutch) are:

Forms

A CVO or EUR 1 gets a digital watermark. Since 31 March 2025, you can print a CVO on blank paper. You can order pre-printed EUR 1 forms from Beurtvaartadres or Logistiekconcurrent (both in Dutch).

Request an ATA carnet

You can apply for an ATA carnet via e-ata.nl (in Dutch). First create an account (in Dutch) for this. When your application is complete, KVK will issue the ATA carnet and send it to you by post. Before travelling abroad, you must have the ATA carnet validated by Dutch Customs.

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