Porhibited And Restricted Items

UPS International (Portugal)


Additional Import Documentation
A certificate of origin is not required for the import clearance of textiles.

The country or territory of origin must be stated on the invoice for each invoice line. If the customs authorities doubt the correctness of the declared country or territory of origin they may request an additional proof which might be a certificate of origin.

The Certificate of Origin must meet the following Customs stipulations:

  • Must be an original
  • Must contain the shipper's original signature in ink
  • Must be issued by the Chamber of Commerce
  • Must contain a seal or watermark in the paper
  • Must provide a detailed description of the goods. General descriptions of goods, such as "clothes" or "garments," will not be accepted.

Customs does not require a Certificate of Origin for non-commercial shipments of textile samples, provided that the sample items meet the conditions to be considered as samples (for example, mutilated, appropriate quantity).

Declaration of Conformity (CE marking)
The European Community require certain standards on product safety for certain types of goods. The range of products covered by the directives must comply with the applicable directives when it is placed on the community market for the first time or put into use. Placing on the market in the meaning of the directives is the action of making a product available for the first time, either for payment or free of charge. 'Putting into service' takes place at the moment of first use within the Community by the end user (for example, produced for own use of the importer).

Range of products
The most important products are toys, in-vitro diagnostic medical devices, medical devices, machinery, low voltage equipment, safety devices (for example, helmets), exhaust systems and electromagnetic compatibility. For a full overview please see the EU website:

https://ec.europa.eu/growth/single-market/goods/new-legislative-framework_en

Responsibilities
Manufacturers are defined as the persons responsible for designing and manufacturing products supposed to be placed on the EU market. The manufacturer has an obligation to ensure that a product intended to be placed on the Community market is designed and manufactured, and it's conformity assessed, to the essential requirements in accordance with the provisions of the directives. The manufacturer may appoint any natural or legal person, established in the European Union, to act on his behalf as an authorized representative.

The authorized representative may be addressed by the authorities of the member states in regard to the manufacturer's obligations.

The importer is defined as any legal or natural person responsible for placing products on the EU market. He is responsible to provide the market surveillance authority with the necessary information about the safety of the product and a copy of the Declaration of Conformity (DoC). If the manufacturer is established in the EU or has a so called authorized representative it is his obligation to provide the necessary information.

Conformity Assessment Procedure
Goods subject to the regulations on product safety need to be tested according to the rules applying for each group of products. Manufacturers have to draw up an EC declaration of conformity which is the first step of the conformity assessment procedure. The declaration of conformity has to include technical information containing the way of testing and the steps to be taken to obtain the attestation of conformity. The way of testing and steps to be taken depends on the type of product. If the testing was successful the producer is allowed to apply the so called 'CE sign' on the product or where this is not applicable (for example, surgical instruments) at the retail package or on a "Declaration of Conformity" certificate.

The "Declaration of Conformity" has to be issued by a notified body certified by a member state of the European Union.

Notified Body
A notified body is an organization certified by the national government to carry out the tasks of the conformity assessment procedures. They can offer their service to any economic operator inside and outside the European Community. They can carry out the tests or monitor the tests carried out by the manufacturer. They can carry out these activities inside the EU or on the territory of third countries or territories.

Information about notified bodies and notified bodies itself can be found on the EU website:

https://ec.europa.eu/growth/single-market/goods/building-blocks/notified-bodies_en

For additional information, please also refer to "Product Safety

Bilateral free trade agreements or unilateral autonomous preferential agreements allow the import clearance of certain products with a reduced duty rate or with a full duty exemption. The products benefiting from the preferential treatment must fulfil the necessary rules of originating in a country or territory covered by the preferential trade agreement.

An exporter who wants his products to benefit from the preferential treatment must be able to prove that his products fulfill the rules to be originating in a country or territory covered by the preferential trade agreement and they must provide a preferential document validated by the customs authorities or document with a valid preferential statement issued by themselves.

The preferential trade agreement foresees the following preferential proofs under CETA-see Miscellaneous.

Customs may require an import license for certain products from certain countries or territories, depending on the harmonized tariff code.

The importer must obtain the import license. An original export license from the exporter of the country or territory of origin might be necessary to obtain the import license.

The requirement of an import license is dependent on the country or territory of origin of the goods not the country or territory of export. For further detailed information it is highly recommended to contact your chamber of commerce.

The EU-Canada Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) is a trade agreement between the European Union (EU) and Canada. Under this agreement duty rates on traded goods can be reduced or eliminated.

All exporters of consignments of goods with a value greater than 6000 EUR to Canada must be registered in the Registered Exporters System (REX). If you register and are exporting consignments of goods with a value greater than 6000 EUR to Canada you can avail of preferences under CETA. To register you should register complete the EU exporters to Canada application form and send it to the Origin and Valuation Unit.

Exporters must use their REX number on the origin declaration to claim preference under CETA. If you are importing from Canada, you can qualify under CETA for preferences, but you do not have to register in REX.

The origin declaration, the text of which is given below, must be completed in accordance with the footnotes. However, the footnotes do not have to be reproduced.

(Period: from___________ to __________(1)) The exporter of the products covered by this document (customs authorization No ...(2)) declares that, except where otherwise clearly indicated, these products are of ...(3) preferential origin. ..(4) (Place and date) .(5) Signature and printed name of the exporter)__________________

(1) When the origin declaration is completed for multiple shipments of identical originating products within the meaning of Article 19.5, indicate the period of time for which the origin declaration will apply. The period of time must not exceed 12 months. All importations of the product must occur within the period indicated. Where a period of time is not applicable, the field can be left blank.

(2) For EU exporters: When the origin declaration is completed by an approved or registered exporter the exporter's customs authorization or registration number must be included. A customs authorization number is required only if the exporter is an approved exporter. When the origin declaration is not completed by an approved or registered exporter, the words in brackets must be omitted or the space left blank. For Canadian exporters: The exporter's Business Number assigned by the Government of Canada must be included. Where the exporter has not been assigned a business number, the field may be left blank.

(3) "Canada/EU" means products qualifying as originating under the rules of origin of the Canada-European Union Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement. When the origin declaration relates, in whole or in part, to products originating in Ceuta and Melilla, the exporter must clearly indicate the symbol "CM".

(4) These indications may be omitted if the information is contained on the document itself.

(5) Article 19.3 provides an exception to the requirement of the exporter's signature. Where the exporter is not required to sign, the exemption of signature also implies the exemption of the name of the signatory.

The European Commission provides detailed guidance on the rules of origin in the EU-Canada Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA)

Goods under IATA Special Provisions A67 require a MSDS (Material Safety Data Sheet).

It is not required for all, however shipments can be held by local authority in United Arab Emirates after screening due to lack of MSDS (Material Safety Data Sheet) or NON DG (Dangerous Goods) declaration letter from the shipper resulting to misconnections and impacting end-to-end service.

It would be advisable for all shipments originating, transiting and terminating for UAE to have MSDS or NON DG declaration from shipper enclosed in the shipment and copies to be uploaded in IDIS.

Market Surveillance

Market Surveillance is organized and performed at national level. Each member state of the EU (European Union) is responsible for surveillance activities on its territory. Customs authorities are usually part of the market surveillance activities.

On customs request the "Declaration of Conformity" has to be provided by the shipper, the manufacturer or his assigned representative in the EU or the importer.

Declaration of Conformity

The Declaration of Conformity (DoC) is a document in which the manufacturer, or his authorized representative within the EU, indicates that the product meets all the necessary requirements of the directives applicable for the specific product. The DoC shall contain the name and the address of the manufacturer along with information about the product (for example, brand and serial number). The DoC must be signed by an individual working for the manufacturer or his authorized representative.

On request the manufacturer or his authorized representative within the EU must provide the DoC. In case the manufacturer is not an EU entity and has no authorized representative the importer must be able to provide a copy of the DoC and additional proofs if requested.

National Requirements

For some commodities the conformity with the product safety regulations must be declared by the importer within the customs declaration. The DoC is required as a valid proof for the safety of the products and their compliance with the directives.

These commodities are (no exceptions) everything with CE marking, like:

  • toys
  • electronic equipment
  • radio & telecommunication equipment
  • medical devices
  • sunglasses
  • chemical substances
  • measuring devices
  • pressure equipment
  • pyrotechnic articles

Most concerned shipments are inspected. If no CE mark is found, a DoC is needed. If DoC can not be provided, the goods will be RTSd. Customs procedure time is up to 2 weeks.

Additional Export Documentation
No Information found on this topic for the selected country or territory.
Additional Clearance Information
Customs Declarations in Portugal must be made within 20 days after the shipment arrived. In order to not exceed the time-limit, UPS reserves the right to return uncleared shipments automatically if and when a shipper fails to advise/instruct within the appointed time (first 17 days after shipment arrival) through the ERN.
Customs clearance is performed in Oporto.

Shipments valued more than 22.00 Euros will be Custom cleared and are subject to delays if details, like the consignee's tax ID number or the complete description of the goods, are not available.

To facilitate customs clearance of shipments addressed to foreign nationals, write the consignee's passport information on the invoice. Portuguese Customs Declarations must be made within 20 days after the shipment arrives in Portugal. UPS automatically returns the shipment at the shipper's expense if the declaration is not made by the deadline.

Please note that not only the value(s) of the commodity/commodities have to be considered when calculating duty and tax, but also the freight charge and other fees.
A delivery to the Azores takes 3 days from Customs clearance to delivery.
Credit card payments are accepted upon delivery for freight and import charges by this destination. Contact UPS or the UPS service partner in the destination country or territory to determine which credit cards are accepted.

Restrictions may apply for freight collect shipments from the origin country or territory. Contact UPS or the UPS service partner in the origin country or territory prior to shipping.

UPS cannot deliver to a P.O. Box address. All packages require a consignee's contact name and complete street address including apartment, suite or unit number if applicable. The consignee's telephone number should be provided if known.

Areas Served
Service is provided to and from certain cities.

Expedited and Standard service is not available to the Azores and Madeira.

Please note that the islands may be served by mail from Portugal on request but no proof of delivery (POD) is available to the islands of: Corvo, S. Jorge, Flores, Santa Maria, Graciosa, Porto Santo, and Pico.

UPS cannot deliver to a P.O. Box address. All packages require a consignee's contact name and complete street address including apartment, suite or unit number if applicable. The consignee's telephone number should be provided if known.

Saturday, Sunday, and official holidays.
Spring +0100/ Fall +0000
Portuguese
European Monetary Unit (Euro)(EUR)
Billing Options
  • Shipping charges can be billed to the shipper, receiver or a third party.
  • When billing the receiver, either the shipper or receiver's account number is required.
  • When billing to a third party, the third party's name, country or territory and account number are required.
  • Duties and taxes can be billed to the shipper, receiver or a third party.
  • When billing a third party, the third party's name, country or territory and account number are required.
  • If the duties and taxes are billed to an account outside of the destination country or territory, a "Duty and Tax Forwarding" surcharge will be applied.
  • Please note the following third party billing exceptions:
    • Shipments to and from the same country or territory (domestic shipments) cannot be billed to third party payors in other countries or territories. For example, shipments from Mexico to Mexico or Canada to Canada cannot be billed to a third party payor in the U.S. This rule does not apply to UPS domestic services in European Union countries or territories. For example, shipments from Germany to Germany can be billed to a third party payor in the U.S. (as long as the payor is a business and has a VAT or Tax/EIN ID on file with UPS).
  • When paying by credit card, check, or cash, only the shipper can be billed the shipping charges
  • The freight and duties can be billed to the shipper or a third party
  • The taxes can be billed to the receiver or a third party
  • A surcharge will be applied for the SDV billing option
Commodity Specific Stipulations

There are special stipulations on the following commodities when shipping to Portugal. If you plan to ship one of the commodities listed below, be sure to adhere to the following stipulations in order to avoid delays and holds at customs.

Products Of Animal Origin are goods which contain at least partly material derived from the body of an animal. These products can be divided in food or non-food.

Food means any substance, whether processed, semi-processed or raw, which is intended for human consumption, but does not include cosmetics or substances used only as pharmaceuticals.

Non-Food (not intended for human consumption) includes animal by-products, animal feed, samples for testing or research purposes (food-grade or non-food grade), and in vitro diagnostics (IVD).

Animal products and animal by-products are often subject to a veterinary inspection. These products can only be accepted under a special contract for International Special Commodities (ISC). In addition those products must undergo veterinary checks at an approved Veterinary Border Inspection Post (BIP) when entering the EU & EFTA countries or territories (EU regulations are aligned for EU countries or territories and NO; IS; CH; LI).

For UPS shipments arriving in the EU by air, Cologne is the first point of arrival /BIP. Inspections will be processed at Cologne but final customs clearance process will be issued in the destination country or territory.

Additional charges for Vet-inspection will be applicable see Brokerage Services and Charges.

Import requirements:

Generally, each type of Product of Animal Origin has specific import requirements that must be met. Food which is subject to veterinary inspections must:

Come from an EU listed Third Country or Territory (no safeguard measures in place)

Come from an EU approved establishment . Registered producers are listed under the following link: http://ec.europa.eu/food/international/trade/third_en.htm

Be accompanied by appropriate Health Certificate(s), signed by a veterinarian of the competent authority of country or territory of export. Photocopies of the Health Certificate will not be accepted.

Be appropriately packaged and labelled, indicating the nature, ingredients, quantity/ weight, the country or territory of origin and manufacturer.

Any foodstuff coming from non-approved establishments, sent as samples for testing purposes, can only be imported with a permit/license from a respective national veterinary authority. The permit/license must be send to the border inspection point responsible for the veterinary inspection. Delays may occur as the license needs to be provided already at the time of inspection.

Any non-compliant shipment must be returned at shippers expense immediately. The following exemptions apply to non-commercial shipments / gift shipments or purchased by private individuals for private consumption):

Meat, meat products, animal fat - max. 10 kg from Faroe Island and Greenland.

Fish and fish products (with intestines and organs removed) - max. 20 kg from all third countries or territories; no limitation from Faroe Islands.

Other animal products (for example, honey, egg, frog, live mussels - max. 10 kg from Faroe Islands and Greenland, and max. 2 kg from all other third countries or territories).

Shipments of cosmetics can be imported by companies and private individuals if they provide an import permit issued by INFARMED. Shipments destined to private individuals, with low quantity of products (2 or 3 items), are generally absolved of the INFARMED license requirement.

The shipper must provide a Certificate of Analysis.

The shipments may be rejected by customs and returned to the Country or Territory of Origin. Refused shipments may be subject to a return charge.

Cheese, milk, and milk products are considered Animal Products.
Customs classifies certain food supplements as medicine, especially vitamins and other products with physiological effects. If this is the case, companies must provide an import license for customs clearance and an import permit issued by INFARMED.

Private individuals can import dietary and food supplements without an import permit up to a value of 200 Euros. They must provide an import permit issued by INFARMED if the value of the goods exceeds 200 Euros.

In addition, there might be products / dietary supplements classified as prohibited by INFARMED so that the procedure described above will not apply. It is highly recommended to have a check on this before exportation.

If dietary or food supplements are classified as medicine or cosmetics the import regulations for medicine or cosmetics applies.

Dietary supplements and food supplements classified as medicine for which the importer cannot provide the required documents will be returned or destroyed.

Fish and fish products are considered Animal Products.
Shipments of food, including coffee, tea, meat and spices require a sanitary inspection prior to customs clearance and the following documents/information are requested:
  • Health Certificate provided by the exporter
  • Registration number of the importer
  • Registration number of warehouse facilities
  • Certificate of analysis of the products (including lot numbers and other identification marks) provide by the exporter
  • Letter from the importer stating the intended use of the product

Imports of food products by individuals are restricted. These shipments may be rejected by customs and abandoned, destroyed or returned to the country or territory of export. Refused shipments may be subject to a return charge.

Based on the EU regulation 2009/669/EC certain foodstuffs (for example tea with origin China) imported from certain third countries or territories are subject to increased level of official controls due to contamination risks of these products by aflatoxinson and pathogens. These controls are carried out at Designated Point of Entries (DPE) defined by each member state.

The import of feed and food originating in or consigned from Japan following the accident at the Fukushima nuclear power station and not subject to vet inspection can only be imported into the EU through Designated Point of Entries (DPE). They must be accompanied by a declaration attesting that the goods are either harvested or processed before March 11, 2011, originated from a prefecture other than the ones affected by higher levels of radiation or if originated from an affected prefecture have been subjected to laboratory analysis determining the level of certain radionuclides (regulation 2011/297/EC).

The customs office responsible for our import sites are not defined as DPE. Commodities subject to import controls at a DPE can t be imported with UPS.

Please see "Dietary Supplements".
UPS provides International Dangerous Goods service for shipments between the U.S. and selected European countries or territories by contract only.

Accessorial charges of US$40.00 apply as follows:

  • Hazardous Materials Class 9 (HAZ)
  • Hazardous Materials All Other Classes (HAN)
  • The European Union (EU) has placed an import ban on Honey from certain countries or territories.

    Before shipping Honey to a European Union country or territory, it is highly recommended to contact your local chamber of commerce or your importer for detailed information.

    If the importation is allowed by the European Union, the shipment must be accompanied by an original health certificate provided by the shipper/producer, otherwise, importation will not be possible. Furthermore, a vet inspection at the first point of arrival into the EU is required, even for sample shipments.

    Brokerage accessorial charges will apply and an import delay may occur.

    If the shipper fails to verify the import regulation of the destination country or territory and sends honey which is prohibited by the European Union, then all charges that may apply for the respective shipment will be billed back to the shipper.

    Data shipments to Portugal require an invoice with the value of the CD-ROM or disk only.
    Meat is considered as Animal Products.
    Shipments of medicine can be imported by authorized companies (for example, pharmaceutical companies, laboratories) and doctors with an Import License from the Portuguese Ministry of Health. The product must also be registered in Portugal.

    For each import clearance of medicine shipments, Customs requires a single import authorization. Special regulations exist for human and animal derived products. A Certificate of Product Analysis and company business permits are required. Prior to Customs clearance, a sanitary inspection is required. This inspection takes 2-3 additional days and additional import charges will occur.

    For private individuals, INFARMED, the legal body of medicine control in Portugal, doesnt allow the import of medicines. Its the legal bodys understanding that only pharmacies or hospital units may, under a special authorization, import medicines from another country.

    A traveler can carry their own medicines in their luggage, when having a doctors prescription and indications about its use, but the quantities shall not exceed an use period more than 30 days.

    The invoice must include a description of the part, the type of machine for which the part is used, and a list of the part's components.
    Under special circumstances, samples with no commercial value can be imported without paying duty or V.A.T. charges. The samples must be marked or mutilated in a way that ensures use only as a sample. The shipment can include only the number of samples necessary for the purposes of testing. The invoice must include a description of the sample and indicate if the sample is marked or mutilated.
    In order to avoid wrong customs declarations at import, it is mandatory that the exporter provide very detailed information about the shoes (for example, what kind of leather, what material used for soles and uppers, what kind of shoes (sport shoes, sandals, boots), who is to wear the shoes (children, women, men).
    Most of modern test reagents for diagnostic research are built on antibodies which are generated from animal tissue. There are two types of antibodies, the monoclonal antibodies and polyclonal antibodies.

    Monoclonal antibodies are generated in vitro. Tissue from animals are taken (e.g. blood) and infected with certain substances or pathogens. The blood cells react with the production of antibodies which are than harvested and used for the production of the test kits. Due to the in vitro production and the controlled way of production those types of test kits are not subject to veterinarian control if it is a commercial production.

    Polyclonal antibodies are gained from living animals like rabbits. They are infected with the substances / pathogens and the animals are producing antibodies. The antibodies are harvested from the blood stream of the animals. Test reagents with polyclonal antibodies are subject to vet inspections.

    Shipment documents (commercial invoice or declaration on letterhead) should include:

    the place of origin of the material

    the quantity of the material, in weight or volume

    a description of the material/ animal source

    catalogue number and price (if available)

    additives (e.g., sodium azide, glycerol), their source (e.g., whole serum, supernatant, ascites), and purification, if any.

    protocols the recommended protocol or datasheet indicating any unique fixation, detergent, blocking, or incubation conditions.

    the intended use (commercial/ manufacturing; research/ testing)

    the name and address of the shipper

    the name and address of the receiver

    Commercially packaged, ready-to-use In Vitro Diagnostics (IVD) containing products of animal of origin, do not require a Vet-inspection, if compliant with Directive 98/79/EC on In Vitro Diagnostic Medical Devices. A declaration of conformity (CE-marking) must be provided for each individual commodity (e.g. reagents, test kits, immunosorbent assays such as ELISA kits.

    A certificate of origin is not required for the import clearance of textiles. The need of a certificate of origin for the import clearance was reversed on October 24, 2011.

    The country or territory of origin must be stated on the invoice for each invoice line. If the customs authorities doubt the correctness of the declared country or territory of origin they may request an additional proof which might be a certificate of origin.

    Customs may require an import license depending on the harmonized tariff code. The importer must obtain the import license. An original export license from the exporter of the country or territory of origin might be necessary to obtain the import license. The requirement of an import license is dependent on the country or territory of origin of the goods, not the country or territory of export.

    For further detailed information it is highly recommended to contact your chamber of commerce.

    If the import license cannot be provided by the importer, the textiles must be returned or abandoned.

    Data shipments require an invoice with the character of the USB stick (storing intercompany data) and the value of the USB Stick.
    Please see food/dietary supplements.
    Gift Exemptions
    45.00 European Monetary Unit (Euro) EUR
    individual-to-individual
    per shipment

    Shipments with a value up to 45 Euros may not contain tobacco products, alcohol, perfume or coffee as gifts. In addition to a detailed description of each item, write additional comments of "gift shipment" on the invoice and in the Special Instructions box of the UPS Waybill to insure a proper assessment of duties and taxes. Write the name and address of the gift giver on the invoice. Gift shipments exceeding 5 kgs (11 lbs) may be rejected by Customs.

    The value of the commodities must be realistic. Undervalued commodities will not be accepted by the customs authorities. Customs inspections on gift shipments are most likely. Additional cost may occur.

    If the value of the gift shipment exceeds the threshold, the shipment may be cleared as a dutiable shipment with import duty and VAT charges.

    The shipper and the consignee of a gift shipment must be a private individuals. The shipper must be a resident of a non EU country or territory to fulfill the requirements of a duty free import. Gift shipments from residents of EU countries or territories, sent back to the EU during a journey, can't be classified as 'gift shipments'.

    Invoice Requirements
    Non-document shipments to Portugal must include 1 original and 2 copies of an invoice.

    Shipments of documents do not require an invoice. However, Portuguese Customs demands the Tax ID number information for the consignee, whether the consignee is a private individual or a company. Without that information, as well as the telephone contact, there can be a clearance delay.

    Every non-document shipment (commercial, samples, gifts, repair, return) requires an invoice which shows the realistic market price of the commodity. Shipments with unrealistic low merchandise value may be delayed by customs.

    Where Incoterms applied, this should include the city shipped to, for example DDP Lisbon where shipped Free Domicile. This will help to avoid clearance delays.

    If the commodities are sent for a special reason (sample, gift, repair, return, temporary import) this should be stated on the invoice.

    Commercial shipments need a commercial invoice. Proforma invoices for commercial shipments may not be accepted by the customs authorities and may be delayed by customs.

    Every invoice requires a clear description of the commodities, the unit value and the total value of each commodity and a currency.

    The consignees Tax ID number and telephone is required on the invoice. The consignee's mobile number and e-mail address should also appear on the invoice if available. Without that information, as well as the telephone contact, there can be a clearance delay.

    Unacceptable Data Entries

    Europe customs authorities have started to inspect shipments on Import Control System (I.C.S.).

    Many of the inspected shipments were obviously selected because of the inadequate description of the goods.

    This is a reminder that shipments to all European Union member states, Norway and Switzerland, must have a correctly keyed description of the goods on the invoice (for example):

    Unacceptable Acceptable
    Apparel Men's Shirts, Lingerie, Girls' Vests, Boys', Jackets
    Auto Parts Automobile Brakes, Windshield Glass for Automobiles
    Electronics Computers, televisions, CD Players, Walkmans, Tape Recorders, Mobile phones, Monitors, Printers
    Gifts Dolls, Remote Control Cars Household goods Plates, Dishes, Tableware

    A list has been published in the 'Guidelines on acceptable and unacceptable terms for the description of goods for exit and entry summary declarations':

    http://ec.europa.eu/taxation_customs/resources/documents/customs/policy_issues/customs_security/
    acceptable_goods_description_guidelines_en.pdf


    UPS Paperless Invoice is available for small package exports from this country or territory.

    UPS Paperless Invoice is accepted by Customs for small package imports into this country or territory.

    Items Classified as Documents

    The destination country or territory classifies the following items as document shipments. The items must have no commercial value. If criteria are listed, the shipment must meet the criteria to classify as a document shipment.

    Validated airline tickets only
    Must be for shareholders or for intercompany use only.
    Must be for intercompany use or a bid invitation (such as architectural plans to obtain a contract inside the European Union) and have no commercial value.
    Must be non-commercial brochures or for intercompany use only.
    Document limit: up to 15 business cards
    Must be personalized checks
    Personalized credit cards
    Tickets for events like stage performances, football matches or concerts can be sent as documents up to a limit of 2 kgs per shipmen.

    Event tickets coming from a printing company and send to the organizer of the event or ticket sales offices can not be sent as documents.

    Must be personalized to be considered documents.
    Non-personalized greeting cards and invitations are considered non-documents and require an invoice.
    The number of manuals must be appropriate for the purpose
    Must be negatives, slides, or printing films being sent to press or publishing agencies.
    If the value includes press or editorial charges, the items are considered non-documents and require an invoice.
    Document: intercompany shipments for intercompany use with no commercial value
    Non-document: shipments from a publisher or printing company
    Must be for non-commercial purposes
    Must be personalized stationery and have no commercial value. The amount (number of pieces) must be appropriate for non-commercial use.
    Must be personalized to be considered documents.

    UPS can recommend which forms you need based on a few simple criteria. Forms can be completed online or printed. See which forms you need.
    Prohibited or Restricted Commodities

    In addition to the prohibited commodities listed here, it is prohibited to ship the following commodities to Portugal.

    Shipping of alcoholic beverages is only permitted ISC contract service.

    The contractual service covers the customs clearance of alcohol at the port of entry where duty, VAT and excise duty must be paid. The customs clearance of alcohol for free circulation with a subsequent transport of alcohol under the excise duty suspension regime is not possible. The customs clearance in Portugal and the subsequent transport to another EU member state is not part of the service. A transit in bond from the port of entry to the customer or his broker is no option.

    Alcoholic beverages are subject to excise duty. Excise duty applies on the amount of beverage and the percentage of alcohol. The information must be shown on the invoice. The excise duty on spirits must be paid with fiscal marks. The consignor has to obtain the fiscal marks from the competent tax authorities in Portugal and affix them to the bottles prior to shipping.

    Alcoholic beverages cant be sold and delivered to under aged persons (18 years). The consignor is responsible to verify the age of the consignee prior to shipping.

    Additional rules apply on the import of wine and wine products. Please check under wine.

    Endangered plants and animals protected by the multilateral treaty of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), must be accompanied by a valid CITES Certificate.

    All import, export, re-export and introduction from the sea of species covered by the Convention has to be authorized through a licensing system.

    Shipper needs to provide the following documentation:

    Invoice with the scientific name and CITES certificate.

    Additional charges will be applicable. Products of animals or plants subject to CITES can only be accepted under a special contract for International Special Commodities (ISC).

    Electronic Cigarettes can only be shipped with an International Special Commodities (ISC) contract.

    An CE Conformity Certificate is required from the manufacturer.

    Electronic Cigarettes, smoking devices and its accessories, nicotine or other plant based preparations to smoke, are prohibited to be imported by a private individual, in Portugal.

    These products can only be imported by an authorized importer, that must previously ask the national Direction of Health for permission, presenting all necessary detailed reports about the products.

    Radar Detectors
    Customers must use an authorized UPS / MBE (Mail Boxes Etc) Store, UPS Customer Center or an ISC approved shipper to ship personal effects. The UPS Store, Mail Boxes Etc., UPS Customer Center and ISC approved shipper will be required to identify personal effect shipments on the shipping label by placing "ISC-Personal Effects" in the Reference Field of a UPS "smart" label or in the Special Instructions Field of a UPS waybill. They must also clearly indicate 'Personal Effects' shipment on the Commercial Invoice.

    Personal Effects are classified as used items (owned for a minimum of 6 months) intended for the consignee's personal use. Any items intended for any other use, such as wholesale or retail sales, business purposes, or for distribution are not considered personal effects and cannot be shipped on this basis. "Personal Effects" must be clearly stated on the invoice and goods description.

    Customers can protect their shipment against loss and damage by purchasing UPS Shipment Protection available through participating The UPS Store or MBE locations.

    According to Portuguese customs legislation, living plants, parts of plants, fruits, vegetables and seeds are considered to be plants. Portugal places prohibitions and restrictions on the importation of certain plants.

    A Phytosanitary Certificate must accompany all shipments of plants.

    These kinds of goods require a Phytosanitary inspection, therefore additional charges and an import delay will occur.

    Plants mentioned in the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) must be accompanied by a valid CITES Certificate.

    The European Union (EU) has implemented specific conditions and detailed procedures for the import of plastic kitchenware (HS-Code 3924 1000 11) made of polyamide and melamine and originated in or consigned from China or Hong Kong (regulation 284/2011). Tableware (for example, plates, flatware, cups) are excluded from the restrictions. The reason for the new regulation were notifications and alerts by the European 'Rapid Alert System'- kitchen tableware was recognized which exceed the thresholds of aromatic amines and formaldehyde released into food.

    Based on the regulation, controls must be performed at the point of introduction into the EU by the competent authorities. They include documentary checks on all consignments and identity or physical checks (including laboratory checks) on 10% of the consignments. All consignments of kitchen tableware (HS code 3924 1000) originated or consigned from China or Hong Kong must be accompanied by a declaration confirming that it meets the requirements concerning the release of primary aromatic amines and formaldehyde. The declaration shall be accompanied by a laboratory report that the consignments fulfill the requirements.

    The goods and declaration must be examined at the first point of introduction into the EU.

    The consignments shall be notified at the first point of introduction at least two working days in advance.

    Our main points of entry (Cologne, Germany and East Midlands, United Kingdom) are not competent to perform the checks and forwarding under bond is prohibited without the checks. Products covered by the new regulation and destined to the EU can't be accepted by UPS. Exporters should clearly state on the invoice the material and the country or territory of origin of plastic kitchenware to avoid holds on commodities not subject to the regulation.

    Importation of radar detectors is prohibited. Goods are embargoed by Police authorities.
    Importation into, or exportation from Portugal of any rough diamond is prohibited, from whatever source, unless the rough diamond has been controlled through the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme (KPCS). Rough diamonds, which have become known as conflict diamonds, are defined as diamonds used by rebel movements to finance military action opposed to legitimate and internationally recognized governments.

    The KPCS is a joint government internationally recognized certification system that imposes extensive requirements on its members to enable them to certify shipments of rough diamonds as conflict-free and prevent conflict diamonds from entering legitimate trade.

    Shipping of alcoholic beverages is only permitted ISC contract service. For general service restrictions please see info under alcoholic beverages.

    Wine and wine products are subject to excise duty. The excise duty is calculated based on the alcoholic strength by volume. The information must be shown on the invoice.

    The import of wine and wine products is also regulated by a market organization of the European Union with rules on labelling and presentation of wine and additional documentation. The Importation of wine and wine products are subject to the presentation of a n:

    Certificate showing drawn up by a competent body, included on a list to be made public by the Commission, in the products country or territory of origin.

    An analysis report drawn up by a body or department designated by the products country or territory of origin, in so far as the product is intended for direct human consumption.

    No certificate or analysis report need be presented for products originating in and exported from third countries or territories in labelled containers of not more than five litres fitted with a non-reusable closing device where the total quantity transported, whether or not made up of separate consignments, does not exceed 100 litres.

    The labels of wine and wine products have to show some of the following compulsory particulars like the category of the product (e.g. wine, sparkling wine, liquor wine), the protected designation or protected geographical indication if the wine has such a protection, the actual alcohol strength by volume, an indication of provenance, an indication of the bottler or an indication of the producer or vendor in case of sparkling wine and other product categories of sparkling wine.

    The rules are laid down in EU regulation 2009/491. The regulation can be checked on the EU website http://eur-lex.europa.eu/homepage.html

    Saturday Delivery Available

    Saturday Delivery Available: No

    Service Options

    Always check Calculate Time and Cost for details of service availability and guarantee information within a country or territory. All Service Levels may not be available to or from every address within a country or territory.

    • UPS Express
    • UPS Worldwide Expedited
    • UPS Worldwide Express Plus
    • UPS Worldwide Express Saver
    • UPS WorldWide Express Freight
    • WorldWide Economy DDP
    Special Clearance Requirements
    The Embassy must provide a special Customs clearance form. Write "diplomatic goods" on the invoice to expedite Customs clearance. Customs does not charge duty or taxes for diplomatic shipments. Allow an additional 2 or 3 days for Customs clearance.
    Wood Pallets

    Imported goods from non EU countries on wood pallets and in wood packaging.

    The wood pallets and wood packaging must be marked in a visible location on each article, preferably on at least two opposite sides of the article, with a legible and permanent mark that indicates that the article meets the requirements of this paragraph. The currently approved format for the mark is as follows, where XX would be replaced by the country or territory code, 000 by the producer number, and YY by the treatment type (HT or MB).

    Customs requires export documents from the original shipper. Write "returned after repair" on the invoice and it must include both the value of the commodity before repair and the cost of the repair. Customs may charge duty and taxes for shipments of repaired goods. Allow an extra 2 or 3 days for Customs clearance.
    Customs requires export documents from the original shipper. Write "returned goods" on the invoice and it must state the country or territory of origin and the reason for return. Customs does not charge duty or taxes for shipment of returned goods. Allow an extra 2 or 3 days for Customs clearance.
    New requirements have been implemented for both small package and WWEF shipments and are based on the International Standards for Phytosanitary Measures (ISPM) 15, which is entitled "Guidelines for Regulating Wood Packaging Material in International Trade". ISPM 15 was adopted internationally in 2002, and is gradually being introduced by countries or territories worldwide. Wood or wood products covered by ISPM 15 include items such as packing cases, boxes, crates, drums or similar packing, pallets, box pallets and other load boards, pallet collars and skids, but exclude such processed woods as orientated strand board, particle board, plywood or veneer, created using glue, heat and pressure or a combinations thereof, and, raw wood which is 6mm or less thick. It is recommended that if a question arises on this issue, please check with the authority that issues the Phytosanitary certificates in your country or territory.
    Goods cleared under the customs procedure of temporary importation must remain in the same state and are subject to the provision of security with limited exemptions.

    The security covers duty and is calculated on the base of the customs value used for a declaration for free circulation and has to be paid by the importer prior to arrival. The security will be paid back by customs when re-exporting the goods under customs control.

    Temporary imports and exports might be declared by UPS, but in case of Temporary Import, the importer must request directly to Portuguese Customs a Temporary Import Authorization, as well as a guarantee. UPS only submits the Formal Entry. In case the importer needs an external brokerage service to submit those formalities, it has to assign an alternate broker. Accessorial charges may apply if the shipment has to be sent to an alternate broker. Shippers should be aware that we clear "free domicile shipments" as normal imports and duty & tax will apply.

    The European Union implemented a directive restricting the use of certain hazardous substances in all Electronic & Electrical Equipment effective July 1, 2006. This directive is called the RoHS Directive (2005/618/EC), which stands for the Restriction of the use of certain Hazardous Substances in Electrical and Electronic Equipment.

    The RoHS directive is closely linked with the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive (WEEE) 2002/96/EC which sets collection, recycling and recovery targets for electrical goods.

    These directives will ban the placing on the EU market of new electrical and electronic equipment containing more than agreed levels of lead, cadmium, mercury, hexavalent chromium, polybrominated biphenyl (PBB) and polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) (PBB and PBDE are flame retardants used in some plastics).

    Manufacturers (and distributors and individual sellers) will need to understand the requirements of the RoHS/WEEE Directives to ensure that their products, and their components, comply. Goods falling under these categories do not require any accompanying documentation for importation.

    For more information on the EU directives, please check the following European Union web link or contact your local chamber of commerce: http://ec.europa.eu/environment/waste/pdf/faq_weee.pdf

    Value Limits

    Private Shipments

  • 150.00 European Monetary Unit (Euro) (EUR)
    • VAT - The limit whereby VAT will not be charged remains at 22.00 European Monetary Unit (Euro). Shipments with a value above 22.00 EUR need to be Customs cleared as a formal entry.

      Duty - In most cases, when the value of the shipment is equal to or less than the Deminimis Value, the shipment may enter the country or territory duty free but tax is raised.

      This regulation does not apply to alcoholic beverages, tobacco and perfume.


    Commercial Shipments

  • 150.00 European Monetary Unit (Euro) (EUR)
    • VAT - The limit whereby VAT will not be charged remains at 22.00 European Monetary Unit (Euro). Shipments with a value above 22.00 EUR need to be Customs cleared as a formal entry.

      Duty - In most cases, when the value of the shipment is equal to or less than the Deminimis Value, the shipment may enter the country or territory duty free but tax is raised.

      This regulation does not apply to alcoholic beverages, tobacco and perfume.


    Weight and Size Limits
    70 kg (150 lbs.) per package
    274.00 cm (107.9 in.)  per package
    400.00 cm (157.5 in.)  per package
    Length and girth combined


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