Electronic Advance Data (EAD)

Electronic customs data is required to ensure that existing, emerging and future legislative, security and customs requirements in overseas destinations are met. Some countries are applying penalties, delaying or returning items in the absence of the required data and we want to help you avoid this.

There are benefits to providing complete and accurate electronic customs data as there will be less delays in customs, resulting in faster and more successful deliveries and fewer customer complaints. Providing complete and accurate electronic customs data will allow you to be ready for and comply with emerging and future legislative changes and individual country requirements.

• To avoid delays in customs and/or penalty charges

• To enable an easier and slicker customs clearance and import process for recipients, resulting in faster and more successful deliveries as a result

The requirement is to provide electronic customs data on items sent via your postal or shipping system. You also need to attach the physical customs declaration form CN22 or CN23 with a 13-digit item identifier (known as a S10 barcode) on every item to items (excluding items of general correspondence) you’re sending to all overseas destinations, including the UK.

This came into effect for parcels being sent internationally on 1 January 2021. All items containing goods to the UK will need electronic customs data from 1 April 2022. 

It’s really important to complete this information online before sending any items. Without the correct customs information, your items could be held in Customs at the destination country and will be delayed, returned or even destroyed. In some countries, the postal authority will even charge the recipient a handling or admin fee, if queries are raised as a result of incomplete customs information.

The information that is currently captured on CN22 and CN23 custom forms now needs to be presented in advance, between the originating postal networks and the destination countries. Additionally, some fields that are currently optional on these forms will become mandatory, and the most considerable change is that for each item within the parcel, you will now need to list the individual:

  • Description 
  • Weight
  • Quantity
  • Value  

We have adapted our combined postage customs label to capture this information and to include a Universal Postal Union (UPU) compliant S10 barcode that ensures each item can be linked, via the barcode, to the electronic pre-advice information.

Option 1: Online

The simplest and most convenient way for you to provide this new information is through Jersey Post’s online postage portal as EAD information will be automatically captured for postage labels you purchase online.

By signing up for a Jersey Post free account, you can save time and skip the queues by creating and printing postage labels that meet the new requirements at home or work, without the need to visit and queue at the post office.

To purchase and print your label online, please start here.

Option 2: At our Post Offices

If you are unable to use the online postage portal, you can visit any of our island-wide post offices bringing with you the required information when sending items overseas. This includes information on the sender, the recipient, and the details of the contents within the parcel. For each item within the parcel, you will also now need to list the individual:

  • Description 
  • Weight
  • Quantity
  • Value  

We have printing machines at all our post offices, which means you can still use our online postage portal to create your postage labels. Visit any post office and show one of our counter staff the label and barcode number. They will then print the label instore for you to affix to your parcel. To purchase your label online please start here.

Please note that these printers are only for printing postage labels that have been purchased using our online postage portal. If you wish to print labels from Amazon and other retailers that are not a Jersey Post returns partner, you can print these at Rue des Pres and Broad Street. You can view our full list of returns partners here.

Yes, you will need to create a free online account at www.jerseypost.com/onlinepostage. It is possible to use the online postage portal and pay by credit card for each transaction or, to sign up for a business account so that postage is charged to your business account.

Letter and Large Letter items can continue to be processed using your franking machine as these items do not require electronic pre-advice customs labels. Items being sent off Island containing goods and/or merchandise sent in Parcel and Large Parcel formats can no longer be processed using a franking machine. To ensure all items posted meet electronic pre-advice requirements and are not held up on arrival at their destination, we are encouraging customers to process and purchase their parcel items online. Your electronic label will be completed online and available for download and print along with your postage label.

It is no longer possible to apply Customs Declaration that has not been combined with your postage purchase.

Letter and Large Letter items can continue to be processed using the green docket books as these items do not require electronic pre-advice customs labels. Items being sent off Island containing goods and/or merchandise sent in Parcel and Large Parcel formats can no longer be processed in the green book. To ensure all items posted meet the electronic pre-advice requirements and are not held up on arrival at their destination, we are encouraging all Postage Account customers to process and purchase their parcel items online. Your electronic label will be completed online and available for download and print. When you purchase your parcel labels online, you will need to print your postage summary and include it with your items when you present them to the Post Office.

It is no longer possible to apply Customs Declaration that has not been combined with your postage purchase.

Letter and Large Letter items can continue to be processed using the outsourced corporate mailroom as these items do not require electronic pre-advice customs labels. Items being sent off Island containing goods and/or merchandise sent in Parcel and Large Parcel formats can no longer be processed via the outsourced corporate mailroom. To ensure all items posted meet electronic pre-advice requirements and are not held up on arrival at their destination, we are encouraging customers to process and purchase their parcel items online. Your electronic label will be completed online and available for download and print. The online postage portal charges will be applied to your business account and invoiced monthly. 

It is no longer possible to apply Customs Declaration that has not been combined with your postage purchase.

Due to the volumes of items sent by our global logistic customers, we recommend integrating directly with our shipping platform Atlas. For more details, please contact your account manager to discuss your requirements and agree the best method for integration.

Driven by Universal Postal Union (UPU) regulatory changes, anyone sending parcels to the UK or internationally must provide electronic pre-advice customs information. This includes information on the sender, the recipient, and the details of the contents within the parcel. For more information, click here.

Retailers should be supplying customers with return labels that are EAD compliant. However, if you have an item to return and you haven’t been supplied with an EAD return label, you can continue to use the handwritten CN22 and CN23 labels for return packages for the time being. Please ask at any post office counter for these labels.

If you are posting an item you have sold, you will need to state that the item contains the ‘sale of goods’ and include the HS commodity code. Further information on this can be found here. Please note that receiving customs authorities may reject and return items if you declare the ‘sale of goods’ and don’t include the HS commodity code in the pre-advice customs information.

Without the correct customs information, your items could be held in Customs at the destination country and will be delayed, returned or even destroyed. In some countries, the postal authority will even charge the recipient a handling or admin fee, if queries are raised as a result of incomplete customs information.