The Digital Wealth Makers foreign trade guide
Documents Required for Importing Goods: The Complete Step-by-Step Guide
Importing goods without the right documents is like walking through a minefield — one wrong step can hold your shipment at customs for months. On Servat Land, all these documents are generated from your order data and downloadable from your panel — you just need to know what you need.
- Commercial card
- Order registration
- Customs clearance
- International freight
Importer
Documents
CustomsDocuments
Documents
Foreign supplier
Importing means buying goods from another country and bringing them in. But goods can't cross the border without legal documents — a set of official papers must accompany the shipment so customs can grant clearance and the bank can approve the payment transfer.
Servat Land simplifies this process: the main documents — from proforma invoice to bill of lading and certificate of origin — are all generated from your order data and downloadable from your panel. But even with the platform's simplification, knowing what each document is and what it does empowers you to trade smarter.
The Digital Wealth Makers foreign trade guide
1Commercial card
2Order registration
3Customs clearance
4International freight
The Digital Wealth Makers foreign trade guide
The six key documents you need for import
From commercial card to insurance policy — understand each document and know at which stage of the import process it comes into play.
01Commercial card
The main licence for any foreign trade activity. Without a valid commercial card you can't register an order, get foreign currency allocation or clear goods. It's issued by the Iran Chamber of Commerce and has annual validity.
02Proforma Invoice
The first official document between you and the foreign seller. It states the price, goods specifications, payment terms, Incoterms and delivery time. This document is the basis for order registration and currency allocation.
03Order registration
The government's official permit to import a specific shipment. It's registered in the Comprehensive Trade System and its number appears on all subsequent documents. Without order registration, no goods clear customs.
04Commercial Invoice
The main financial document of the shipment for customs and the bank. Unlike the proforma, this document is issued after the deal is finalised, recording the exact final value of the goods, quantity, weight and full packaging details.
05Bill of Lading
The document of title for sea freight (or its equivalent in air and road: airway bill and CMR). This document has three roles: carrier's receipt for the goods, contract of carriage, and title document with which the goods are collected at destination.
06Certificate of Origin
The official proof of the goods' country of manufacture, certified by the Chamber of Commerce. This document is essential for benefiting from tariff preferences under trade agreements — without it, the goods may be charged at the highest tariff rate.
The Digital Wealth Makers foreign trade guide
Supplementary import documents
Depending on the goods type and country of origin, you may also need these documents. On Servat Land, selecting the goods type automatically identifies the required documents.
Cargo insurance policy
Covers transport risk from origin to destination. It's mandatory under many Incoterms and banks won't open a letter of credit without it.
Packing List
Details of count, weight, dimensions and contents of each package. Customs and carriers need it for inspection and transport planning.
Standards certificate
The Standards Organisation's confirmation for goods subject to mandatory standards (e.g. electrical appliances, food, medical equipment). Clearance is impossible without it.
Customs declaration
The official form with tariff code, customs value, weight and full goods specifications submitted to the customs system (EPL) — the basis for calculating import duties.
Statistical registration certificate
Confirmation that the shipment data is registered in the foreign trade statistics system. It's a prerequisite for clearance — without it the customs system won't let the process continue.
Specific legal permits
Certain goods like pharmaceuticals, chemicals, telecom equipment or cosmetics require permits from the relevant ministries (Health, Communications, Industry etc.).
The Digital Wealth Makers foreign trade guide
The import journey from purchase to clearance
Document customisation on the Servat Land platform: from negotiating with the seller to receiving the goods, all documents are generated in your panel.
1Negotiate & get proforma invoice
Chat with the foreign supplier, agree on price and terms, and receive the official proforma invoice in your panel.
2Order registration & currency allocation
The platform converts the proforma data into the order registration format and tracks the currency allocation process.
3Escrow payment to the seller
The funds are deposited into escrow. The seller, confident the money exists, ships the goods and the final commercial invoice is issued.
4Freight, insurance & bill of lading
The carrier is chosen, cargo insurance is purchased and the bill of lading and insurance policy are uploaded to your panel. The shipment can be tracked in real time.
5Customs clearance
The customs declaration is generated from the documents. Import duties are calculated and paid, and the goods are cleared from customs.
6Final goods delivery
The goods are transported to your warehouse or chosen location. After you confirm receipt, the funds are released from escrow to the seller.
Import in numbers
- Key import documents
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- Supplementary documents
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- Steps to customs clearance
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- Auto-generated documents
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Key import documents
Supplementary documents
Steps to customs clearance
Auto-generated documents
Frequently asked questions
Can I import goods without a commercial card?
No. A commercial card is the legal prerequisite for any foreign trade activity in Iran. Without it, order registration, currency allocation and customs clearance are impossible. If you don't have one, Servat Land can connect you with companies that do.
What's the difference between proforma and commercial invoice?
The proforma is a provisional, non-binding document issued before the deal is finalised, used for order registration and currency allocation. The commercial invoice is issued after the sale is confirmed, carries the exact final value and is the basis for calculating customs duties.
Does Servat Land generate all these documents?
Yes. The proforma, commercial invoice, packing list, bill of lading and certificate of origin are all generated from your order data in the panel. The commercial card and specific legal permits must be obtained separately, but the platform also guides you through the process of acquiring them.
Ready to register your first import shipment?
With Servat Land, import documents are generated without confusion or paperwork. From negotiation to clearance — all on one platform.