Tips for Shipping to India & a Few Costly Mistakes to Avoid

Unfortunately, India's Customs will no longer accept revised shipping documents. All documents must be correct and included with each shipment. Furthermore, India's Customs will not allow that shipments be returned to the origin location. This certainly raises the bar on accuracy for shipments to India (and stress levels). This new change has already taken effect, so please read below so that you can avoid any problems with future shipments to India.

What to do before shipping to India

Before sending any shipments to India, we encourage you to double check your documents to ensure they are correct -- and that everything in your shipment is listed on the invoice. Here's a blog post referencing each KYC (Know Your Customer) document to include, depending on who you are and what company you are shipping with.

Ensure everything is correct the first time

We've created this India Shipment Checklist to help you remember everything you must include with your shipments. This can help you avoid any chance of missteps. 

India Shipment Checklist

Prepare

• Learn about the receiver and make sure you now who your contact is
• Make sure you have the correct spelling of the address, the receiver's name, and that the phone number is correct
• If shipping to an individual, ensure your shipping address is a personal address. If you are shipping to a business, double check to make sure the address is a commercial address.
• Double check that your box(es) are properly packaged and that everything is listed on the invoice

Check Your Shipping Documents

• Check for spelling errors, typos, and incorrect information
• Verify you used the correct Schedule B Number and/or HTS

After You Send Your Shipment

• Have your receiver fill out KYC documentation at: www.DHLindia-kyc.com
• Monitor your shipment using your AWB number at www.dhl-use.com/en/express/tracking.html
• Contact us if a hold or delay occurs at 972-383-9901 or send us an e-mail at customerservice@optimalship.com

Costly mistakes to avoid 

A word of caution: even simple mistakes can cause you to lose your shipment. Here's our top 4 costly mistakes to avoid:

1. Wrong/Misspelled address
2. Sending to an individual, but putting a business address on the shipment
3. Not listing all items on the invoice 
4. Listing the incorrect declared value

So, each time you ship to India, use our India Shipment Checklist to help. Also, what tips do you have for others who are or will be shipping to India? What mistakes have you made (or someone you know)?

Here's printable version (pdf) of our Shipment Checklist to help you remember everything to include when shipping to India: