Export Paperwork Kit cover

Export Paperwork Kit

KES 4,999
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Export Paperwork Kit cover
  • Export Paperwork Kit cover
  • Export Paperwork Kit cover
Export Paperwork Kit

Export Paperwork Kit

KES 4,999

"A buyer in London wants 40 pieces and I don't even know which papers to send."

Your products are ready for the world, but the paperwork is not. One wrong HS code, a vague invoice or a missing certificate can hold an order at the airport, surprise your buyer with charges, or cost you your VAT refund. This kit shows you exactly which documents each shipment needs, who issues them, and how to fill them in right the first time.

What's inside:

  • A simple decision guide: small courier parcel or commercial consignment, and what each one needs
  • Ready-to-use commercial invoice, packing list and proforma invoice templates
  • A step-by-step HS code finder, plus certificates of origin explained for EAC, COMESA, AfCFTA, EU, UK and AGOA
  • A permits map by product category (food, cosmetics, plants, leather) with the agency for each
  • Incoterms made simple, a courier vs freight guide, and buyer scripts for explaining duties and taxes

Who it's for: Kenyan product brands shipping to diaspora buyers, regional stockists or overseas wholesale clients who want every order to clear without drama.

27-page PDF playbookInstant downloadM-Pesa or card

Free preview

Chapter 1: Parcel or consignment? Know which game you are playing

Most founders start exporting by accident. A cousin in Atlanta shares your Instagram page, a buyer in Kampala asks for a price list, and suddenly you are at a courier counter with a box and a lot of questions.

The first question: is this a small parcel or a commercial consignment? The answer decides how much paperwork you need and who prepares it.

The two routes out of Kenya

Small courier parcel Commercial consignment
Typical order One customer, a few items A stockist or wholesaler, many units
Who handles export customs Usually the courier's customs team A KRA-licensed clearing agent you appoint
Core documents Commercial invoice, waybill Commercial invoice, packing list, sales contract or purchase order, export entry, plus origin and permits where needed
Who pays import charges The buyer, unless you agree otherwise Set by the Incoterm you agree

Here is the part many founders miss. Even a single parcel is a legal export, declared in Kenya and again in your buyer's country. Both sides read your commercial invoice. If it says "gift" when it was a sale, you are making a false declaration twice.

Why this matters more in 2026

Since May 2026, Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) links export records in its customs system to the zero-rated section of your VAT return. If your export entry lacks your KRA PIN and a valid eTIMS invoice number, the sale may not count as an export. Destination countries have also tightened up. The United States has suspended its duty-free allowance for low-value parcels, and the EU started charging a flat customs duty on small parcels from 1 July 2026.

Example: Achieng runs a jewellery brand in Kisumu. She ships five necklaces to a customer in Texas and writes "gift, value USD 20" to "save the customer money." The parcel is held, the buyer gets a bill anyway, and Achieng has no export record to support her zero-rated VAT. A correct invoice would have taken her ten minutes.

Three questions before you pack anything

  1. Who is the buyer: a person, or a business that will resell?
  2. What is the product, exactly, and does it need a permit to leave Kenya?
  3. Who will pay the import duties and taxes at the other end?

Answer these three and you already know most of your paperwork. The rest is where most shipments get stuck, and it starts with a six-digit number most founders have never heard of...

The rest is unlocked after purchase

Buy once, download instantly and keep it. Your download link arrives by email and on your order page.

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