Proforma invoice for Norway – how to write one yourself

What is a proforma invoice?

A proforma invoice is a customs document – not a bill. Nobody pays it. It shows who is sending the goods, who is receiving them, what they are and what they're worth, so the export declaration in Sweden and the import clearance in Norway can be done correctly.

It is always the sender who writes the proforma invoice – not the shop where the item was once bought, and not the carrier. There are no rules about how it should look; what matters is that all the details are there.

Proforma or commercial invoice – which one do you need?

The basic rule: if the receiver is paying for the goods, the commercial invoice (the real invoice with price and payment terms) is customs' first-choice document. If the goods ship without payment – gifts, samples, warranty replacements, returns, repairs or goods to your own office – use a proforma invoice.

In practice, a proforma does sometimes travel with the shipment even when the goods are sold – for example when the commercial invoice hasn't been issued by the time the goods are loaded. Treat that as a fallback, not a free choice: Norwegian customs allows a proforma as the declaration basis if the document type is stated, and the Swedish export declaration has its own document code for proforma invoices – but the value must always be the real transaction value, the price the buyer actually pays. If the final commercial invoice shows a different amount, the declaration must be corrected afterwards – otherwise Norwegian import VAT and the buyer's accounting records end up wrong. If exact details are missing at loading, formal routes exist for precisely that (simplified/preliminary declarations completed within ten days) – let your freight forwarder decide which document to use.

The content is essentially the same in both documents. The difference is that the proforma is titled "Proforma Invoice", states the reason for the shipment and makes clear that nothing is to be paid via that particular document. The checklist below therefore works for both.

What the proforma invoice must contain – line by line

The customs authorities on both sides of the border want to see these 14 details. The numbers reappear in the example below the list:

Shipping several different items? Use one line per type of goods – with its own quantity, weight, country of origin and value – and a totals line at the bottom. Multiple units of the same item go on one line with the quantity stated.

• 1. The heading "Proforma Invoice" – so the document isn't mistaken for a bill
• 2. Place, date and your own reference number (e.g. 2026-001) – the reference is used in the export declaration
• 3. Sender: name, address and phone number
• 4. Receiver: name, address and phone number – double-check this; clearing goods on the wrong party is the most common error at Norwegian import
• 5. Goods description: detailed, per item type. Write "folding bicycle, 20-inch" – not "sports equipment" or "gift"
• 6. Quantity with unit (e.g. 1 pc) and number of packages
• 7. Weight: gross weight in kg (ideally net weight without packaging too)
• 8. Country of origin – where the item was manufactured, not where it ships from
• 9. Value per item type and total value – the real value, never 0 (customs never accepts zero value, not even for gifts)
• 10. Currency – one single currency throughout, e.g. SEK
• 11. Reason for the shipment: gift, sample, warranty replacement, return …
• 12. The line "No charge. Value for customs purposes only."
• 13. Delivery terms (Incoterm), e.g. DAP Oslo
• 14. Signature with printed name – not a customs requirement, but many carriers ask for it (see the FAQ)

Shipping as a business? Two more details

Businesses exporting from the EU need an EORI number for the export declaration – it's free from Swedish Customs and usually issued quickly. Put the EORI number and your company registration/VAT number next to the sender details. Private individuals shipping for personal use normally don't need an EORI number.

If the receiver is a Norwegian business, ask for their organisation number and add it next to the receiver details – the goods then clear customs on the right entity straight away. Adding the HS code per item type also speeds up clearance – if you don't know it, we'll help you find the right one.

How to write it – step by step

The easiest route is the template at the top of this page: download, fill in the fields, sign – done. Prefer to build the document yourself? That works just as well:

• 1. Open a blank document in Word or Google Docs.
• 2. Write the heading "Proforma Invoice" at the top.
• 3. Fill in the lines from the checklist above, top to bottom.
• 4. Sign it (a printed name is fine if you're emailing the document).
• 5. Save as PDF and email it to your freight forwarder. Done.

Ready-to-copy template

Don't want to download or build your own? Copy the lines below straight into your document and replace the blanks with your details:

• PROFORMA INVOICE
• Place and date: ____
• Reference number: ____
• Sender: name, address, phone (business: also reg. no and EORI)
• Receiver: name, address, phone (Norwegian business: also org. no)
• Goods: detailed description, ideally with article number
• Quantity: ____ pcs, ____ packages
• Weight: ____ kg gross
• Country of origin: ____
• Value: ____ SEK (real value – never 0)
• Reason: gift / sample / warranty / return / own goods
• No charge. Value for customs purposes only.
• Delivery terms: e.g. DAP Oslo
• Signature: ____

Common mistakes that stop goods at the border

Norwegian Customs itself points to incomplete invoices as a main cause of clearance delays. The classics:

• A value of 0 – never accepted; state the real value even for gifts and samples
• Vague goods description – "gift", "clothes" or "spare parts" isn't enough
• Wrong receiver – the goods are cleared on whoever is listed as receiver, double-check
• Missing currency, or mixed currencies in one document
• Unsigned origin declaration – if you claim preferential duty, the declaration is only valid with a signature or authorisation number
• Country of origin confused with country of dispatch – it's the country of manufacture that counts

What happens once the proforma is ready?

Email it to us. We file the export declaration with Swedish Customs, handle the import clearance into Norway and deliver the goods door to door – nothing more for you to do. Any Norwegian import VAT or other charges are decided by Norwegian Customs; a proforma doesn't make goods duty-free, it just means nobody is paying for the item itself.