Customs Power of Attorney Template (Vollmacht Zoll)

With a customs power of attorney – German: Zollvollmacht – another person may collect your shipment at the customs office or represent you in customs clearance. Without one, the customs office releases the goods only to the recipient in person – if you send colleagues, couriers, or service providers, you need the document. This free template comes as a fillable PDF and as a Word file to adapt.

When do I need a customs power of attorney?

Two situations are typical:

• Collection at the customs office: a shipment from outside the EU could not be delivered and is held at the inland customs office – for example because documents were missing. If you cannot go yourself, you send an authorized person: colleague, messenger, or courier.
• Representation in customs clearance: a freight forwarder or customs broker files customs declarations for you. EU customs law distinguishes direct representation (the representative acts in your name and on your behalf) and indirect representation (the representative acts in their own name on your behalf) – with different consequences for the customs debt. The chosen form should be stated explicitly in the power of attorney.

What must the power of attorney contain?

The template has dedicated fields for everything:

• Principal with full address – for companies also the EORI number, with which economic operators identify themselves towards customs
• Authorized person or company with address and ID or commercial-register details
• Scope: one-off collection of a specific shipment (with shipment number) or ongoing representation in customs matters
• For ongoing representation: direct or indirect representation
• Period of validity, place, date, and the principal's signature

Practical tip: many customs offices also want to see a copy of the principal's ID – attach it to the power of attorney right away.

Procedure: collecting a shipment at the customs office

1. Check the notification: the customs office letter states the shipment number, the responsible office, and the collection deadline – storage usually runs from a few days to about two weeks, after which the shipment is returned.
2. Assemble the documents: power of attorney, the collector's ID, a copy of the principal's ID, and proof of the shipment's value – invoice, order confirmation, or payment receipt. For goods shipments the customs declaration CN22/CN23 helps too; for samples and free-of-charge shipments a proforma invoice serves as proof of value.
3. Clearance on site: the customs office checks the documents, assesses import duties, and releases the goods against payment – the collector signs for the takeover.

No time to drive to the customs office yourself? With a Maxmove direct trip you send a driver – hand over the power of attorney and documents, and the shipment is at your door the same day.