How to Fill Out a CN23 Customs Declaration for Parcels to Russia

What is CN23 and Why Fill it Out?

CN23 is the standard international customs declaration for parcels worth over €270. It's a Universal Postal Union document accepted by customs in all participating countries.

The declaration has six main fields: contents, quantity of units, value, total weight, country of origin, and purpose of shipment. It must be signed by the sender.

When you ship via TopParcel, we fill out this form for you based on the data you provide in your account. However, it's still worth checking that each field makes sense, because these fields are the most common reason for parcels being returned.

Contents: How to Describe

This is the most important field. If you write just "electronics," customs might ask for clarification, delaying the parcel by 3-5 days.

Correct examples include specific models: "Apple MacBook Air M2 13 inch," "Sony WH-1000XM5 headphones," "Levi's 501 jeans size 32." Don't write "clothing" in general, but "3 women cotton t-shirts." Not "cosmetics," but "Estee Lauder face cream 50ml."

The more accurate the description, the fewer questions. If the parcel contains several different items, list each one on a separate line.

Value: Don't Undervalue

An undervalued invoice is the most frequent mistake. Many think that if they declare a laptop as "£10," customs will believe it and let it through without duty. They won't.

Russian customs checks the declared value against open sources – manufacturer catalogs, marketplace prices. If the difference is 5-10 times, the parcel will be stopped for inspection. At best, it will sit for a week; at worst, it will be sent for appraisal, and you'll have to pay duty on the real appraised value plus a fine for misrepresenting the declaration.

The correct value is the actual price you paid in the store. If you received it as a gift, indicate the market value and mark it as "gift."

Country of Origin

This refers to the country where the item was manufactured, not the country where you bought it. An iPhone bought in London has its origin in China, not the United Kingdom. A book published in Bloomsbury has its origin in the United Kingdom.

This information is important to customs because different duties and sanctions rules may apply to different countries of origin. This especially applies to dual-use goods.

Purpose of Shipment

Options: gift, commercial sample, documents, return, other.

The safest option for duty is "gift." Gifts up to €100 to Russia are duty-free (a separate limit from the usual €200). However, a gift requires confirmation – usually the sender's signature "to friend/family" is sufficient.

Don't try to declare a commercial shipment as a gift. This is quickly caught by the volume and packaging.

What to Do If Your Parcel is Detained

If customs requests clarification or additional documents, you will receive a message. Act quickly – you usually have 5-10 business days to respond.

If you receive a request through us, write to WhatsApp, and we will forward instructions. If the request comes directly, respond to the address in the customs letter. Don't ignore it – otherwise, the parcel will be returned.

A complete list of what you can't ship is on the [Customs](/ru/customs) page.