Transit times and documents for international shipping: a checklist

11 March 2026

A ready checklist of documents and a clear overview of transit times by mode, so a delivery to Russia can be planned without delays.

Documents you cannot do without

The basic set for any international shipment is the contract, the commercial invoice, the packing list and the transport document (CMR for road, bill of lading for sea, air waybill for air). Certificates of origin and conformity may also be needed, as well as permits for specific goods.

All documents must be consistent: weight, number of packages and value on the invoice, packing list and waybill must match.

Minimum document set

✓Foreign trade contract.
✓Commercial invoice stating the Incoterms term.
✓Packing list with weights and dimensions per package.
✓Transport document: CMR, bill of lading or air waybill.
✓EX1 export declaration.
✓Conformity documents: certificate, declaration or a letter confirming none is required.
✓Where needed: certificate of origin and permits.

How long goods take

Mode	Typical transit
Air	3–7 days door to door — fastest and most expensive
Road groupage from Europe	10–18 days
Sea	depends on the route: container Rotterdam – St Petersburg 6–7 days in transit (declared to the port 3 days before the vessel sails), groupage via Rotterdam about 2 weeks, from China by sea + rail 23–55 days
Rail from China	16–35 days

When planning, leave a buffer for customs and possible border delays.

What door-to-door time really consists of

Door-to-door time is not just time in transit. Collection from the supplier once the goods are ready takes 1–3 days, waiting for the next groupage departure up to 5 days (Friday cut-off), export clearance 1 day, the main leg from 3 days by road from Poland up to several weeks by sea, customs release in Russia 1–2 days with a declaration lodged in advance, and the last mile 1–3 days.

The most frequent causes of delay are not transport but documents: discrepancies between invoice and packing list, a missing certificate of conformity, a wrong HS code.

For the buyer’s bank, currency control requires the contract, the invoice and proof of delivery; for import contracts of 3 million roubles or more, the contract is registered with the bank before the first payment.

How to speed up release

Lodge the declaration before the goods arrive (advance declaration), agree the HS code in advance, attach the technical description and certificates, and prepay the charges to the single customs account. With this preparation release takes hours rather than days.

Questions and answers

Which documents must match exactly?

The invoice, packing list and transport document: weight, number of packages and value must be identical across all of them.

What most often delays a shipment?

Documents rather than transport: discrepancies between invoice and packing list, a missing certificate of conformity or a wrong HS code.

How long does export clearance take?

In a well-prepared shipment, about one day within the overall door-to-door time.

Documents for import →EX1 export declaration →First shipment checklist →

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