Documentary check
Customs verification of documents and data accompanying the customs declaration, without physical examination of goods.
Documentary check constitutes the intermediate level of customs verification, situated between automatic release (green channel) and physical inspection (red channel). It corresponds to the orange channel in the declaration selectivity system.
During a documentary check, the customs officer verifies the consistency and compliance of presented documents: commercial invoice, certificate of origin, import/export licences, sanitary or phytosanitary certificates, transport documents, and any other documentation required by applicable regulations.
The check also covers the concordance between declared elements (tariff classification, origin, value) and supporting documents. The officer may request additional documents or explanations from the declarant. If inconsistencies are detected, the check may be escalated to physical inspection.
Selection criteria for documentary checks are defined by each customs administration's risk management system, fed by national and European risk profiles. The frequency of such checks varies according to operator profile, goods nature, and geographical origin.