Frequently Asked Questions

Definition of Personal and Household Goods

Includes:

  1. Clothing, underwear, footwear intended for personal use
  2. Stationery, personal writing materials, children’s toys
  3. Cameras, video equipment, audio players (with accessories and media)
  4. Musical instruments, radios, portable TVs, laptops, accessories
  5. Typewriters, calculators, e-readers
  6. Baby strollers, wheelchairs for persons with disabilities
  7. Sports gear: bicycle, fishing rod, climbing/diving/ski/golf equipment, surfboard, etc.
  8. Furniture, kitchenware, dishes, carpets, garden tools and other household essentials

These items must be declared via T1 transit declaration, using a general list, for example:


SENDER:
Ivan Ivanov
Address: [USA address]

RECIPIENT:
Ivan Ivanov
Address: [destination country address]

Note:
If the package contains mixed items, indicate the quantity of each item in parentheses.
Weight must be stated in whole numbers only (no decimals), as the customs system does not accept fractions.
Sender and recipient can be the same person, but the address must show both the origin and destination addresses.

The list can be written in Lithuanian, English, or Russian.


Transit of Personal and Household Goods Through Lithuania

Dear customers,
If you are sending personal or household goods from the USA via Lithuania to third countries, please take note of the following:

Goods sent in containers by sea are automatically treated as cargo, not as personal belongings, and must comply with applicable regulations.

???? The following items cannot be shipped in transit through Lithuania by individuals:

  • Products containing alcohol, alcoholic beverages
  • Tobacco, perfumes, sweets, chocolate, foodstuffs
  • Medicines, medical equipment, dietary supplements
  • Any excise goods

You must also check your destination country’s regulations on importing personal goods.

Example:
Used car tires are prohibited for import into Belarus, even for personal use or transit.


Shipping Personal Belongings, Spare Parts, and Other Contents
  • The Port of Klaipėda is a border–customs zone.
  • All additional items (besides the vehicle) are considered cargo and must be documented with:
    • Bill of Lading
    • Invoice / Bill of Sale

⚠ Items found in containers without documentation will be disposed of.

You are responsible for learning the customs regulations of countries your items will transit through to avoid border issues.


Optional Paid Services
  • Transit license plates
  • T1 transit declaration for spare parts or personal items

Port Storage Terms

  • Free storage: First 5 days (including the day of unloading)
  • From day 6, storage fees apply

If T1 documents are processed through a different company, we charge an administrative fee.

If we provide our own transportation services, no deposit is required, but the cost of transportation is determined on a case-by-case basis.


Important Notes

If the tracking system shows that your container is arriving on a specific day, this does not mean that the vehicles will be unloaded on that same day.
We will inform you about the unloading date separately.
Please do not come in advance or send your transport ahead of time.

If you need transit license plates (TR), your vehicle must be in technically roadworthy condition.
A “salvage” certificate is accepted, and TR plates can be issued for such vehicles.
TR plates are not issued on Saturdays, Sundays, or Mondays.


Customs Guarantee Deposit

The deposit is calculated based not on the invoice value, but on the market value determined by the Lithuanian customs system “EMPREKIS” and may vary depending on the vehicle.
The deposit includes:

  • 21% VAT
  • Import duty (10% for cars, 31% for motorcycles, 5–50% for spare parts, etc.)

You can transfer the deposit to our bank account in advance.
Make sure the funds reach us before your arrival, otherwise you may need to wait for confirmation, causing delays.
Deposits are refunded to the same account from which they were paid (minus bank fees).

If the deposit was paid in cash, it will only be refunded:

  • In cash to the person who paid it; or
  • By bank transfer to the same person’s account (minus bank fees)

The deposit will be refunded only after the transit (T1) is closed in the customs system.
If the transit remains open, you must provide documents confirming that the vehicle arrived in its destination country, such as:

  • A copy of the vehicle registration document
  • The original import declaration
  • A letter from the customs authority addressed to the Central Customs Office of Klaipėda or directly to you confirming that the procedure was completed

All documents must be sent to our address by post.
If the vehicle is sent using a TIR Carnet, no deposit is required.


Vehicle Pickup Procedure

To pick up your vehicle and process customs documents, please have the following with you:

  • Bill of Sale / Invoice
  • Vehicle Title (it might be in our office - please ask)
  • Personal ID
  • Deposit for the customs guarantee

If the vehicle is picked up by an authorized representative:

  • Bill of Sale / Invoice
  • Vehicle Title (ask us if we have it)
  • Personal ID
  • Customs guarantee deposit
  • Original notarized Power of Attorney

When issuing a T1 transit declaration, our company acts as a customs guarantor in Lithuania and the EU, ensuring that the goods will leave Lithuania or the EU and reach the destination specified in the T1.
For this reason, we require a deposit as a guarantee that the T1 procedure will be completed (closed).

IMPORTANT! Storage period and procedure for issuing cargo. All cargo arriving at the port in containers has a limited customs storage period - 30 days including the day of arrival of the container. Before the expiration of the period, you must provide all the necessary documents to extend the storage period or remove the cargo from the port territory. In accordance with the applicable customs regulations, after a period of 30 days the cargo shall either be disposed of or returned to the consignor. Furthermore, we reserve the right to liquidate or otherwise realize the cargo in order to recover any costs incurred in connection with its storage and handling within the port.


Required Documents for Cargo Pickup

Please provide a cargo list for customs warehousing procedures (description of goods, customs code, gross weight, number of packages).
If this information is missing, we will proceed based on the available data.

For questions about delivery of containers to a convenient unloading location, please contact:
+370 46 342127 or  +370 659 53880

To ensure smooth customs procedures and timely delivery of your cargo, please provide the following documents:

  • Invoice
  • Packing List
  • Bill of Lading
  • Certificate of origin or other certificates required for import or transit through Lithuania
  • Authorization (Power of Attorney) allowing UAB “ATLANTIC EXPRESS” to handle all customs formalities on behalf of your company

Please note that each container arriving in the Port of Klaipėda has a free storage period of 5 to 10 days (depending on the shipping line).
Vehicles unloaded in the port are stored free of charge for 5 days.
Our staff will provide you with detailed information on demurrage, storage rates, terms, and service costs.

IMPORTANT! Storage period and procedure for issuing cargo. All cargo arriving at the port in containers has a limited customs storage period - 30 days including the day of arrival of the container. Before the expiration of the period, you must provide all the necessary documents to extend the storage period or remove the cargo from the port territory. In accordance with the applicable customs regulations, after a period of 30 days the cargo shall either be disposed of or returned to the consignor. Furthermore, we reserve the right to liquidate or otherwise realize the cargo in order to recover any costs incurred in connection with its storage and handling within the port.


Release of the Container

Each container arriving at the port of discharge must have a release permit (Release) for cargo pickup.
The absence of a release is usually due to unpaid freight charges or cargo value.
Before the container arrives at the port, make sure that all your payments related to the cargo delivery have been made.
The free storage period for containers is limited, typically ranging from 5 to 10 days (including weekends), depending on the shipping line. After that, penalty fees apply (as the container is considered to be used as storage).
It is in your best interest to ensure timely payment to avoid additional costs.

⚠ Important: If you request cargo information from us, you must be listed as the consignee in the container documentation (Bill of Lading).
If your email address does not match the one listed in the BL, we will not respond to such inquiries and will ignore them.
We do not provide any information to third parties.


Estimated Time of Arrival (ETA)

Only after the container is loaded onto the vessel is a preliminary ETA determined. This estimated date helps you plan approximately when your cargo will arrive at the port of discharge and be unloaded or transported further by land.
The ETA is tentative. For the exact date of arrival, please contact our office:

+370 46 342127 or +370 659 53880


Alternatively, you can check it independently.


Container

All cargo is transported in sea containers of 20, 40, or 45 feet. Each container has its own unique number. The container number consists of four Latin letters (prefix) and seven digits. For example: APHU1234567, MSCU7654321, MAEU1234567.
To find out where your cargo is located, prepare the container number provided by the sender. You can check the location independently by visiting the official websites of the container lines, for example:


Where is your cargo now?

Find the cargo
Nemuno 139, Klaipeda LT-93262
Telephone: +370 46 342127
Fax: +370 46 355009
info@atlanticexpress.lt
Call now:
+370 46 342127

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