Passport number for deliveries from Europe!

[shed9]

Having something shipped from Italy and the seller has asked for my passport number or ID number (whatever that is) in order to complete the customs side of things.

I know Brexit caused some issues and extra steps in this but has anyone seen this before?

 

[Adam W.]

No

 

[shed9]

No

Hmm, me neither. I seem to remember someone mentioning it in the past, hence asking the question but wanted to check if anyone had heard of it before.

 

[Adam W.]

Sounds weird, as not everyone has a passport.

 

[Peter Sefton]

Sounds very unusual unless it's something like a knife that needs id.

 

[shed9]

Sounds very unusual unless it's something like a knife that needs id.

It's an optical instrument (the business end of a telescope basically). They have said that an ID number will also be adequate. Normally I'd steer clear and ask for my cash back but I'm sure I've heard something similar in the past which is why I'm checking just in case.

 

[paulrbarnard]

I think they may be trying to do a local tax exemption. They can possibly avoid charging/paying local VAT if they have a passport number for the purchaser and the purchaser is taking it straight out of the country. I thought that was only for in person sales. This is the reason you get asked for your passport at the airport, it’s so the seller can avoid paying local sales tax.
I would ask them because it should not apply for shipped product, but that would be their problem not yours.

 

[Bristol_Rob]

Make your own special ID number for them...

 

[artie]

Sounds very unusual unless it's something like a knife that needs id.

I had a knife sent from the Netherlands recently, no problem.

 

[shed9]

They say they have shipped it now (without me giving details), wait and see I guess.

I'll update if I have more.

 

[Peter Sefton]

I had a knife sent from the Netherlands recently, no problem.

In the UK we have to sell in accordance with Section 141A of the Criminal Justice Act 1988 which makes it an offence to sell them to a person aged under 18 years, and need to get proof of age before shipping, I assume in theory an import should comply to the same legislation but in practice....

 

[jcassidy]

It might just be anti tax avoidance, everyone in Italy has a codice fiscale which can be used to track sales.

By law in Italy you are obliged to ask for a receipt for any purchase, and the Guardia Finanze can stop you and ask to see the receipt, and levy fines on both you and the shop if you don't have one...

I'd say someone realised that they don't need it for exports, eventually.

 

[pgrbff]

Make your own special ID number for them...

Wont work. What they want is more than likely the OPs EORI. In Italy every person resident in Italy, and this means they are registered with the local council, has a codice fiscale, CF, or a fiscal code. The nearest thing in the UK would be your NI number. Very often, when you buy online you are asked forr your CF, even a cinema ticket. This is basicaly a way of keeping track of what you spend. Tax evasion is so commonplace here that even if you spend €1 on a coffee at a bar you are obliged by law to take a receipt. If you are stopped, or there is an inspection in the bar, and you don't have a receipt, both you and the owner will be fined, could be a couple of hundred €.
A private individuals EORI is his CF with IT prefix, for Italy. A business has IT before its VAT number. Youcan type in to a search engine validate EORI and check.

 

[pgrbff]

Having something shipped from Italy and the seller has asked for my passport number or ID number (whatever that is) in order to complete the customs side of things.

I know Brexit caused some issues and extra steps in this but has anyone seen this before?

Perfectly normal. It would be inconceivable to an Italian that you wouldn't give your CF or codice fiscale to a vendor. It's 100% normal and it will be the post office or shipping company that insists on it. When I order from Amazon outside of Italy I am asked for my CF for customs clearance by Amazon. When DHL or any other courier is about to deliver from outside the EU, i will get atext, sms or email asking for my CF for customs clearance. As they know you are not resident in Italy and haven't got a CF, they ask for a passport number.
It's 100 normal here, It is also used in Italy as a way of keeping track of what a peson spends. You have to declare your income every year in Italy. It's quite normal for the guardia di finanza, or fiscal police to stop someone in a ferrari and find that he has no income. It's all about tax evasion here but in your case just about customs clearance.
I'm organising shipping a Jag V8 engine from Derbyshire to Italy for a friend. The first thing the UK shipper asked, apart from size and weight, was do the shipper and consignee both have registered EORI? Your EORI hereis your CF or vat number prefixed with IT.

 

[AES]

Agree with both of the posts from our Italian friend above.

Similar thing exists here (though not so much for tax reasons). By law here you (everyone) is required to register themselves/their address at the local Gemeinde (town or village "office"). And also by law, we all have an ID card ("ID" = Identity). Here, and within most of Europe, showing your ID card (a little plastic credit card-sized thing with your photo on it) will work instead of showing your Passport. Not so much outside Europe.

If you remember, in UK some time back, there was a hullabaloo because the Govt of the day wanted to institute a national ID card system in UK - I forget when, and which party. Doesn't matter really.

That's the ID number the Italian supplier is asking for. As you don't have an ID card in UK, you could give your Passport number, or, if UK driving licences now have photos on them (they didn't in my UK days, long time ago), you could try that. If you don't have either, I GUESS that as suggested above, your NI number would do.

HTH

 

[woodieallen]

Sounds weird, as not everyone has a passport.

Or driving licence. Makes requests for photo ID impossible. I also resent some companies assumption that everyone has a smartphone.

As for giving an ID number...make it up. They have no way of checking as far as I am aware.

 

[pgrbff]

Or driving licence. Makes requests for photo ID impossible. I also resent some companies assumption that everyone has a smartphone.

As for giving an ID number...make it up. They have no way of checking as far as I am aware.

They can and most probably will check, especially if it's a serious courier company.
Often they ask for your EORI, as they do in UK now if shipping outside UK. The EORI is easily checked online.
The bottom line is that unless you supply a valid number the chances are the item will get snagged and delayed or returned.
I was born in London, albeit as far as the Italians are concerned born Italian, and lived in the UK most of my adult life.

 

[pgrbff]

Agree with both of the posts from our Italian friend above.

Similar thing exists here (though not so much for tax reasons). By law here you (everyone) is required to register themselves/their address at the local Gemeinde (town or village "office"). And also by law, we all have an ID card ("ID" = Identity). Here, and within most of Europe, showing your ID card (a little plastic credit card-sized thing with your photo on it) will work instead of showing your Passport. Not so much outside Europe.

If you remember, in UK some time back, there was a hullabaloo because the Govt of the day wanted to institute a national ID card system in UK - I forget when, and which party. Doesn't matter really.

That's the ID number the Italian supplier is asking for. As you don't have an ID card in UK, you could give your Passport number, or, if UK driving licences now have photos on them (they didn't in my UK days, long time ago), you could try that. If you don't have either, I GUESS that as suggested above, your NI number would do.

HTH

I was born in London. I consider myself English, even if the Italians insist I'm Italian.

 

[pgrbff]

It might just be anti tax avoidance, everyone in Italy has a codice fiscale which can be used to track sales.

By law in Italy you are obliged to ask for a receipt for any purchase, and the Guardia Finanze can stop you and ask to see the receipt, and levy fines on both you and the shop if you don't have one...

I'd say someone realised that they don't need it for exports, eventually.

In Italy it is certainly for tax avoidance as well. When it comes to import/export it is just a way of identifying the person importing or exporting.
Anyone can have a codice fiscale. The number basically identifies a person by their name, place of birth and date of birth. There are many online calculators. like this one

 

[shed9]

Wont work. What they want is more than likely the OPs EORI. In Italy every person resident in Italy, and this means they are registered with the local council, has a codice fiscale, CF, or a fiscal code. The nearest thing in the UK would be your NI number. Very often, when you buy online you are asked forr your CF, even a cinema ticket. This is basicaly a way of keeping track of what you spend. Tax evasion is so commonplace here that even if you spend €1 on a coffee at a bar you are obliged by law to take a receipt. If you are stopped, or there is an inspection in the bar, and you don't have a receipt, both you and the owner will be fined, could be a couple of hundred €.
A private individuals EORI is his CF with IT prefix, for Italy. A business has IT before its VAT number. Youcan type in to a search engine validate EORI and check.

Thanks for this, appreciated.

Looks like they have sent the item without my number and a tracking code is now in the system so it should be on its way. I suspect customs UK side will ask me to confirm and pay up when it hits UK shores.