We exist because the gap between exporting occasionally and hiring a full-time logistics coordinator is a real operational challenge for Portuguese SMEs.
International export documentation is not simple. A commercial invoice for a shipment to Morocco has different requirements from one going to Angola, which differs again from one going to the UK after Brexit. The certificate of origin format, the customs declaration procedure, the CMR note structure — each has its own rules, and those rules change.
For a Portuguese SME that exports a container or two per quarter, maintaining that knowledge in-house is difficult. The documentation workload does not justify a full-time hire, but the consequences of getting it wrong — goods held at the border, preferential duties refused, shipments returned — are significant.
ClearNotarium was established in Porto to provide that documentation expertise on a per-shipment or retained basis. We are not a customs broker — we do not submit declarations electronically on your behalf or hold an authorised economic operator status. We prepare the documents that your freight agent, carrier and customs broker need to do their jobs correctly.
The distinction matters. We are a documentation preparation service, and that is where our focus and expertise lies.
We maintain current knowledge of documentation requirements for each market we work in. When HMRC updates its border procedures or Morocco changes its import documentation requirements, we update our practice accordingly.
Every document in a shipment set must be internally consistent — the same goods description, the same values, the same reference numbers. We prepare documents as a set, not as individual items, so inconsistencies are caught before the shipment departs.
Export documentation has to be ready when the shipment is ready. We work to the timelines that freight operations require, with clear turnaround commitments for each service tier.
We are clear about what we do and what we do not do. We prepare documents — we do not provide customs advice, act as your customs agent, or make representations to customs authorities on your behalf. This clarity protects you and us.
Post-Brexit documentation for UK-bound exports has become substantially more complex. We have built specific expertise in the documentation requirements that apply since the UK left the EU customs union — export declarations, proof of preferential origin under the TCA, and the evolving requirements of HMRC's border operating model.
We track updates to UK import requirements as a standard part of our practice, so our documents reflect current procedure.
Angola, Mozambique, Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau and São Tomé and Príncipe each have distinct documentation requirements. Consular legalisation, specific certificate of origin formats, and the documentation requirements for regulated product categories vary between markets.
Our familiarity with PALOP documentation pathways has developed through consistent work with Portuguese exporters serving these markets.
Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria and Egypt each maintain specific import documentation requirements. Invoice legalisation, conformity certificates, Arabic field requirements and country-specific certificate of origin formats are among the requirements that differ from standard EU export documentation.
Errors in documentation for North African markets frequently result in extended port holds — correct documentation from the outset avoids this.
Each member of our team brings specific experience in international trade documentation. We do not employ generalists — every team member has a defined area of market and document-type expertise.
Fifteen years in export compliance across Portuguese manufacturing and agri-food sectors. Specialist in UK post-Brexit documentation requirements and EUR.1 origin certification. Responsible for quality review of all outgoing document sets.
Extensive background in PALOP trade documentation including consular legalisation procedures for Angola, Mozambique and Cape Verde. Fluent in Portuguese and French. Previously worked in export operations at a Lisbon-based trading company with PALOP focus.
Specialist in customs declaration document preparation and Intrastat filings. Experienced with the Portuguese AT customs portal and INE Intrastat reporting system. Background in logistics administration with a Portuguese freight forwarding company.
Focused on documentation for Morocco, Tunisia and Algeria markets. Familiar with invoice legalisation requirements, conformity certificates and the specific import document expectations of North African customs authorities. Arabic language capability for document field verification.
Contact us to explain your export situation — markets, products, frequency — and we will outline how we can help.