Rail Consignment Note (CIM, SMGS, CIM/SMGS) · CIM / SMGS
The transport document for international rail freight. CIM is used in Europe under COTIF, SMGS across the CIS, China and Mongolia, and the combined CIM/SMGS note covers both without re-documenting at the gauge change.
- Issued by
- The sender, accepted and stamped by the railway at the departure station.
- When it's needed
- Every international rail shipment — e.g. China–Europe, Central Asia–Baltic or intra-EU block trains.
- Transport
- Rail
What it contains
- Sender and consignee
- Departure and destination stations, border crossing points
- Wagon or container number, seals
- Description of goods with rail goods codes (ETSNG / NHM) and HS code
- Gross weight and number of packages
- Who pays the carriage charges on each railway section
Practical tips
- Payers must be set for every railway on the route — a missing payer code stops the wagon at the border.
- The note is not a document of title; the cargo is released to the consignee named on it.
- Check goods descriptions and parties against sanctions rules before booking routes through third countries.
Not sure which documents you need?
Send us the route and the goods — we'll list the documents and prepare the transport ones for you.
Contact usOther shipping documents
Bill of LadingSea WaybillAir WaybillCMR Consignment NoteShipping InstructionsCommercial InvoicePacking ListCertificate of OriginExport DeclarationTransit Declaration (T1)Dangerous Goods DeclarationPhytosanitary CertificateShipping documents
General guidance only — requirements depend on the goods, the countries involved and the contract. We check the documents needed for every booking.
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