An ordino is the delivery order (D/O) showing that cargo arriving by sea may be released to the consignee. The shipping line's agent issues it against the original bill of lading or a telex release, once the freight and local charges have been paid; the terminal releases the container according to this instruction. Customs administrations, however, no longer ask for the ordino in customs formalities.
What does ordino mean?
Ordino comes from the Italian word ordine, meaning "order"; its English equivalent is the delivery order (D/O). The bill of lading gives the right to claim the cargo from the carrier at the port of discharge. The line agent converts this right into an instruction saying "this container may be released to this person". In the Turkish industry, both the instruction itself and the process of obtaining it are called "ordino".
Its current status from a customs perspective
The ordino was a document defined in the Customs Regulation of the era of the former Customs Law No. 1615. This arrangement was abolished with Customs Law No. 4458. By a letter dated 23 November 2017, the Ministry instructed customs administrations not to ask for this document. A letter of 26 April 2021 from the Directorate General of Customs of the Ministry of Trade (Ticaret Bakanlığı Gümrükler Genel Müdürlüğü) repeats that the ordino (cargo delivery instruction form) is not to be requested by customs offices. According to the letter, the Ministry has held the view since 2000 that this document has no bearing on customs formalities. Following decisions of the Council of State (Danıştay), the cargo delivery instruction form practice has also ended.
The commercial relationship, however, continues. The terminal or port operator does not release the container without the carrier's delivery approval. Today this approval is mostly transmitted to the terminal electronically; the industry still calls it the ordino.
How is an ordino obtained step by step?
- Arrival notice: The line agent sends an arrival notice to the consignee before the vessel arrives.
- Surrender of the bill of lading: The original bill of lading is presented, duly endorsed and complete; if a telex release or seaway bill is used, no original is needed.
- Payments: If freight is payable by the consignee (freight collect), the freight and the agent's local charges are paid.
- Delivery instruction: The agent issues the delivery approval and transmits it to the terminal or temporary storage facility.
- Customs clearance: The customs procedure is completed with the declaration, examination and payment of duties.
- Pick-up and return: The container is collected from the yard, unloaded and the empty container returned on time.
What is the ordino fee?
The ordino fee is the charge the agent levies within the local charges for the documentation and release service. The amount varies by line, agent and port; it may be invoiced together with items such as THC, documentation fee and container cleaning fee. In a sea freight quote, you should therefore ask in writing which items the destination local charges cover.
Ordino by type of bill of lading
| Document | Presentation of original | Effect on the ordino |
|---|---|---|
| Original bill of lading | Required, with endorsement if issued to order | No delivery instruction is issued until the original arrives |
| Telex release | Not required; the originals are surrendered at the port of loading | The agent issues the ordino on system approval |
| Seaway bill | Not required; it is not a negotiable instrument | Delivered to the consignee named in the document |
For details, see the entry telex release and seaway bill.
Common mistakes
- The original bill of lading arriving late by courier, with demurrage starting to run in the meantime
- An incomplete chain of endorsements on an order bill of lading
- Not obtaining the ordino before the free time expires and leaving customs clearance to the last day
- The consignee name on the bill of lading not matching the importer in the customs declaration
How does Voltim Global support you?
For sea freight imports, Voltim Global follows up the work between the line agent, the terminal and the contracted customs brokers as a single point of contact. Import customs clearance is handled through contracted customs brokers.