When an international client goes quiet, treat it as a collection problem, not just a communication problem. Check the company still exists, try other contacts and channels, pull together your contract and delivery evidence, then send a formal demand with a clear deadline, translated if needed. If that fails, your contract’s governing law, jurisdiction clause and the location of the debtor’s assets decide your route. Move early, because unpaid international invoices usually get harder to recover the longer they sit.
First, rule out the simple explanations
Silence is not always avoidance. Your emails may be landing in spam, your contact may have left, or the company may have merged, changed name, moved address or closed. Search the company registry in the debtor’s own country, call the switchboard, try accounts payable and a second contact, and ask your sales team whether anything changed recently. Our guide to tracking down a business debtor who has stopped responding covers the first checks in more detail.
Build your evidence pack
Gather the signed contract and terms, purchase orders, invoices, proof of delivery, customs paperwork, tracking information, acceptance emails and your chasing history. Part of our process is establishing whether a genuine issue with the goods, service or invoice is holding up payment, so check your own records for open queries first. Our disputed invoices flowchart helps you separate a real dispute from a delay tactic.
Send a formal demand
A demand in the debtor’s language removes excuses and makes escalation cleaner. Identify the parties, invoice numbers, amount, currency, due date, contractual basis and a clear deadline for payment. Send it by email and a trackable method where possible, and keep proof of delivery. Our overview of international invoice recovery basics explains why translation, jurisdiction and proper delivery matter.
Do not assume you can always add UK statutory interest. The Late Payment of Commercial Debts (Interest) Act 1998 will not apply merely because English law is chosen if there is no significant connection with the UK and a foreign law would otherwise govern. Where it does apply, see how to claim 8% statutory interest.
Know which route applies
Recovery depends on three questions: which law governs the contract, which court or tribunal can decide the dispute, and where the debtor’s assets are. Limitation periods can also differ abroad, so do not assume the English six-year deadline applies.
| Where the debtor is | Likely route | Watch for |
|---|---|---|
| EU member state, subject to the relevant convention rules | An English judgment may be enforceable under the Hague Judgments Convention 2019 | The UK convention route generally applies only where proceedings were started after it came into force for the UK |
| US or another non-party country | Enforcement depends on local law, so negotiation, local counsel or arbitration may be more realistic | Check your contract for an arbitration clause |
| Any country | The governing law, jurisdiction clause and asset location set the route | If any are missing, take advice early |
The Hague Judgments Convention entered into force for the UK on 1 July 2025, as confirmed in Parliament. Its parties include the EU, except Denmark, and a limited number of other states, so it is useful but not universal.
Check the debtor and stop supply
Run credit checking on the debtor to see whether the company is still trading, has moved or shows signs of distress. Pause further shipments on credit until the position is clear. Keep aged debtors reporting current, so overseas accounts do not drift unnoticed, and read our guide on when to escalate an invoice.
When to bring in specialist help
Cross-border cases involve local rules, translation, tracing and enforcement questions that most finance teams do not handle day to day. Our international debt collector service takes over the chasing and escalation, and you can see how we approached an unpaid account with a US customer. We work on a no win no fee basis subject to our terms, though court, translation or third-party costs may be separate.
If overseas chasing is draining your team, outsourced credit control can keep accounts moving. Construction suppliers shipping abroad can also use our construction debt collection team.
Has a client abroad stopped replying? Speak to our team for a free, no-obligation conversation about your options.
