As those working in transport will understand, you don’t have to read too much about customs to come across a plethora of acronyms and other industry-specific terminology. 

To make things easier, we’ve broken down some of the most common ones. 

1. Port pass 

When transporting your goods across borders, the UK and EU require two things:

• All customs documents must be completed before the vehicle arrives at the port
• The relevant customs authorities must be informed when the goods have left one customs territory and entered another

To do this, Import MRNs are used to generate a customs document. The exact document required will depend on the country being imported into. 

For example, in GB, there is a GVMS GMR. In Ireland, it’s an Irish Revenue PBN. In France, it is called a SiBrexit Logistics Envelope. But to keep things simple, we call these a “port pass”. 

Need a port pass? We can help! Learn more about our Port Pass Generator, loved by 1000s of traders. 

2. ENS 

An entry summary declaration (ENS) is a type of Safety and Security Declaration (SSD) used by border authorities to analyse the potential risk posed to their territory by goods crossing the border. 

At time of writing, an ENS is only required for GB exports entering into the EU. However, from the end of October 2024, SSDs will be a mandatory requirement for imports entering into GB from the EU. This is known as S&S GB. 

Learn more about S&S GB on our blog

3. Import & Export Declaration

Sometimes referred to as a SAD (Single Administrative Document) and formally known as a C88 document, an import/export declaration simply enables the import or export of goods. 

When transporting your goods into a customs territory, an import declaration is required to inform the territory of the nature of the goods you are transporting. Meanwhile, an export declaration is needed to transport your goods out of a customs territory and is also used to provide important information about the nature of your goods.

To remain compliant, both documents must be correctly filled out, and they must also be accompanied by the relevant additional documents, such as an ENS document (see above).

“Documentary requirements must be completed for the relevant jurisdiction - this is absolutely key for customs compliance. So, if you are shipping from France to GB, you will require both a French Export and a GB Import with the relevant port passes. From October 2024, you will also require an ENS.”

-Dan Balshaw, Customs Specialist

4. Transit 

To allow goods to be moved across international borders under customs control, transporters require a transit declaration. 

A T1 transit declaration is required when either:

1.  the movement of goods begins in GB 
2. or when the movement of goods (that are not in free circulation) begins in NI

Learn more about transit clearance on the CustomsLink website

5. ATA Carnet

If you are temporarily transporting goods out of the UK, then you may need an ATA Carnet. 

An ATA Carnet is a "passport for goods", allowing you to repeatedly move the same professional equipment over a period of 12 months - provided that you are exporting to countries that are part of the ATA system.

Find out more about ATA Carnets on the CustomsLink website

Knowing your customs terms

As more and more import/export controls are implemented, understanding customs is becoming more important than ever. And more challenging.

Our sister company, CustomsLink, can help. With thousands of customers across Europe (and having recently achieved AEO status) CustomsLink is there to help you with your customs paperwork every step of the way. 

So, to remain customs compliant and avoid customs stress, go to the experts. Visit the CustomsLink website and learn more about their digital customs solution here. 

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