Submitting declarations separately in the Trader Support Service

Find out what declarations you can create and submit separately in the Trader Support Service and when you may need to use them. This was previously known as a standalone declaration.

Contents

Use this guide if you need to submit an entry summary declaration or a customs declaration separately. If you are submitting the entry summary declaration and customs declaration together, you should follow a different process. Find out more about completing entry summary declarations, customs declarations or Internal Market Movement Information (IMMI) at the same time.

In the Trader Support Service, you can submit an entry summary declaration and a customs declaration at the same time, or you can submit them separately. This is also known as a standalone declaration.

Most movements to Northern Ireland will need an entry summary declaration and a customs declaration. You will need to make sure both declarations are completed if you choose to submit separate declarations.

Types of declarations you can submit separately

For safety and security purposes you can submit an entry summary declaration.

For customs purposes you can submit:

the Internal Market Movement Information (IMMI)

an entry in the declarant’s records (EIDR)
a simplified frontier declaration (called a ‘simplified declaration’ in the service)
a supplementary declaration
a full import declaration (called a ‘standard declaration' in the service, previously called a Full Frontier Declaration - FFD)
an export declaration

Why you may need to submit a separate declaration

You may need to submit a separate entry summary declaration if:

you are not submitting this declaration at the same time as the customs declaration in the service
a separate customs declaration has been submitted in or outside the service
a customs declaration is not required (examples include, when transporting an empty vehicle under a contract of carriage, goods are being declared orally or by conduct or when goods are moving by transit or transhipment)
you are making an entry in your own records using your own entry in the declarant’s records (EIDR) authorisation (applies to traders who also move goods using their own UKIMS-EIDR authorisation)

You may need to submit a separate customs declaration if:

a separate entry summary declaration has been submitted in or outside the service
your goods have arrived, but a customs declaration has not been submitted before your goods moved
you need to move your goods into or out of a customs special procedure
your goods are moving through an inventory linked port or airport

There are often multiple parties involved in the movement of goods. You need to check and agree who is doing what to ensure that the goods move with the correct declarations in place.

When you can submit separate declarations

Entry summary declarations must always be submitted before your goods move.

All customs declarations can be submitted before the goods move or after they have arrived depending on the goods movement.

If you are moving goods through a Goods Vehicle Movement Service (GVMS) location, which is usually how roll on roll off (RoRo) goods are moved from Great Britain to Northern Ireland, you need to submit your customs declaration before your goods move.

If you are moving your goods through an inventory linked port or airport, you can submit your customs declaration before or after your goods arrive. You must include:

your unique consignment number (UCN) for goods moving through an inventory linked port

your inventory consignment reference (ICR) for goods moving through an inventory linked airport

Find out more about moving your goods through an inventory location.

Entry summary declarations

An entry summary declaration is a safety and security declaration that is required for most movements to Northern Ireland.

It is usually completed by the transporter moving the goods, such as a haulier or carrier.

When you submit an entry summary declaration in the Trader Support Service, the service sends it to Import Control System 2 (ICS2) for you. You do not need to register separately for ICS2.

The service submits the declaration, but it does not notify ICS2 when the goods arrive.

How to tell ICS2 your goods have arrived in Northern Ireland

If you are moving goods from Great Britain to Northern Ireland by RoRo, you will need to make sure your entry summary declaration movement reference number (MRN) is entered on your goods movement reference on the Goods Vehicle Movement Service (GVMS).

If you do not, ICS2 will not be updated about the arrival and presentation of your goods.

If your goods are moving by maritime and you are responsible for submitting the entry summary declaration, you will need to arrange these notifications directly to ICS2 through the EU Shared Trader Interface. Find out more on how to access the EU Shared Trader Interface to send arrival and presentation of goods notifications to ICS2.

There are limited circumstances where an entry summary declaration is not required, for example, when moving commercial goods in your personal baggage.

If you choose to submit it as a separate declaration, the service will ask you to provide a reason why you are submitting this separately from a customs declaration.

You can find out more about entry summary declarations.

Import declarations

Internal Market Movement Information (IMMI)

This is a simplified dataset that eligible businesses can submit for goods that are ‘not at risk’ of entering the EU rather than submitting a full import declaration. You must meet the conditions for using the simplified processes for Internal Market Movements.

You can submit this as a separate declaration before or after the goods have moved.

You should submit this before the goods move if the transporter has submitted:

a separate entry summary declaration in the service
an entry summary declaration using any other software or customs system

You should submit this after the goods move if you previously entered the goods into customs warehousing or inward processing on arrival in Northern Ireland and want to divert those goods into free circulation.

Find out more about completing the IMMI.

Entry into the declarant’s records (EIDR)

This declaration is part of the Simplified Customs Declaration Process (SCDP).

In the Trader Support Service, EIDR is used to record the movement of non-controlled goods. If you are not sure if your goods are controlled, you can find out more about controlled goods.

You should submit the EIDR before the goods move when:

the transporter has submitted a separate entry summary declaration in or out of the service
you do not have your own SCDP EIDR authorisation but want to use SCDP to move your goods

Find out more about EIDR.

An authorisation from HMRC is required to use SCDP. Find out about applying for SCDP.

The Trader Support Service has its own authorisations that you can use. These authorisations can only be used to move goods to free circulation in Northern Ireland. If you intend to use a customs special procedure, you will need your own authorisation.

If you have your own SCDP EIDR authorisation

You’ll need to follow these steps.

Before the goods move, make an entry in your own records outside the service.
Once the goods have arrived, use the service to submit a separate supplementary declaration. This is known as an H1 declaration in the Customs Declaration Service.

Find out how to add your SCDP EIDR authorisation to your company profile.

Simplified frontier declaration

This declaration is part of the SCDP and is known as a simplified declaration in the Trader Support Service.

In the Trader Support Service, the simplified frontier declaration is used to record the movement of controlled goods. If you are not sure if your goods are controlled, you can find out more about controlled goods.

An authorisation from HMRC is required to use SCDP. Find out about applying for SCDP.

If you have your own SCDP authorisation

If you have your own, you should use that instead. This is because the authorisation belonging to the Trader Support Service is restricted to certain procedure codes (4-digit codes that advise HMRC why you are moving the goods, for example, procedure code 4000 which is release to free circulation).

Find out how to add your SCDP SDP authorisation to your company profile.

If you add your authorisation to your company profile, the service will automatically use your authorisation when you select simplified declaration.

If you select that your goods are not controlled, the Trader Support Service will create an EIDR for you under its own authorisation instead of automatically using your SCDP SDP authorisation. To use your SCDP SDP authorisation for all types of goods, you must select yes to the question are these controlled goods?

You should submit a simplified frontier declaration before the goods move when:

the transporter has submitted a separate entry summary declaration in or out of the service
you do not have your own SCDP SDP authorisation but want to use SCDP to move your goods

Find out more about simplified frontier declarations.

Supplementary declaration

This declaration is the second part of the SCDP and known as an H1 declaration in the Customs Declaration Service.

This declaration is only available for traders who have an SCDP EIDR authorisation entered on their company profile.

You need to complete the first part of the SCDP by making an entry in your own records.

Once your goods arrive in Northern Ireland, you can use this service to submit a separate supplementary declaration.

You must complete this declaration by the 10th calendar day of the month following the movement and pay any duties and VAT to HMRC (if applicable).

Find out more about supplementary declarations.

Full import declaration

This is called a standard declaration in the Trader Support Service and was previously called a Full Frontier Declaration (FFD).

This declaration allows you to provide full information about your movement to HMRC instead of providing it in 2 parts (SCDP).

You should submit this before the goods move when:

the transporter of your goods has submitted a separate entry summary declaration in the service
the transporter of your goods has submitted an entry summary declaration outside the service
your goods are moving through a GVMS location
your goods are moving through an inventory linked port or airport and you have the inventory record available to submit your declaration

You should submit this after the goods move when:

you previously entered the goods into a customs special procedure on arrival in Northern Ireland and want to divert those goods into free circulation
your goods have arrived at an inventory linked port or airport and you did not have the inventory record available to submit your declaration

Find out more about full import declarations.

Export declarations

Export declarations are only required when moving:

non-qualifying goods (goods where UK duties have not been paid)
goods that are under a customs special procedure in Northern Ireland
goods where specific conditions apply, for example, endangered species
goods from a temporary storage facility

This declaration when applicable should always be submitted before your goods move.

Find out more about export declarations when moving goods from Northern Ireland to Great Britain.

Find out more about export declarations when moving goods from Northern Ireland to Great Britain through Ireland.

After you have submitted your declaration

If your declaration has been submitted before your goods move:

check the status of your goods and take the appropriate action. For example, make a payment if the declaration status is ‘pending payment’
give your transporter the MRN for your declaration if your goods are moving by RoRo – they will need this to create the goods movement reference

When your goods arrive, check that the status of your declaration has changed to ‘arrived’. If the status hasn’t changed, it could be because the MRN was not entered onto the goods movement reference. You should contact the service for assistance.

You can find out more on declaration statuses on the service.

If your declaration was submitted after your goods have arrived in Northern Ireland, check the status of your declaration and take the appropriate action. Once your declaration status shows ‘closed’ no further action is needed.