What the service involves
Transit is a procedure in which goods travel under customs supervision from the office of departure to the office of destination. Duty and VAT are not collected along the way – they are secured by a guarantee and settled only where the goods are cleared.
The common transit procedure covers the UK, the EU countries, the EFTA countries (including Switzerland and Norway) and a few other states. This means one declaration can cover the whole route, e.g. from Poland to a warehouse in England, or from the UK through France to Switzerland.
T1 is used for goods without EU customs status, T2 for EU goods travelling through a non-EU country. We choose the right type of transit, submit the declaration in NCTS and give your haulier the MRN with the transit accompanying document.
- duty and VAT paid along the way – the charges are secured by a guarantee
- £0
- transit number for the driver and for the GMR
- MRN
- one declaration for the whole route
- UK · EU · EFTA
What the service includes
- We choose the type of transit – T1 or T2
- We check the invoice and packing list details
- We submit the transit declaration in NCTS
- We provide the MRN and the transit accompanying document (TAD)
- We link the MRN to the GMR when crossing through UK ports
- We help if the transit isn't discharged on time
Not included
- We don't arrange transport – your haulier or freight forwarder does that
- The transit guarantee is provided by the declarant – we'll check what options you have
What we need to open a transit
Before the journey, we need:
- EORI numbers of the consignor and consignee
- A transit guarantee (security for the charges)
- The office of departure and office of destination
- Vehicle and haulier details
- A signed customs clearance services agreement
Most common problems
- Transit not discharged at the office of destination in time
- A change of route or vehicle without updating the declaration
- A description of goods too vague for the HS code
- No guarantee, or a guarantee that is too low
The transit must be discharged at the office of destination by the set deadline. If it isn't, the declarant may be charged duty and VAT on the whole consignment.
Step by step
- 1
You send the shipment details
The invoice, packing list, route, vehicle details and office of destination – by email or through the form.
- 2
We choose the procedure
We check the customs status of the goods, choose T1 or T2 and confirm the guarantee.
- 3
We submit the declaration in NCTS
We receive the MRN and the transit accompanying document (TAD).
- 4
We pass on the documents
The driver gets the MRN and TAD. When crossing through UK ports, the number is added to the GMR.
- 5
Journey under supervision
The goods travel along the declared route. If anything changes, we update the details.
- 6
Transit discharge
The office of destination discharges the transit. We monitor the status until the procedure is complete.
Documents needed
Any details missing from the invoice can be given on the packing list.
- Commercial invoice – consignor with EORI number, consignee, description of goods, HS code, value
- Packing list – number of packages, gross and net weight
- Port or office of departure and office of destination
- Vehicle and trailer registration numbers, haulier details
- Transit guarantee details
- Signed customs clearance services agreement
Templates to download
Packing list – business shipment
Template for businesses: seller and buyer with EORI and VAT numbers, goods description, HS code, quantity, value, weight, country of origin and Incoterms.
XLSX · 18 KB · English and Polish
Customs Clearance Services Agreement
Agreement for businesses: company details, scope of representation before HMRC (direct or indirect), customs charges and payment terms.
PDF · 284 KB · English
