Check if you can apply for the UK Carrier Scheme
Last updated: 20 September 2024
The UK Carrier (UKC) Scheme is an authorisation that enables businesses to move eligible consumer parcels, from Great Britain to Northern Ireland, in line with Windsor Framework arrangements.
UKC Scheme authorisation will allow your business to send these parcels without completing any customs, or safety and security declarations.
You can apply to use the UKC Scheme if you’re responsible for moving consumer parcels from Great Britain to Northern Ireland. Consumer parcels are defined as those moving from:
- business to consumer
- consumer to business
- consumer to another consumer
You cannot use the UKC Scheme to move parcels which do not meet the criteria for the Windsor Framework arrangements. These include:
- parcels from one business to another business — you must move these parcels using the arrangements set out for freight movements in the Windsor Framework
- category 1 prohibited and restricted goods — read Annex IV of the decision of the Withdrawal Agreement Joint Committee on laying down arrangements relating to the Windsor Framework
- parcels which exceed the weight limits of the scheme — a parcel cannot exceed 100kg if it contains a single item, or 31.5kg if it contains more than one item
Who can apply
To apply to use the UKC Scheme, you’ll need to be established in the UK.
If you’re established in Northern Ireland, you must apply for the scheme using your EORI number starting XI. Find out how to get an EORI number starting XI.
If you are not established in Northern Ireland, but have an EORI number starting XI for another, legitimate customs reason, you should use that EORI number to apply.
Otherwise, you should apply for the scheme using an EORI number starting GB.
HMRC will not be able to authorise you for the UKC Scheme if you’ve committed any serious or repeated infringements of legislative or regulatory requirements, relevant to your economic activity, in the 3 years before you apply. HMRC will check criminal records for any serious criminal offences relating to the economic activity of your business, and the people you provide in your application.
You must have a high level of control of your operations. This must include a system to manage commercial and transport records.
You must be able to comply with the obligations of the scheme.
Obligations of the scheme
Once you’ve been authorised as a carrier, you’ll have a number of obligations you must meet, on an ongoing basis.
You’ll need to establish that parcels that you’re moving under the UKC Scheme are being sent according to the criteria and conditions of the scheme. This will include:
- complying with weight limits for parcels
- meeting any additional requirements for the very limited range of category 1 goods, like endangered species
- making sure goods are being to sent to, or from, a private individual
You must collect data and share this with HMRC, within relevant timeframes. This data will be based on information you hold, and that you get from the sender, when they purchase shipment or postage.
You’ll also need to work with, and share data with HMRC to help manage the risk of parcels moving incorrectly under UKC arrangements. You must follow guidance to make a suspicious activity report to HMRC, about movements where you want to report a clear breach of the UKC Scheme.
You must respond to any requests from HMRC for further information. You must also comply with any instructions from HMRC that relate to goods moved under the scheme.
Make an application for the UKC Scheme
Read about how to apply for the UK Carrier Scheme, and the information HMRC expect you to provide when you do.