Check if you need to make an entry summary declaration

Guide

Last updated 5 May 2022

You’ll need to make an entry summary declaration (also known as an ENS) before the goods arrive if you’re transporting goods:

  • into Great Britain
  • into Northern Ireland
  • from Great Britain into Northern Ireland

The entry summary declaration will have safety and security information about your goods.

You do not need to make an entry summary declaration for goods if you are either:

  • bringing or receiving them into Northern Ireland from an EU country
  • moving qualifying Northern Ireland goods from Northern Ireland to Great Britain

You do not need to make an entry summary declaration for goods imported from the EU and other territories from which a declaration was not required before 1 January 2021. We will update this guidance with further information in due course.

Who must submit a declaration

The legal requirement to submit a declaration lies with the operator of the active means of transport on, or in, which the goods are brought into the Customs territory. We will refer to these as ‘the carrier’.

Goods travelling by rail

If your goods are traveling by rail, the carrier will be the Rail Freight Operator.

Goods travelling by air

If your goods are traveling by air, the carrier will be the airline.

Goods travelling by maritime

If your goods are traveling by maritime, the carrier will be the shipping company.

Goods travelling by roll on roll off

If your goods are traveling by roll on roll off, the:

  • haulage company is responsible for submitting the declaration for ‘accompanied’ goods
  • ferry operator is responsible for ‘unaccompanied’ goods

Who else can submit a declaration

A third party may lodge a declaration as long as this is done with the carrier’s knowledge and consent. It is the carrier’s responsibility to make sure that:

  • an entry summary declaration is submitted
  • declarations are submitted within the legal time limits

The third party must also make sure that the information given by the carrier is accurate.

Find out more about getting someone to deal with customs for you.

Goods that do not need an entry summary declaration

You do not need to submit a declaration for goods moving from Northern Ireland into Great Britain.

Some goods also do not need a declaration, including those that are:

  • electrical energy
  • entering by pipeline
  • letters, postcards and printed material, including those on electronic media
  • in a travellers’ personal luggage
  • declared to customs orally

Register to make an entry summary declaration

For Great Britain

You need to register for the S&S GB service.

You do not need to make an entry summary declaration for goods imported into Great Britain from the EU between 1 January 2021 and 30 June 2022.

For Northern Ireland

Find out how to register to make an entry summary declaration on the Import Control System.

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