Safety & Security Entry Summary (ENS) declarations

You need to make sure that you meet your legal obligations to make a declaration.
The legal obligation to file an ENS declaration, within a certain timeframe, rests with the carrier.
A carrier is the operator of the active means of transport by which goods are brought into the UK customs territory.

If the ENS declaration is submitted by an intermediary or agent on behalf of the carrier, then the intermediary has overall responsibility for the accuracy and completeness of the data.
Border Force (FEDAT) continues to identify instances of non-compliance in terms of timeliness of declaration and accuracy of data.

Accurate ENS declarations are a key element of the Border Force's risk assessment at the border. Border Force continues to note unacceptable errors in the data submitted.

Carriers and intermediaries should urgently verify the following data fields:

• Expected date and time of arrival,
• Identification of the means of transport at the border,
• Container/trailer number,
• Customs office of first entry.

Carriers and intermediaries are urged to immediately take reasonable steps to address data quality issues. Entities that fail to comply and take reasonable corrective action may be subject to enforcement action.
Previous recommendations were made through various channels, including direct communication.

Please review the ENS declarations to ensure they meet the following requirements:

1. Expected date and time of arrival at the customs office of first entry

The time must be in GMT time zone (not European time or British Summer Time) and indicate the scheduled date and time of arrival of the means of transport.
It is not acceptable to use generic time stamps such as 00:01 dd/mm/yyyy, or date and time inconsistent with actual arrival.
If the expected date and time of arrival (EDTA) differs from that originally declared, a revised declaration must be made.

For the Channel Tunnel (Route 3):
EDTA must match the date and time of arrival at the Eurotunnel terminal in Coquelles, France, not Folkestone, UK.

2. Identification of the means of transport crossing the border

For Roll on/Roll off transport with driver and tunnel (road 3) enter the registration number of the vehicle crossing the border.
Under no circumstances should generic substitute values of the type "TRUCK" be entered.
The trailer number must not be entered in this field - it should be placed in the "Container number" field.

For Roll on/Roll off transport without driver Enter the IMO ship identification number.
The numbers should be entered without spaces or special characters.

3. Container or trailer number

If a container or trailer is being moved, the correct number must be entered in this field.
Substitute values such as 'TRAILER' must not be used.

If the container is on a trailer, it is preferable to enter the container number.
The number entered must uniquely identify the container or trailer.
The trailer number should match the number registered with the relevant national authority.
The numbers should be entered without spaces or special characters.

4. Customs office of first entry

For maritime traffic through Dover, including RoRo - port code should be used: GB000040.
For Channel Tunnel (road and rail traffic) to Folkestone - port code should be used: GB000060.

5. Mode of transport (mode code)

Incorrect codes are used, e.g. goods transported through a tunnel are wrongly labelled as transported by ferry.

Correct codes for road transport:

• Code 3 - Road - for goods transported through the tunnel
• Code 10 - Roll on / Roll off - with driver
• Code 11 - Roll on / Roll off - without driver

For more information on safety and security, visit:
👉 www.gov.uk/guidance/making-an-entry-summary-declaration