UPDATED 08/04/2022 16.22
We have made successful upgrades to the HMRC network to allow availability of the Goods Vehicle Movement Service (GVMS).
You may now create goods movement references (GMRs) for movements through locations using GVMS as normal.
However, as we advised on 7 April 2022, the current continuity plan will remain in place until midday on Monday 11 April to provide consistency for our customers over the weekend in the expectation that there will be high levels of holiday traffic and to allow further testing to take place.
This means that over the weekend and until midday on Monday 11 April:
- carriers may not be able to accept or validate GMRs and they will not be required to travel
- import declarations for movements through locations using GVMS still need to be pre-lodged, and when the movement is completed, arrived manually on the Customs Handling of Import and Export Freight (CHIEF) system or the Customs Declaration Service, which you may access with third party software
You will also need to provide evidence that a declaration has been made, for example a movement reference number (MRN) or transit accompanying document (TAD).
GMRs for movements through locations using GVMS after midday Monday 11 April
To enable your goods to cross the border as smoothly as possible, we strongly recommend that you only create GMRs for movements that will take place after midday on Monday 11 April. After this time, GMRs will be required for all movements using GVMS.
UPDATED 07/04/2022 14.12
We are still investigating ongoing issues with the goods vehicle movement service. We have put interim measures in place until midday, Monday 11 April 2022.
If you do not have a goods movement reference, you can use alternative documentation, for example one of the following:
- transit accompanying document (TAD) — if you are unable to provide this, you can provide photocopies or digital copies of copy 4 of the single administrative document (SAD)
- movement reference number
- entry reference number
- declaration unique consignment reference (DUCR)
Postal Operators moving goods between Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales) and the EU will not be able to provide movement reference numbers, so alternative documentation can be accepted. Confirmation for consignments qualifying for the waiver that applies to parcels moving from Great Britain into Northern Ireland, can also be accepted.
Hauliers with empty vehicles can provide an EORI number starting GB.
During the period of the interim measures, hauliers moving through Dover, Holyhead or Eurotunnel will not need to attend an Inland Border Facility unless they are instructed to by a customs officer, or if they are moving goods that are:
- going to an office of departure or office of destination (starting or ending a transit movement)
- covered by a Carnet or other document (like a CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of wild fauna and flora) permit) that needs to be processed by Border Force
Customs declarations must be ‘arrived’ once the goods have arrived in the UK, so that we are aware that the goods are in the country. Due to the ongoing issues, declarations are unable to be ‘arrived’ automatically in CHIEF or the Customs Declaration Service.
If goods arrived in the country while interim measures have been in place, the declarant, trader or third-party intermediary who submitted the declaration, will need to log into CHIEF or the Customs Declaration Service and ‘arrive’ the declaration to confirm the goods are in the UK.
We are undertaking robust investigations into our systems to address the underlying issues behind this outage. We will provide a further update by midday, Monday 11 April 2022. We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause.
HMRC
