Guidance

Get help using example declarations for exports from Great Britain to the rest of the world

Use these examples to help you complete declarations on the Customs Declarations Service for exports.

Applies to England, Scotland and Wales

The example scenarios offer guidance on Customs Declarations Service (CDS) declarations for exports from Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales) to the rest of the world.

The example scenarios must not be used for exports from Northern Ireland.

The scenarios will not be identical to your declaration. You must not use the data in the example specific to the scenario in your declaration.

Using the example scenarios

These examples should be used to:

  • help understand the data element requirements and guidance for a declaration
  • cross-check the formatting and data element requirements of your declaration with an example

Read these examples along with:

If you receive an error code or have issues when submitting your declaration, find out how to report a problem using the Customs Declaration Service.

Example scenarios

You can use the Trader Dress Rehearsal service to practice different declaration scenarios, this is a free to use service.

We will include more declaration example scenarios soon.

Standard customs declaration

Updates to this page

Published 2 February 2024
Last updated 20 May 2024 + show all updates
  1. A standard pre-lodged export declaration with multi-line license document has been added.

  2. Standard Arrived export declaration for Excise duty suspended goods from excise warehouse using Customs Supervised Export (CSE) via a Goods Vehicle Movement Service (GVMS) location and Standard pre-lodged re-export from customs warehouse declaration multiple item documents have been added.

  3. Standard Arrived declaration for Excise Warehouse goods under Excise ARC exported via an Arrived GVMS port and Standard Pre-lodged declaration for Excise duty suspended goods exported from an Excise Warehouse with EMCS ARC documents have been added.

  4. Standard arrived declaration using Customs Supervised Export approval document has been added.

  5. Standard pre-lodged export declaration document added.

  6. ‘Guidance’ column of Data Element 8/6 has been updated with currency-related information.

  7. First published.

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