Guidance

Group 2: References of Messages, Document, Certificates and Authorisations

Updated 19 December 2023

DE 2/1 Simplified Declaration/ Previous Documents (Box 40: Declaration/ Previous Document)

Declaration Categories	Field format	No. of occurrences at header level	No. of occurrences at item level
FSD	Document category: a1 + Previous document type: an..3 + Previous document reference: an..35 + Goods item identifier: n..3	9999x	99x

This data element is mandatory.

All Declaration Categories:

This data element must always be completed to identify a previous declaration or previous document(s).

A previous declaration, or document, is identified by category, type, reference and the goods item number of the previous document. The goods item number element in DE 2/1 may be left blank.

The Procedure Code completion notes in Appendix 1: DE 1/10: Requested and Previous Procedure Codes give guidance on the codes expected to be used in specific circumstances for the procedure concerned. They are not a definitive guide however and should be read in conjunction with the full list provided in Appendix 3: DE 2/1: Previous Document Codes.

Each previous document entered in DE 2/1, is declared as an alpha numeric code (an..42), made up of four components:

First component: Document Category (a1)

The first component (a1) consists of a letter and is used to distinguish between the three categories mentioned below:

The previous document, represented by ‘Z’.

Second component: Previous document type (an..3)

The second component (an..3), consists of a combination of digits and/ or letters, serves to identify the type of document:

Choose the appropriate code from the list in Appendix 3: DE 2/1: Previous Document Codes

For example, code: ZZZ (to represent other previous reference).

Third component: Previous document reference (an..35)

The third component (an..35) represents the data needed to recognise the document. Enter the identification number or another recognisable reference of the document.

For example, FSD (to indicate a Final Supplementary Declaration).

Fourth component: Goods item identifier (n..3)

This component may be left blank.

Notes:

DE 2/1 must be completed at header level with the following codes as a mandatory requirement in all instances:

Z-ZZZ-FSD.

Other codes may be declared as required using the code list provided in Appendix 3: DE 2/1: Previous Document Codes.

DE 2/2 Additional Information (Box 44)

Declaration Categories	Field format	No. of occurrences at header level	No. of occurrences at item level
FSD	Coded version (Union codes): n1 + an4 OR (National codes): a1 + an4 OR Union/ National code followed by a free text information: an..512 (Imports)	NA	99x

The data element is mandatory in all cases

All Declaration Categories:

Enter any Union and/ or National codes which apply followed by any free text information for the Additional Information (AI) code as required. See Appendix 4: DE 2/2: Additional Information Statement Codes for details of the codes which may be used, including any additional free text information which may be required by the specific AI codes.

Up to 99 AI codes can be declared at item level in DE 2/2.

The Procedure Code and Additional Procedure Code completion notes in Appendix 1: DE 1/10: Requested and Previous Procedure Codes and Appendix 2: DE 1/11: Additional Procedure Codes give guidance on the AI codes expected to be used in specific circumstances for the procedure concerned. They are not a definitive guide however and should be read in conjunction with the full list provided in Appendix 4: DE 2/2: Additional Information Statement Codes.

Where the AI code completion rules in Appendix 1: DE 1/10: Requested and Previous Procedure Codes and Appendix 2: DE 1/11: Additional Procedure Codes specify different rules to the main AI code guidance in Appendix 4: DE 2/2: Additional Information (AI) Statement Codes the rules specified in Appendices 1 and 2 take precedence.

Notes:

Additional Information Codes ‘FINSY’, ‘FINSZ’ and ‘FINSL’ are mandatory on all FSDs including nil returns.

The Procedure Code completion notes in Appendix 1: DE 1/10: Requested and Previous Procedure Codes gives guidance on how to declare these mandatory AI codes.

See Appendix 4: DE 2/2: Additional Information Statement Codes for details of any additional AI codes that may be required in specific circumstances for example branch codes.

DE 2/4 Reference Number/ UCR (Box 7: Reference Number)

Declaration Categories	Field format	No. of occurrences at header level	No. of occurrences at item level
FSD	an..35	1x	1x

This data element is optional and may be left blank.

All Declaration Categories:

This data element may be used by the declarant to record a commercial reference for their own purposes.

Notes:

This data element can be declared once at header and once per item.

DE 2/5 LRN (No Previous Reference)

Declaration Categories	Field format	No. of occurrences at header level	No. of occurrences at item level
FSD	an..22	1x	N/A

This data element is mandatory.

All Declaration Categories:

The declarant must enter a unique reference number for the transaction.

The Local Reference Number (LRN) must be:

• Unique to the transaction
• Within a 48-hour period
• For the submitting trader.

Declarations submitted, within a 48-hour period, by a user identity with a duplicate LRN will be rejected.