Customs declaration completion requirements for goods subject to sanitary and phytosanitary checks under the Northern Ireland Protocol
Find out how you should complete a customs declaration for goods subject to sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) checks under the Northern Ireland Protocol.
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Under the Northern Ireland Protocol, all goods moved from Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales) to Northern Ireland will require both an entry summary declaration for safety & security purposes and an import declaration.
A record of the movement will also need to be made on the Goods Vehicle Movement System (GVMS) where the port is operating the pre-lodgement model. Find out more about the customs requirements when moving goods from Great Britain to Northern Ireland.
This document sets out guidance on how complete licence information for agri-food products should be completed on the customs declaration.
Annex A covers how to complete a licence declaration on a pre-shipment or post-shipment declaration for Northern Ireland Retail Movement Scheme (NIRMS) authorised traders.
Where the business is NIRMS authorised:
- DEFRA-authorised traders moving certain agri-food products under the NIRMS authorisation will not require official certification, such as export health certificates, phytosanitary certificates or marketing standards certification, when moving its goods from Great Britain to Northern Ireland for sale there
- the waiver solution is only for those authorised traders making declarations for agri-food movements from Great Britain into Northern Ireland
- where applicable, goods movements must still be registered on the Trade Control and Expert System (TRACES) prior to the movement of the goods
- where the waiver is used, this is required to be declared on the import declaration (pre-shipment and post-shipment)
The NIRMS authorisation does not cover prohibitions and restrictions or licencing requirements that are not waived, such as those covering:
- Kimberley diamonds
- specified types of fertilisers
- bluefin tuna or toothfish
- goods subject to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora
- drug precursors
- firearms, weapons, explosives or nuclear materials
- goods subject to sanctions
- substances registered under the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals regulations
- goods requiring a Forest Law Enforcement Governance and Trade certificate
- goods requiring a Common Agricultural Policy import licence
- goods requiring a Common Health Entry Document (CHED) for consignments of live animals, also known as CHED-A
- goods requiring an ozone-depleting substance authorisation
- materials requiring an import waste permit
- goods subject to a Detonation Resistance Test or requiring a Health and Safety Executive Certificate of Exemption