Guidance

How to use the online NCTS

Updated 29 July 2024

Electronic declarations and messages

You can find full guidance on the completion of a transit declaration in:

• part IV of the Transit Manual on the European Commission website
• the Integrated Tariff of the UK: volume 3

How to fill in the fields and boxes

The relevant law on completing various New Computer Transit System (NCTS) electronic declarations and messages are available in:

• Commission Delegated Regulation EU 2015/2446
• appendix III of the Convention on common transit on the European Commission website

How to amend your declaration

When using the Electronic Data Capture Service (EDCS), if your electronic declaration is first rejected (IE16 message), amend the declaration and resubmit it.

The NCTS web service also lets you amend invalid declarations when you receive an IE16 rejection message.

Cancelling your declaration

You can send an electronic ‘Request for Cancellation’ (IE14) if your declaration has not yet received the ‘Release for Transit’ (IE29) message generated. You can also contact the office of departure offline.

You can request cancellation after release of the goods, but only if transportation of the movement has not started.

Printing the Transit Accompanying Document (TAD) and list of items

You can print the TAD and list of items at the declarant’s premises, if the printer is of acceptable standard and can print the TAD and its barcode. You can also ask customs at the declared office of departure to print out the TAD and list of items.

When using EDCS, the IE29 message with the embedded data to print the TAD will be sent to the last email address for a specific message sender ID. It’s advisable to use a single company email address for submitting declarations.

If NCTS is not available

Check the NCTS service availability.

If you cannot access NCTS, contact the NCTS helpdesk.

Offices or premises

Goods must be in a customs controlled location before you can make a declaration, unless you’re either:

• an authorised consignor
• making a declaration with ‘pre-lodged’ in the agreed location of goods code field, putting the declaration into the ‘submitted’ state

Customs at the office of departure will move the declaration to ‘accepted’ state when the goods are presented there.

Use of approved premises (authorised location) to end full common transit movements

Before you can use simplified procedures under NCTS, your authorisation details must be set up on the NCTS database. These include details such as your:

• controlling office of destination
• authorised location codes

This information will be taken from your authorisation details.

Where to present your goods

Present your goods to the office of destination specified on the NCTS declaration. Exceptionally, you may present goods and end the transit movement at any approved office of destination under community transit. Except when the movement has a ‘prescribed itinerary’ with separate rules and conditions.

Broken seals or part of the load missing

If seals are broken before arrival, the authorised consignee should notify customs before opening the doors. If you find the load does not match the description or list of items, you should immediately notify any irregularities to your control office of destination. If they have already given you unloading permission, then you must catalogue your findings in the ‘unloading remarks’ message.

Restrictions on goods

There are no restrictions on the classes of goods you can make electronic declarations for. NCTS can handle all types of goods including those classified as ‘sensitive’. Relevant legislation is in Commission Delegated EU 2015/2446 — annex 71-02.

Number of items you can include

NCTS can handle up to 999 items per declaration, but NCTS web users are limited to 99 items. For more details, refer to the Transit Manual Supplement.

How to mix T1, T2 and T2F status goods on a declaration

If your consignment includes European Union goods, use T- in the header information. Then confirm whether the goods are T1, T2 or T2F status at item level.

Give the full identity of the transport at the office of departure

Include sufficient information to identify the transport in the ‘Identity at Departure’ field (box 18). This field is mandatory on the NCTS and for all community transit movements by road, rail, sea, or air.

However, principals are sometimes not aware of the identity of the transport at the time of making an NCTS declaration. They can apply for a concession to enter these details in box 55 before presentation of the goods at the office of destination.

Send applications to the National Simplifications Team at the Central Community Transit Office with the following information:

• the circumstances needing the concession
• a list of the offices of departure concerned
• arrangements to make sure the identity and nationality of the means of transport are entered in box 55 of the TAD before presentation at the office of destination

For more information, read the Transit Manual Supplement.

The transport route

If a prescribed itinerary for the movement is specified, this route must be used.

Where to present the consignment

Nominated NCTS offices of transit will receive an electronic message to expect the consignment to report to their office as it crosses the frontier.

Offices of transit will arise during most transit operations. This will be when crossing between:

• the UK and third countries
• Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales) and either Northern Ireland or the EU

There are no offices of transit on the borders between:

• Northern Ireland and EU member states
• EU member states