Apply to be an approved operator of an Extra-Territorial Office of Exchange
Apply to become an approved operator if you're a non-UK designated operator running an Extra-Territorial Office of Exchange in Great Britain.
What a designated operator is
You’re a designated operator if you’re a national postal operator that fulfils your government’s obligations under Universal Postal Union agreements.
You can operate commercial facilities, called Extra-Territorial Offices of Exchange (ETOEs), outside your designated country or territory.
Who must be approved by HMRC
You must be approved by HMRC if you’re a non-UK designated operator and are all of the following:
- from outside the UK
- already running, or planning to start up an ETOE in Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales)
- moving goods out of the UK on behalf of UK exporters
You need approval so you can:
- use the CN22 and CN23 forms to simplify the movement of goods
- export postal goods without an exit summary declaration
- export non-restricted goods up to, and including, a value of £1,000 using a simplified declaration (declaration by conduct)
Find out about exporting goods with a value over £1,000.
Who can apply
You can apply for approval if you’re a non-UK designated operator.
You can also apply on behalf of a non-UK designated operator if you’re a:
- UK subsidiary of the non-UK designated operator
- customs agent or representative authorised by the non-UK designated operator
Before you start
You’ll need your EORI number starting GB. If you do not have an EORI number starting GB you can apply for an EORI number by giving HMRC some basic details about your business.
This number acts as a unique identifier to link you to ETOE operator approval and customs activity. We’ll also use it to support risk and assurance checks.
The EORI number starting GB must belong to the non-UK designated operator. Under Universal Postal Union arrangements, ETOEs are facilities run by, or in connection with, a designated operator.
You can check if an EORI number is valid.
As a non-UK designated operator, you’ll also need details of your:
- full company name
- registered business address
- trading name or subsidiary name in the UK, if applicable
- designated contact for UK customs matters, including a phone number, email address and postal correspondence address
- financial standing, including solvency and ability to meet tax and customs obligations
- record-keeping and IT systems used to manage postal data
- methods of sending high-value goods information to HMRC, if applicable
- compliance with Universal Postal Union messaging standards
- countries or territories that you’re designated for under Universal Postal Union arrangements
- VAT registration number, if you’re VAT-registered in the UK
- company registration number, if you’re registered with Companies House
If you’re applying on behalf of a non-UK designated operator, you’ll also need to upload a letter of authority from the designated operator.
The letter needs to:
- be written on the non-UK designated operator’s letterhead
- be signed by a director, or person with the authority to act on behalf of the designated operator
- confirm that the designated operator authorises the named person or organisation to act on its behalf in relation to ETOE matters
Apply online
You’ll need to use either your:
- sign in details — you can create these if you do not have them
- email address — you will get a confirmation code that you can use to sign in
After signing in, you can save your progress and return to the form later to complete it.
If you’re applying on behalf of a non-UK designated operator, use the operator’s details to fill in the form.
After you’ve applied
When you submit your application you’ll get an email with an application reference number.
When we start assessing your application, or if we need more information, we’ll contact you.
To make sure that you meet our requirements, we:
- will review the information you have provided in your application
- may also carry out checks using information we already hold
You’ll need to apply for site approval for each site you intend to operate as an ETOE in Great Britain.