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.

• From: HM Revenue & Customs
• Published: 2 February 2024
• Last updated: 16 April 2024 — See all updates

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:

• the CDS Declaration Instructions for Exports
• instructions on how to navigate the CDS Declaration Instructions for Exports

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

• Standard pre-lodged export declaration (ODT, 57.1 KB)
• Standard arrived declaration for export Goods Vehicle Movement Service (GVMS) arrived locations only (ODT, 61.7 KB)
• Standard arrived declaration using Customs Supervised Export approval (ODT, 69 KB)
• Standard Arrived declaration for Excise Warehouse goods under Excise Administrative Reference Code (ARC) exported via an Arrived Goods Vehicle Movement Service (GVMS) port (ODT, 65 KB)
• Standard Pre-lodged declaration for Excise duty suspended goods exported from an Excise Warehouse with Excise Movement and Control System (EMCS) Administrative Reference Code (ARC) (ODT, 62.9 KB)
• 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 (ODT, 64.1 KB)
• Standard pre-lodged re-export from customs warehouse declaration multiple item (ODT, 62.4 KB)

Published 2 February 2024
Last updated 16 April 2024 + show all updates

1. 16 April 2024

   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.

2. 3 April 2024

   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.

3. 26 March 2024

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

4. 12 March 2024

   Standard pre-lodged export declaration document added.

5. 1 March 2024

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

6. 2 February 2024

   First published.