A practical guide to European transport after Brexit

Every EU movement now requires customs formalities

Since the end of the Brexit transition period, every commercial movement of goods between Great Britain and the EU requires customs declarations on both sides of the border. This applies whether you're a regular exporter or shipping to the EU for the first time, and the paperwork needs to be right before the vehicle reaches the port, not after.

What you need in place before you ship

A handful of registrations and documents form the foundation of any compliant EU movement.

• A GB EORI number (and an EU EORI number if you're also acting as importer of record in the EU)
• Accurate commodity codes for your goods, to determine duty and any restrictions
• A customs declaration submitted via CDS (Customs Declaration Service) or through your customs agent/freight forwarder
• A GVMS booking reference linking your customs declarations to the vehicle for port processing
• Commercial invoices with accurate value, origin and description of goods

Transit and rules of origin

For goods moving through the EU to a further destination, a T1 transit document allows movement with duty suspended until the goods reach their final destination, which can simplify multi-country routes. Under the UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement, goods that meet rules of origin requirements can qualify for preferential (often zero) tariffs — but this needs supporting evidence, and getting the origin determination wrong can trigger duty liabilities or delays later.

Avoiding delays at the border

Most border delays trace back to incomplete or mismatched documentation — a GVMS reference that doesn't match the declared goods, missing commodity codes, or a driver arriving without the correct paperwork. Working with a carrier experienced in cross-border documentation, and confirming everything is in place well before the vehicle departs, is the most reliable way to avoid this.

How we support European transport

Our European transport service is built around carriers experienced in post-Brexit customs procedures, and our team works with you to make sure EORI registration, declarations and GVMS bookings are correctly in place before a job is confirmed — reducing the risk of a trailer being held at the border. If you're new to shipping into the EU, we can talk you through exactly what needs to be arranged before your first movement.

Frequently asked questions