GVMS, your new frontier control mechanism – January 1st 2022

On the 1st January 2022 the UK is imposing full border controls and many short-sea ports, including Dover and Eurotunnel have opted to use Goods Vehicle Movement Service (GVMS) as the frontier control mechanism. We have been using it since its launch at the beginning of the year, for GB-NI movements and it works well. Are you familiar – if not you NEED to be. Read on…..

Shipments moving into Great Britain will need an MRN (Movement Reference Number) which must contain at least one of the following:

1. Deferred Entry – EORI number of the EIDR (Entry in Declarant’s Records) approved trader who will enter details in their records and submit a declaration later.  We have this approval.

2. Simplified frontier declaration (SFD) – Entry number for the SFD. Note: Food, feed and controlled goods need an SFD even if using EIDR and this requires about 80% of the data normally required for a full declaration (normal SFD only requires 40%).

3. Full frontier declaration (FFD) –  Entry number for the FFD.  As the name suggests a full entry completes the importer’s declaration to HMRC and requires no supplementary actions, unlike the Deferred Entry and SFD.

At the moment the pre-lodged import entry is not connected to the frontier and the truck is not delayed if the pre-lodgement is not ready in time. From the 1st January 2022, one of the above must be lodged on the GVMS system (for each consignment) in order to get a Goods Movement Reference (GMR) number or the driver will be unable to check-in at the EU port/terminal and the truck will not be allowed to board.

For vehicles checking at EU ports, the carrier will use GVMS to verify the GMR presented to them and cross-check the details on the GMR with the vehicle. Vehicles will be turned away at check-in if a valid GMR cannot be presented or if their registration number(s) do not match those on the GMR. 

GVMS allows for automatic arrival in HMRC’s declaration processing system CHIEF, as soon as goods board at the EU side, so that UK import declarations can be processed by HMRC en route to the UK.

Once the vehicle and/or trailers have embarked on the crossing, the status in GVMS will be updated to EMBARK. The platform sends an electronic notification through CHIEF when inbound goods are successfully cleared before they arrive in the UK, allowing them to quickly pass through customs.

If the GVMS determines that the movement requires inspection, a notification will be sent within 30 minutes after embarkation. Those vehicles must report to a customs inspection point upon arrival, where customs officials will update GVMS once the consignment has been cleared.

For transit shipments, the transit declaration will be automatically updated in the New Computerised Transit System (NCTS) on the basis of the Transit accompanying document (TAD) data entered in GVMS prior to departure in the EU.

Available to new and existing customers, the CuDoS customs brokerage platform automates and submits customs declarations, simplifying compliant border processing, in either direction. 

CuDoS safeguards our customers’ EU supply chains from the potential fallout of easement and regime changes, which means that their EU/UK movements will not be interrupted when full UK/EU border controls are implemented on the 1st January 2022.

To discuss your situation and to learn how we automate customs declarations for businesses of all sizes, please contact Elliot Carlile or Andy Fitchett who can talk you through the options.