HM Revenue & Customs are advising hauliers heading to Northern Ireland or the Republic of Ireland from ports in Great Britain, that there are new processes they must follow.

Before travelling to the Republic of Ireland

Hauliers using a Ro-Ro ferry service to the Republic of Ireland (accompanied or unaccompanied) need to submit a Pre-Boarding Notification (PBN) to Irish Customs before they leave Great Britain.

Hauliers are responsible for ensuring they have the correct documentation at the border and that the PBN is submitted using information provided by the importer.

However, the PBN may be created by anyone in the supply chain that has the required information.

Only 1 PBN should be created per vehicle irrespective of the number of consignments in the vehicle.

Vehicles will not be allowed to board ferries heading to Ireland without a valid PBN.

PBNs are created on Irish Revenue’s Customs RoRo Service website.

A PBN user guide is available to help you.

Before travelling to Northern Ireland

Hauliers travelling to Northern Ireland from UK ports

need a Safety and Security (ENS) declaration.

From 00:01am (GMT) on 8 January 2021 all goods crossing from Great Britain to Northern Ireland using a Goods Vehicle Movement Service (GVMS) location (Belfast, Larne, Warrenpoint) will require a Goods Movement Reference (GMR).  

To get a GMR you will need to: 

• Have a GB EORI number and an XI EORI number

• Register for GVMS

You can use the free Trader Support Service to generate and submit ENS safety and security declarations to HMRC. After submitting these, the Trader Support Service will provide you with the information you need to input into GVMS to receive authorisation to move goods. 

You can find out more about GVMS in GOV.UK guidance. 

Help and support

Register for the Trader Support Service to get information and advice to help you prepare for new processes. 

HM Revenue & Customs

About the Author: John Loughran