Submitting import and export customs declarations

When you bring goods into the UK, you must make a full declaration (unless you are authorised to use simplified declarations).

Submit a new declaration

Submitter journey overview

The submitter of a declaration can be:

an individual trader
an agent acting on their behalf
a CSP

1. Submit declaration

Your software should use the Customs Declarations API to do this - specifically the Submit a customs declaration endpoint.

If you are a CSP, you must identify the submitter of the declaration (the declarant) in your requests by supplying their EORI in the ‘X-Submitter-Identifier’ header field.

As a CSP, there is an additional, temporary mechanism to supply declarant identification data. Instead of supplying the declarant EORI, the declarant’s Badge ID may be supplied instead. If both EORI and Badge ID are supplied then the EORI will be used as the declarant identifier. In all cases, any Badge ID supplied will be included in any subsequent response back to the CSP from CDS about that particular declaration.

2. Receive response

You will receive a synchronous response confirming that your declaration has been received.

This response will include a Conversation ID that you can use to identify notifications that correspond to this particular declaration.

After a short time, one or more notifications related to your declaration will be generated.

How you receive notifications depends on whether you have set up push or pull notifications for your subscription to the Customs Declarations API.

The exact message flow and types of notifications that you can expect to receive during the declaration’s life cycle depends on the type of declaration you are submitting.

Amend a submitted customs declaration

CDS allows the submission of declaration amendments which will cause a re-validation of the declaration.

Your software should use the Customs Declarations API to do this, specifically the Submit a Customs Amend Declaration endpoint.

Amending a declaration follows a similar process to submitting. The exact message flow and types of notifications that you can expect to receive after an amendment depends on the type of declaration you are amending.

Cancel a submitted customs declaration

To cancel (also known as invalidate) a submitted declaration, your software should use the Customs Declarations API. Specifically, it should use the Submit a cancellation request endpoint.