Change of https://www.gov.uk/guidance/moving-licensed-goods-into-or-out-of-northern-ireland

Change description : 2025-08-15 10:00:00: The guidance has been updated as the Certificates Exchange System (CERTEX) will come into effect from 15 September 2025. [Guidance and regulation]

Showing diff : 2025-05-29 09:00:17.375299585 +00:00..2025-08-15 09:00:13.102803537 +00:00

Guidance

Moving licensed goods into or out of Northern Ireland

Find out what you need to do if you move licensed goods into or out of Northern IrelandIreland, including by import, export or transit.

From:
HM Revenue & Customs
Published
29 May 2025
Last updated
15 August 2025 — See all updates

FromLicence 28 June 2025, license data on a declaration will be verified by a system called the Certificates Exchange System (CERTEX) for Northern Ireland. This replaceswill replace the previousBorder Trade Matching Service (BTMS), formerly the Automatic Licence Verification System (ALVS).

There will be no change to the system you use for entering information in your declaration and license.licence.

The format for entering licenselicence information may change.

If you move licensed goods into or out of Northern IrelandIreland, including by import, export or transit

You must make sure the information on your declaration matches the information on the relevant licence or certification. If it does not match, your haulier may need to report for inspection.

You can find further information if you move goods using the Northern Ireland Retail Movement Scheme (NIRMS).

LicensedEligible licensed goods thatcan arealso eligiblebe tomoved moveusing under the Internal Market Movements process by a business that holds a UK Internal Market Scheme authorisation. These goods can be moved usingfrom theGreat InternalBritain Marketto MovementsNorthern process. Ireland without a full customs declaration and without paying duty.

You can also find out more about moving licensed goods as parcels.

What you should do with your declarations

You should make sure that the information you provide on your declaration matches the licence or certificate for the goods you are moving into or out of Northern Ireland.

IfHow thereto iscomplete acertain problemdata withelements on your declaration or goods

YouMismatches willbetween receiveyour alicence notificationand fromyour thedeclaration Customscan Declarationcause Servicedelays (CDS)to if there is a problem with your declarationgoods ormovements.

Find goods.out Formore example, when:about:

In yourall goodscases, cannotif be found (this will be checked at the pre-lodgementinformation stage)

  • theredoes isnot amatch, mismatchthen betweenyour thegoods datamay suppliedbe onsubject yourto declarationa andhold the relevant licence or certificatean (duringinspection thewhen crossing)
  • yourit licencearrives hasin insufficientNorthern quantityIreland.

    Data remainingelement (during— the2/3 crossing,Documents onlyand applicable to certain licenses)

    • certificates

    BeforeIf yourthe goodsreference arrive,is younot should:completed correctly:

    • checkthe yourlicence supportingcannot licencebe validated
    • amend your declaration,declaration ifwill yoube need torejected
    • respondyou towill anynot messagesreceive youa receiveMovement fromReference CDS

    IfNumber your(MRN) softwareand doeswill not allowbe youable to amendcontinue moving your declaration,goods

    The youCommon needHealth toEntry cancelDocument your(CHED) declarationreference andformat submitmust abe newletters one. 

    Iffollowed you’reby usingnumbers and include the Traderfull Supportstop Servicecharacter. (TSS)For forexample, your‘CHEDA.XI.2025.1234567’.

    Read licensedAppendix goods5A movements,for youdetails shouldof contactthe themlicence reference formats to helpbe you.

    Howdeclared toin completedata certainelement 2/3.

    Data elementselement (DE)— on6/1 yourNet declaration

    Mass

    MismatchesYou betweenshould yourmake licensedsure goodsthat andthe yourinformation declarationyou caninclude causein delaysthis todata element on your goodsdeclaration movements.matches the licence.

    Data element — 6/2 Supplementary Units/SW Measurement Unit Code

    You canshould readmake moresure that the information you include in this data element on licencesyour anddeclaration documentmatches codes.the licence.

    Data element — 1/66/14 Goodsand item6/15 numberCommodity Codes

    You should make sure that the information you include in this data element on your declaration matches the licence.

    Data

    You elementmust —resolve 2/3any Commonmismatching Healthdata Entryelements Document

    Thebefore Commonyou Healthcan Entryprocess Documentthe (CHED)goods referenceor formatuse mustthem befor letterstheir followedintended bypurpose, numberseven andif includethe goods are moved away from the fullborder stopunder character.customs Forcontrol. example,You CHEDA.XI.2025.1234567.

    Ifmay theget referencea ispenalty if you do not completedresolve correctly:any mismatches.

    • the

      If licencethere cannotis bea validated

    • problem with your declaration

      You will bereceive rejected

    • youa willnotification notfrom receiveCDS if there is a Movementproblem Referencewith Numberyour (MRN)declaration. andFor willexample, notwhen:

      • a bevalid ablecertificate toor continuelicence movingfor your goods

      From 28cannot Junebe 2025,found (this will be checked at the CHEDpre-lodgement referencestage)

    • there mustis bea providedmismatch between the data supplied on your declaration inand the newrelevant format.

    Datalicence elementor —certificate 6/1(during Netthe Mass

    Youcrossing)

  • your shouldlicence makehas sureinsufficient thisquantity dataremaining element(during onthe yourcrossing) declaration— matcheswhen theyou licence.

    Datahave elementused —all 6/2the Supplementaryallocation Units/SWavailable Measurementfor Unityour Code

    licence

    • YouBefore shouldyour makegoods surearrive, thisyou datashould:

    • check elementyour onsupporting licence
    • amend your declarationdeclaration, matchesif theyou licence.

      Dataneed elementto

    • respond —to 6/14any andmessages 6/15you Commodityreceive Codesfrom CDS

    YouIf shouldyour makesoftware suredoes thisnot dataallow elementyou onto amend your declarationdeclaration, matchesyou theneed licence.

    Into allcancel cases,your ifdeclaration theand informationsubmit doesa notnew match,one. 

    If thenyou’re yourusing goodsthe mayTrader beSupport subjectService tofor ayour holdlicensed orgoods anmovements, inspectionyou whenshould itcontact arrivesthem into Northernhelp Ireland.you.

    If you need to report for an inspection

    If you are a driver or haulier and you may need to report for an inspection:

    Your inspection status will be one of the following:

    • inspection needed — unless you are told otherwise, you need to report to either or both of the following:

      • Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs of Northern Ireland (DAERA) facility
      • Border Force facility
    • no inspection needed — you do not need to report to a DAERA or Border Force facility for inspection
    • your inspection status is not ready yet — a decision has not been made on your goods and you should await confirmation

    If you need an inspection, the GVMS will tell you which DAERA or Border Force facility to report to.

    You can find more information on:

    You must report for an inspection where a DAERA or Border Force control has been applied. In the case where the hold is due to a data element mismatch between declarations and your licence, HMRC may conditionally permit goods to leave the port and proceed to your end destination under customs control after all inspections have taken place. This is on the condition that the declarant must correct the mismatches before they are used for their intended purpose or processed.

    Hauliers, if not acting as the declarant for the goods, should contact the consignee or importer to inform them.

    Further information and support

    The following is a list of certificates to which the checks apply along with the relevant document code:

    Certificate type Certificate Type Detail
    COI Certificates of Organic Conformity
    CHED.PP Plants and plant products
    CHED.D Food and feed of non-animal origin
    CHED.P Food and products of animal origin
    CHED.A Live animals
    ODS Ozone depleting substances
    FGAS Fluorinated gases

    If you need more support you can:

    Updates to this page

    Published 29 May 2025
    Last updated 15 August 2025 href="#full-history">+ show all updates

    1. The guidance has been updated as the Certificates Exchange System (CERTEX) will come into effect from 15 September 2025.

    2. First published.

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    Update history

    2025-08-15 10:00
    The guidance has been updated as the Certificates Exchange System (CERTEX) will come into effect from 15 September 2025.

    2025-05-29 10:00
    First published.