Take back control of your customs.
Accurate. Compliant. On time.
Comprehensive customs clearance for import and export consignments through every UK port, airport, and inland clearance depot. From single-line declarations to the most complex multi-regime entries, we file it right the first time, so your goods clear without holds, demurrage, or post-clearance demands.
The process that keeps your supply chain moving.
Customs clearance is the mandatory procedure for all goods entering or leaving the UK. Since the Border Target Operating Model and full CDS migration, the margin for error has narrowed: an incorrect commodity code, a missed pre-notification, or an unsupported preference claim can mean a held container, a port-health rejection, or a post-clearance demand for unpaid duty plus interest.
As an AEO-authorised customs broker, we build proactive processes that prevent penalties, fines, and delays. Every commodity code is researched and defensible. Every preference claim is backed by evidence of origin. Every entry is checked against the invoice, packing list, and supporting documents before it is submitted to HMRC.
No IPAFFS rejections. No demurrage, no storage.
- End-to-end clearance management, import and export
- All UK ports, airports, and inland clearance depots
- Single-line declarations to multi-regime complex entries
- HMRC audit-ready documentation on every entry
- A dedicated account manager, not a ticket queue
Everything that moves across a UK border.
Import & Export Declarations
Accurate CDS declarations for all import and export shipments, including multi-line consignments and complex multi-supplier supply chains. Every declaration is checked before submission.
- Full import declarations (C88 / E2): CDS entry preparation and submission
- Export declarations (C21 / EX): UK export clearance and NES submission
- Multi-line consignments: complex entry management with multiple commodity codes
- Postponed VAT Accounting (PVA): import VAT on the VAT return, not at port
- Import VAT & C79 certificate support
- Duty Deferment Account (DDA) management: pay monthly, not per entry
T1 Transit Documentation
T1 transit documents allow goods to move under customs control from one EU or third-country point to another without paying import duties at each crossing. Incorrect T1s attract full duty liability.
- T1 common transit declarations: accurate NCTS submission and management
- EU-to-UK transit: goods moving under suspended duty through EU member states
- T1 discharge: clearance and discharge at the UK destination office
- Guarantee management: transit guarantee accounts maintained on your behalf
- TAD and movement reference monitoring where applicable
- Late-discharge alerts: proactive monitoring to prevent HMRC liability
Tariffs, Commodity Codes & BTI
An incorrect commodity code is one of the most common causes of underpayment penalties, post-clearance demands, and HMRC audits. Our classifications are researched, documented, and defensible.
- HS code & UK Trade Tariff classification: full 10-digit commodity code research
- BTI applications: Binding Tariff Information requests for legally certain classification
- Duty-rate analysis: identifying applicable rates, suspensions, and reliefs
- Anti-dumping duty assessment: ADD calculations for all subject goods and countries
- Safeguard measures: quota monitoring, TRQ management, and licences
- Commodity Surveillance Register: monitoring of provisional measures
Preferences & Rules of Origin
UK trade agreements can reduce or eliminate import duties on qualifying goods, but preference claims require robust evidence of origin. An incorrect claim triggers a post-clearance demand for the full duty plus interest.
- UK-EU TCA preference claims: documentation review and REX verification
- DCTS (Developing Countries Trading Scheme): Form A and REX verification
- UKVFTA, UKSFTA, and all other UK FTAs: preference management end to end
- Rules of Origin analysis: substantial transformation and tariff-shift tests
- Supplier declarations: obtaining and verifying origin evidence
- Origin-audit support: representation during HMRC origin checks
Food & Drink Customs Clearance
Food and drink imports carry some of the most complex requirements of any UK import category. A missed IPAFFS pre-notification, an incorrect CHED type, an unapproved establishment, or a failed phytosanitary check can see your consignment held, rejected, or destroyed at a Border Control Post. We prevent that, before the goods ever leave origin.
Products of animal origin, composite foods, and high-risk food and feed entering Great Britain require an IPAFFS pre-notification at least one working day before arrival. Only a UK-registered business can submit it. We raise accurate notifications, select the correct CHED type, and coordinate with the relevant port health authority.
- IPAFFS pre-notifications for POAO, composite, and high-risk food and feed
- CHED-D: products of animal origin (meat, dairy, fish, and composite foods)
- CHED-P: high-risk food and feed not of animal origin
- CHED-PP: plants and plant products, with phytosanitary coordination
- CHED-A: live animals, where applicable
- Port-health documentary, identity, and physical checks at the BCP
Export Health Certificates (EHC) and phytosanitary certificates must be verified before goods leave their country of origin, not at the UK border. We check documents in advance, flag issues early, and coordinate with official vets and plant-health authorities.
- EHC verification: checked against product, origin, and UK template
- Phytosanitary certificates: plant-health authority liaison and document checks
- UK Health Certificates: APHA-approved documentation for third-country imports
- Catch certificates and IUU compliance for wild-caught seafood
- TRACES NT notifications: organic and certified product pre-clearance
- Frozen and chilled goods: cold-chain documentation and priority clearance
Dairy, meat, and fish imports from the EU are classified as high-risk foods and are subject to mandatory checks at Border Control Posts. Missing the BCP window means your consignment is rejected or destroyed. We manage the entire process.
- EU dairy imports: BCP routing, CHED-D coordination, and duty assessment
- EU meat & poultry: UK-template health certificates and BCP pre-notification
- EU fish & fishery products: catch certificates, CHED-D, and port-health liaison
- Non-EU high-risk food: approved-establishment and designated-BCP routing
- Live bivalve molluscs (LBM): classified harvest-area documentation
- Returned food goods: re-import procedures and duty relief where applicable
Wine, spirits, and beverages carry their own licensing requirements and document formats that differ from standard food imports. Organic and certified products require TRACES NT pre-notification. We handle both, alongside excise.
- VI-1 and wine-import documentation: verification and duty calculation
- AWRS (Alcohol Wholesaler Registration Scheme): registration and compliance checks
- Spirits & excise: excise-duty suspension and WOWGR support
- Organic certification: TRACES NT notifications and certifying-body liaison
- Geographical Indication (GI) products: import compliance and labelling checks
- Amazon FBA food imports: FBA-compliant documentation and routing
The entries other brokers send back.
Anti-dumping exposure, electric-vehicle imports, personal effects, duty-suspension regimes: the categories where the rules run densest are exactly where accuracy protects your cash flow and your HMRC record. Select a category.
Pet food customs clearance
Commercial pet food is treated as a product of animal origin and is controlled at the border. We manage IPAFFS pre-notification, CHED-D coordination, and the approved-establishment and commodity-code checks (HS 2309) that keep consignments out of port-health holds.
- IPAFFS pre-notification & CHED-D coordination
- FSA / APHA approved-establishment verification
- HS 2309 classification, duty (0–12%) & import VAT (20%)
- UK-template health certificate review
EV & vehicle customs clearance
Importing vehicles and electric vehicles carries duty, VAT, anti-dumping exposure, and registration steps that generalist brokers miss. We manage NOVA notification, commodity coding, anti-dumping assessment on subject EVs, and battery and CBAM documentation.
- NOVA notification within 14 days of import
- Commodity coding, customs duty & import VAT (20%)
- Anti-dumping duty assessment on subject EVs & batteries
- CBAM reporting and DVLA / IVA onward registration support
Anti-dumping & safeguard duty
Anti-dumping duty (ADD), countervailing, and safeguard measures can add tens of percent to landed cost on metals, ceramics, EVs, bicycles, and chemicals. We identify the measure, the country scope, and any exemption or undertaking before your goods arrive.
- ADD & countervailing duty calculation by code and origin
- Safeguard quota and TRQ monitoring
- Exemption, undertaking, and minimum-import-price checks
- Provisional-measure and TRA case surveillance
Home goods & Transfer of Residence
Moving back to the UK? Transfer of Residence (ToR) relief clears personal effects, household goods, and vehicles free of duty and VAT, provided the ToR1 is filed correctly. We prepare the application, secure the HMRC reference, and complete the import declaration against it.
- ToR1 application and HMRC Unique Reference Number (URN)
- Itemised inventory and evidence pack
- Duty- and VAT-relieved clearance under the correct procedure code
- Vehicle and pet inclusion where eligible
Special customs procedures
Inward and outward processing, customs warehousing, temporary admission, and ATA carnets suspend or relieve duty when goods are processed, stored, or re-exported. Used correctly they protect cash flow; used wrongly they create liabilities.
- Inward Processing Relief (IPR) & Outward Processing Relief (OPR)
- Customs warehousing and duty deferment
- Temporary Admission & ATA carnets (incl. exhibitions and galleries)
- Returned Goods Relief (RGR) and end-use authorisation
Export clearance & Safety & Security
Export declarations, Export Health Certificates, and Safety & Security filings each carry their own deadlines and datasets. We file export entries, coordinate EHCs, and lodge entry summary declarations so nothing is stopped by a “Do Not Load”.
- Export customs clearance (CDS) and NES submission
- Export Health Certificates (EHC) via APHA and official vets
- Safety & Security / Entry Summary (ENS) declarations
- Transit (T1 / NCTS) and origin documentation
Frequently asked questions.
How long does customs clearance take in the UK?
Most import declarations are prepared before your goods arrive and, as an AEO-accredited broker, our entries typically clear the same day, often within a few hours. Delays usually come from missing or inconsistent paperwork, which is why every entry is checked before submission.
What documents do I need for customs clearance?
As a minimum: a commercial invoice, a packing list and the transport document (bill of lading, CMR or air waybill). Food and other controlled goods also need certificates such as an IPAFFS notification, CHED or phytosanitary certificate. We confirm exactly what applies before your goods move.
Do I need an EORI number to import into the UK?
Yes. Any business importing or exporting goods into Great Britain needs a GB EORI number. If you do not have one yet, we handle the HMRC registration for you as part of onboarding.
How much does customs clearance cost?
We charge a fixed fee per declaration based on the number of commodity lines and the complexity of the entry. Import duty and VAT are separate and depend on your goods’ commodity codes and origin. Send us your shipment details and we will quote both, with no obligation.
Can you clear goods at any UK port or airport?
Yes. We file declarations through HMRC’s CDS system, which covers every UK port and airport, including Dover, Felixstowe, London Gateway, Tilbury, Southampton, Heathrow and East Midlands.
Tell us what you’re importing.
We’ll tell you how to clear it.
Send us your commodity, its origin, and your timelines. We’ll set out exactly what’s needed to clear your goods compliantly: the declarations, the certificates, the duty, and the documents, with no surprises at the border.