CDS known error workarounds: what to check before an import declaration

In brief: GOV.UK maintains a single consolidated document of known error workarounds for the Customs Declaration Service (CDS) — the Consolidated Workaround Document (CWD). Version 4.9.0 of 14 October 2025 is no longer current: as of 26 October 2026 the latest version is CWD 5.2.0 of 4 July 2026. The document does not simplify declarations for everyone — it describes workarounds for known errors in the Customs Declaration Service, which you must check against your own case.

Verified: 26 October 2026

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What the official source confirms

• GOV.UK publishes Known error workarounds for the Customs Declaration Service (CDS) as a single consolidated set of workarounds for known errors and mismatches between CDS and the declaration completion instructions.
• Version history (newest first): CWD 5.2.0 — 4 July 2026; CWD 5.1.0 — 28 March 2026; CWD 5.0.0 — 4 December 2025; CWD 4.9.0 — 14 October 2025.
• The document includes, among other things, mitigations for known errors until they are fixed, and guidance on authorisation by declaration where CDS functionality does not always match the completion guide.

How to read it in practice

Before submitting an import declaration, check in the current version of the document whether your case involves goods, a procedure or data codes for which a workaround is given. If you work from a standing declaration template, compare your data fields with the latest version and test them before using them in production. For a wider overview, see changes to CDS and how to make a customs declaration in the UK.

What to watch out for

• Do not assume that every update of the document shortens or simplifies the process for all importers.
• Check the version number and date — the document is replaced by later versions (after 4.9.0 came 5.0.0, 5.1.0 and 5.2.0).
• Treat a workaround as an operational instruction for a specific case, not a general change in the law.
• If a declaration has already been submitted with an error, see what to do about an error in a declaration and whether you can correct a declaration after filing.

Official source

• GOV.UK - Known error workarounds for the Customs Declaration Service (CDS)

Contact us if you want your declaration checked before submission; an LRN will also help you identify the declaration.

Disclaimer: Informational material. Before changing your declaration process, check the current CDS document and test the scenario against your own data.

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