Customs Agency Harwich — Clearance, GMR and ENS for Goods via the Port

A customs agency in Harwich is, in practice, remote handling of goods passing through the port of Harwich: we lodge customs declarations in CDS and prepare the ENS, the GMR and transit documents, all electronically, without us being present on the quayside. Easy Clearance is a customs agency registered in CDS, with a UK EORI number.

Is Harwich a GVMS port?

Yes, to a limited extent that depends on the carrier. In the list of ports using the Goods Vehicle Movement Service, Harwich appears in the group where the carrier may require you to, or give you the option to, use GVMS — for Harwich the carrier named is Stena Line. Harwich with Stena Line is also listed among the locations that support Offices of Transit digitally. Unlike Dover or Eurotunnel, the port is not in the group where GVMS is mandatory for all RoRo movements.

In the same list Harwich does not appear among the locations where the export declaration must be submitted as ‘arrived’ or ‘pre-lodged’. Still, always confirm the rules with the carrier before departure, because the GOV.UK list is updated. Nearby Felixstowe is a separate port: GOV.UK lists it with a different carrier (DFDS).

According to the Stena Line route network, routes from Harwich run to Hoek van Holland and to Rotterdam. We do not give timetables, crossing times or the number of sailings here — check them with the shipping line.

Which declarations and numbers are needed?

Details: what an ENS is, how to get a GMR and how GVMS works for a haulier. Source of the table: GOV.UK guidance for hauliers moving goods by RoRo.

Importing into Great Britain via Harwich, step by step

1. EORI number: a GB EORI is needed — access to GVMS and Safety and Security GB requires one (GOV.UK).
2. Commodity code and value: determine the tariff code, customs value and country of origin (how to calculate duty and VAT).
3. Declaration in CDS: it can be lodged before the goods arrive (pre-lodged) and linked to the GMR through its MRN.
4. ENS: lodged by the carrier (accompanied vehicle) or by the ferry operator (unaccompanied trailers).
5. GMR: the haulier creates the GMR in GVMS, entering the vehicle registration number (or the trailer/container number for unaccompanied movements) and the declaration references.
6. Carrier and shipping line: confirm with Stena Line whether GVMS is required for your booking.

GOV.UK warns about one mistake: do not add import declaration references to a GMR that holds transit (CTC) MRNs for the same goods, because that puts the movement under two customs regimes, which is not allowed. An empty load also needs a GMR.

Exporting from Great Britain via Harwich

1. Export declaration in CDS with a DUCR — that is what goes into the GMR.
2. Exit summary declaration (EXS): GOV.UK says a standalone EXS is usually needed, among other cases, where goods have been in temporary storage for more than 14 days or move under transit without a full export declaration; it is not required for empty pallets, containers and vehicles.
3. GMR: the DUCR and, where required, the MRN of the exit summary declaration (GOV.UK: create a goods movement reference).
4. EU side: on the Dutch side EU rules apply, including ICS2 — see ICS2 for road transport.

T1 transit from Harwich

According to GOV.UK, transit movements starting in Great Britain will almost always have T1 status, the status of non-Union goods — which includes goods made in Great Britain and goods with UK duties paid (GOV.UK: transit out of Great Britain). For movements under the Common Transit Convention the MRN generated in NCTS goes into the GMR, and the procedure is closed at an EU office of destination or with an authorised consignee, where the driver presents the TAD. According to GOV.UK: NCTS, since 28 June 2024 use of the TAD has been optional in the UK and the MRN can be presented digitally; confirm the EU-side requirements with your carrier. The procedure is described in how T1 transit works and the T1 document for exports from the UK to the EU.

What to prepare before placing an order

• a commercial invoice with the description, value, currency and delivery terms (Incoterms),
• a packing list with weight and number of packages,
• the EORI numbers of the parties (a GB EORI and, in the EU, a Member State EORI),
• the tariff codes of the goods, or a description from which we can determine them,
• the carrier’s details and the vehicle registration number or trailer/container number,
• the chosen ferry carrier and, for unaccompanied movements, the ferry operator’s details.

Most common mistakes

• A missing GMR or a wrong declaration reference — see GMR error before the port.
• Confusing who is responsible for the ENS: for an accompanied vehicle the carrier lodges it, not the importer — see missing ENS to the UK.
• Assuming all ports work the same way. Harwich is listed with one carrier, Felixstowe with another.
• Combining import declaration references with a transit MRN in a single GMR.
• No GB EORI for the business that is meant to lodge the declarations.

Practical example

An illustrative case: a Polish company sends a vehicle with goods to a consignee in Great Britain by ferry from Hoek van Holland to Harwich. Before departure we lodge the import declaration in CDS, the carrier lodges the ENS at the first point of entry, and a GMR is created in GVMS with the registration number and the declaration reference. The driver presents the GMR to the shipping line in line with its rules. After arrival we check the declaration status and tell the client about any clarifications. If the load travelled under transit, the transit MRN would appear in the GMR instead of the import declaration.

How we work remotely

CDS declarations, the ENS and the GMR are lodged electronically, so we do not have to be physically at the port. We send you a list of missing data, lodge the declarations once you approve, and pass the numbers (MRN, GMR) to the carrier and to you. Response time depends on the completeness of the documents and data.

When an agency helps

We can help when you want to hand all the formalities to one company or have no experience with CDS and GVMS. See customs clearance from the UK and exports to the UK. The pricing approach is described on how much customs clearance costs. Call +44 333 335 5072 or write via the contact page. Customs support for businesses around Harwich is provided by Easy Clearance — customs agency UK.

Frequently asked questions