How Does GVMS Work for a Haulier?

What GVMS is for

The Goods Vehicle Movement Service (GVMS) brings together the reference numbers of multiple declarations for the goods carried in a vehicle, trailer or container into one number – the goods movement reference (GMR). According to GOV.UK this speeds up clearance, and goods cannot move through ports that use GVMS without a GMR. A GMR does not replace customs declarations or the ENS: it links them into a single reference that the carrier and HMRC check.

Where GVMS is required

For ro-ro movements into Great Britain from outside the UK, GVMS is always mandatory at the ports of Dover, Eurotunnel, Fishguard, Heysham, Holyhead, Liverpool, Pembroke and Newhaven. At other ports (for example Hull, Harwich, Immingham, Killingholme or Portsmouth), the requirement depends on the carrier. For exports from Great Britain to the EU, a GMR is needed for all movements and must be in place before the vehicle attends the port of departure. HMRC maintains the current list: List of ports using the Goods Vehicle Movement Service.

How the process works step by step

1. Registration. The haulier or forwarder registers for GVMS (GOV.UK: Create a goods movement reference).
2. Collecting the references. The sender gives the haulier the numbers of all declarations for the cargo. To create a GMR you need, among other things, the vehicle registration number (accompanied movements) or the trailer or container number (unaccompanied movements) and the references: the import MRN from CDS, the transit MRN from NCTS, or ATA/eATA or TIR carnet numbers. For Common Transit Convention movements, you do not add the references of associated import declarations.
3. Creating the GMR. The haulier enters the references for all the goods in the vehicle and receives a GMR number. The ENS MRN can be added to the GMR, but for EU to GB movements it is optional.
4. Presenting the GMR at the port. The ferry or tunnel carrier checks the GMR and lets the vehicle embark only if the number is valid; if it is not valid, the carrier tells the haulier that they cannot embark until they provide the correct information (GOV.UK).
5. After arrival. You use the GMR in HMRC's "check if you need to report for an inspection" service to see whether the load is held. At Dover and Eurotunnel the checks take place at an Inland Border Facility, and failing to follow HMRC's instructions can lead to a penalty of up to £2,500 (GOV.UK).

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Who is responsible for what

Before the vehicle reaches the port of departure, the sender (exporter, importer or an agency acting on their behalf) must give the haulier the MRNs from import or export declarations, carnets or transit and, where goods are declared in the trader's own records, their EORI number. The haulier enters the references for all the goods in the vehicle. A business hired to move the goods can register for access through an API. Legally, the carrier is responsible for lodging the ENS – the differences are covered in GMR vs ENS.

Most common reasons a vehicle is held

• a GMR that does not match the actual vehicle or trailer,
• a missing reference for one of the consignments – references for all goods in the vehicle must be entered,
• no evidence of a declaration at locations where pre-lodgement is required (HMRC may impose a penalty),
• adding the references of associated import declarations to a GMR for Common Transit Convention movements, where they should not be included,
• not following the instructions on arrival (reporting for an inspection).

For a detailed checklist see GMR error before the port – 7 things to check, and for the status of a number see how to check GMR status in GVMS. For a general explanation of the system see GVMS – what it is and how it works.

Exporting to the United Kingdom? Commission customs clearance in the UK or get in touch.

Record-keeping and corrections

In the EU, documents relating to customs formalities must be kept for at least 3 years (Article 51 of the Union Customs Code), and tax records may be subject to longer periods under tax law; in the United Kingdom HMRC requires declarations to be kept for 4 years and VAT records for 6 years (GOV.UK). The records include: copies of customs declarations, evidence of the customs value, correspondence with the customs agency, and confirmations that the cargo has been released. If, after the goods have been released, the declaration turns out to contain an error, you should ask the competent customs authority to amend it – in the EU under Article 173 of the Union Customs Code, and in the UK in line with HMRC's CDS guidance.

Frequently asked questions