How to check GMR status in GVMS?

What is a GMR and who needs one?

A goods movement reference (GMR) is the reference you create in the Goods Vehicle Movement Service (GVMS) to link the declarations for everything in a vehicle, trailer or container. GOV.UK states that "you must enter a reference for all goods contained in a vehicle, trailer or container" (Create a goods movement reference). For EU to Great Britain and Great Britain to EU journeys a GMR is needed for all movements; for Northern Ireland to Great Britain it is needed only in specific cases, such as Common Transit Convention or TIR/ATA carnet movements (GOV.UK: moving goods through GVMS ports).

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How to get a GMR step by step

1. Register for GVMS. You need a GB EORI number; a customs agent can register on your behalf (Register for the Goods Vehicle Movement Service).
2. Sign in to the official GVMS dashboard on GOV.UK with the details you used when registering.
3. Enter the vehicle details: the vehicle registration number for accompanied movements, or the trailer or container number for unaccompanied ones.
4. Add the declaration references for all goods on board, such as import or transit MRNs, DUCRs, carnet references or EORI numbers, depending on your route.
5. Present the GMR at the port you are leaving from. Ask your carrier how; the carrier will allow you to embark if the GMR is valid.

If the service is slow or unavailable, check the GVMS service availability and issues page.

How to check GMR status - step by step

1. Sign in to your account in the GVMS dashboard and open the GMR you created. It shows the current status of the movement.
2. Before the vehicle moves, confirm the GMR is valid: carriers check validity through the HMRC API and turn away vehicles with no valid GMR or with registration or container numbers that do not match the GMR (GOV.UK: processes at the border and during crossing).
3. For goods coming into the UK, use the official "check if you need to report for an inspection" service. Drivers and hauliers can use it to see the latest GMR status and whether the vehicle has been called for inspection.
4. Some carriers also show inspection calls on screens for drivers at the port.

What GMR statuses mean

According to HMRC guidance on GMR states, a GMR can be in one of five states:

Being flagged for inspection is a hold rather than a separate state: the driver must attend checks at the port or an Inland Border Facility, and a GMR can be held for more than one check, for example Defra and Customs (GOV.UK).

What to do if your GMR is flagged for inspection

• Open the inspection service and check where you must report. At the Port of Dover and Eurotunnel, attend an Inland Border Facility if your goods are held; at other GVMS locations, go to the inspection facility in or near the port (Create a goods movement reference).
• Still attend the Inland Border Facility if instructed, even if Border Force officers have already stopped and checked the vehicle within the port. Take the goods there directly, in the same condition as at the time of importation.
• Do not ignore the instruction. HMRC will reject a request to check in a GMR if a request for an inspection is ignored, and not following HMRC instructions can lead to a penalty of up to £2,500.
• For arrived exports, the driver must be inspected before check-in; for standard exports, the carrier directs drivers needing inspection to complete it before boarding.
• If the GMR is invalid, the haulier must not embark until the correct information is entered.

Need a customs agent in the UK? Get in touch with Easy Clearance or contact us here.

Who can check a GMR status

Three parties check a GMR: the haulier in the GVMS dashboard, where the GMR is created and finalised; the driver and haulier in the "check if you need to report for an inspection" service; and the carrier through the HMRC API at check-in. A customs agent who filed the declarations linked to a GMR confirms with the haulier that the MRNs have been added correctly. More on the carrier's role: how GVMS works for a haulier and what GVMS is.

Ports: Dover, Eurotunnel and Calais/Coquelles

At Dover and Eurotunnel (Folkestone) the same GVMS mechanism applies: the carrier checks the GMR at check-in, notifies HMRC when the crossing departs, and all GMRs on board move to "Embarked". Inspection holds appear on the GMR and in the inspection service (GOV.UK).

On the French side a separate system run by French customs applies – SI Brexit (the smart border). It is not the same system as the UK's GVMS: the driver carries the barcode of the customs declaration, the vehicle's number plate is linked to the declarations at the terminal, and the declarant receives a crossing notification so the lorry does not have to stop (French customs: Brexit – the smart border; the page dates from 2021, so check the details before you travel). The UK GMR is checked separately: whichever French port you leave from, goods entering Great Britain need a valid GMR.

GMR status vs the status of a customs declaration (MRN)

An MRN (Movement Reference Number) is issued for a single customs declaration (import, export or transit) and its status concerns only that declaration – for example whether it has been accepted, released or held for checks (more on the MRN). A GMR is the umbrella reference in GVMS that groups the references of all goods in the vehicle. A declaration can be released while the GMR is still "Not finalisable" because the reference was not added to it correctly, so check both numbers separately. For goods moving under transit, the transit MRN is issued when the T1 transit document declaration is made in NCTS.

Common problems with GMR status

• GMR not linked to the declarations – the customs agent filed the declaration and received an MRN, but the haulier did not add it to the GMR, so the GMR stays "Not finalisable".
• Wrong vehicle, trailer or container number – the carrier turns away a vehicle whose details do not match the GMR.
• Missing security declaration references – for Great Britain to EU moves you add the exit summary declaration MRN to the GMR when one is required, unless a DUCR covers all the goods in a transit movement; for EU to Great Britain moves, including the ENS MRN is optional (GOV.UK). More: ENS and GMR when importing from the UK.
• Errors to check before the port – see GMR error before the port: 7 things to check. If goods are held, read when you need to report for inspection after arriving in Great Britain.

Responsibility and record-keeping

The haulier creates and finalises the GMR, and the customs agent files the declarations and passes the MRNs on. Traders must give the haulier their movement reference numbers, and the haulier enters references for all goods in the vehicle. Agree this division of roles with your haulier and customs agent before the first movement, and keep each declaration together with its source documents.

Frequently asked questions