An ENS (Entry Summary Declaration) is a safety and security declaration required before goods enter Great Britain. Since 31 January 2025, this requirement also applies to goods moving from the European Union into Great Britain.
For accompanied road transport, the haulage company is responsible for ensuring that the ENS is submitted. A third party, such as a customs agent or service provider, may file the declaration on the carrier’s behalf. ENS declarations for Great Britain are submitted electronically through the Safety and Security Great Britain (S&S GB) service. GOV.UK
If you want to prepare ENS declarations yourself, you can use our application to submit the declaration, check its status and receive the reference number once the declaration has been accepted.
Important: this article concerns goods entering Great Britain – England, Scotland and Wales. Movements into Northern Ireland follow different rules and use ICS2. GOV.UK
UK ENS – key information
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Is ENS mandatory? | Yes, for most goods entering Great Britain, unless a specific waiver applies. |
| Who is responsible? | Usually the carrier operating the active means of transport. |
| Where is ENS submitted? | Electronically through the Safety and Security GB service. |
| When must ENS be submitted? | Before arrival. The exact deadline depends on the mode of transport. |
| What happens after acceptance? | S&S GB issues a movement reference number. |
| Can someone else submit ENS for the carrier? | Yes. A third party can file it on the carrier’s behalf. |
HMRC confirms that the carrier remains responsible for making sure the declaration is submitted, even when a third party files it. GOV.UK
Who is responsible for submitting the UK ENS declaration?
The legal responsibility for the ENS normally lies with the carrier operating the active means of transport that brings the goods into Great Britain. GOV.UK
In practice, responsibility depends on how the goods are transported.
Accompanied RoRo transport
Where a truck or vehicle travels on the ferry together with the driver, the haulage company is responsible for lodging the ENS declaration.
This is one of the most common scenarios for road freight moving from the EU to Great Britain. GOV.UK
Channel Tunnel / Le Shuttle Freight
For goods moving through the Channel Tunnel, the haulage company is also responsible for the ENS declaration. GOV.UK
Unaccompanied RoRo transport
Where a trailer or container travels by ferry without the tractor unit and driver, the ferry operator is responsible for lodging the ENS. GOV.UK
Can someone else submit the ENS?
Yes.
The carrier may use a third party, such as a customs agent, freight forwarder or software provider, to prepare and submit the declaration.
However, the carrier remains responsible for making sure that the ENS is submitted within the required time limit. HMRC also makes clear that the declaration should not be duplicated by both the carrier and the third party for the same shipment. GOV.UK
Once S&S GB accepts the declaration, the system issues a movement reference number and UK customs carries out a safety and security risk assessment. GOV.UK
When must an ENS be submitted for Great Britain?
The ENS must be submitted before the goods arrive in Great Britain.
The minimum time depends on the type of transport used. GOV.UK
RoRo ferry transport
For both accompanied and unaccompanied RoRo freight, the ENS must be submitted at least:
2 hours before the ferry arrives in Great Britain.
Channel Tunnel
For road traffic using the Channel Tunnel / Le Shuttle Freight, the ENS must be submitted at least:
1 hour before arrival at the Eurotunnel terminal in Coquelles, France. GOV.UK
These are legal minimum time limits. In practice, it is usually better to submit the ENS earlier, once complete and reliable shipment data is available.
This gives time to react if the declaration is rejected or if the system identifies errors that need to be corrected before arrival.
How do you submit an ENS declaration to Great Britain?
ENS declarations for Great Britain must be submitted electronically through the Safety and Security GB service.
S&S GB does not provide a normal web form for manually entering declarations. HMRC requires traders to use compatible software capable of sending the declaration electronically. GOV.UK
There are two main ways to handle this.
1. Submit ENS declarations yourself
A business that wants to communicate directly with S&S GB needs to register for the service and use compatible software.
To register, the business will normally need:
- sign-in details for HMRC services,
- a GB EORI number,
- compatible software capable of communicating with S&S GB.
A business established outside Great Britain can also obtain a GB EORI number for this purpose. GOV.UK
2. Use a third party or ready-made solution
The carrier can also use a customs agent, freight forwarder or software solution that already has access to the required system.
This means the carrier does not need to build its own technical connection to S&S GB or develop specialist customs software.
Our application allows carriers to prepare and submit ENS declarations without creating their own direct integration with S&S GB.
What information is required for a UK ENS declaration?
To prepare an ENS declaration, you need information about the goods, the parties involved and the transport itself.
In practice, this normally includes:
- consignor details,
- consignee details,
- a clear description of the goods,
- number and type of packages,
- gross weight,
- transport document information,
- details of the means of transport,
- where the goods are coming from,
- the planned place and time of arrival in Great Britain,
- the correct S&S GB location code for the port of entry.
Documents such as a commercial invoice, CMR, bill of lading or air waybill may provide the data needed for the declaration, depending on the type of transport. HMRC publishes the detailed mandatory, conditional and optional S&S GB data elements. GOV.UK
What happens after the ENS is submitted?
Once HMRC accepts the declaration, S&S GB issues a movement reference number.
UK customs then uses the declaration for safety and security risk analysis before the goods arrive. GOV.UK
If any details change after submission, certain information can be amended before arrival. HMRC requires the declaration to remain accurate and complete. GOV.UK
Submit UK ENS declarations using the Simple Duty application
You can prepare and submit ENS declarations for Great Britain through our application.
You do not need to build your own connection to S&S GB or develop specialist customs software. The application helps automate the preparation and submission of ENS declarations.
It can be used to:
- prepare UK ENS declarations,
- extract part of the required data from uploaded documents,
- submit the declaration to S&S GB,
- check the declaration status,
- retrieve the reference number once the declaration has been accepted.
This allows hauliers and freight operators to prepare ENS declarations themselves without having to send every individual request to a customs agency.
One application for ENS, GMR and ELO
The same platform can also support other border formalities connected with EU–GB road transport, including:
- GMR – Goods Movement Reference,
- ELO – Enveloppe Logistique Obligatoire.
This makes it possible to manage the main border processes for EU–GB road movements in one place.
👉 Go to the Simple Duty application
If you need help with a more complex process or want to discuss regular ENS volumes, use the “Start the procedure” form in the top-right corner of the website.
