Moving licensed goods into or out of Northern Ireland

Last updated: 15 August 2025

License data on a declaration will be verified by a system called the Certificates Exchange System (CERTEX) for Northern Ireland. This will replace the Border Trade Matching Service (BTMS), formerly the Automatic Licence Verification System (ALVS).

There will be no change to the system you use for entering information in your declaration and license.

The format for entering license information may change.

If you move licensed goods into or out of Northern Ireland by import, export or transit

You must make sure the information on your declaration matches the information on the relevant licence or certification. If it does not match, your haulier may need to report for inspection.

You can find further information if you move goods using the Northern Ireland Retail Movement Scheme (NIRMS).

Eligible licensed goods can also be moved using the Internal Market Movements process by a business that holds a UK Internal Market Scheme authorisation. These goods can be moved from Great Britain to Northern Ireland without a full customs declaration and without paying duty.

You can also find out more about moving licensed goods as parcels.

What you should do with your declarations

You should make sure the information you provide on your declaration matches the licence or certificate for the goods you are moving into or out of Northern Ireland.

How to complete certain Data elements (DE) on your declaration

Mismatches between your licensed goods and your declaration can cause delays to your goods movements.

Find out more about:

declaration completion instructions

licences and document codes

In all cases, if the information does not match, then your goods may be subject to a hold or an inspection when it arrives in Northern Ireland.

Data element — 2/3 Common Health Entry Document

If the reference is not completed correctly:

• the licence cannot be validated
• your declaration will be rejected
• you will not receive a Movement Reference Number (MRN) and will not be able to continue moving your goods

Data element — 6/1 Net Mass

You should make sure that the information you include in this data element on your declaration matches the licence.

Data element — 6/2 Supplementary Units/SW Measurement Unit Code

You should make sure that the information you include in this data element on your declaration matches the licence.

Data element — 6/14 and 6/15 Commodity Codes

You should make sure that the information you include in this data element on your declaration matches the licence.

You must resolve any mismatching data elements before you can process the goods or use them for their intended purpose, even if the goods are moved away from the border under customs control. You may get a penalty if you do not resolve any mismatches.

If there is a problem with your declaration or goods

You will receive a notification from the Customs Declaration Service (CDS) if there is a problem with your declaration or goods. For example, when:

• a valid certificate or licence for your goods cannot be found (this will be checked at the pre-lodgement stage)
• there is a mismatch between the data supplied on your declaration and the relevant licence or certificate (during the crossing)
• your licence has insufficient quantity remaining (during the crossing, only applicable to certain licenses)

Before your goods arrive, you should:

• check your supporting licence
• amend your declaration, if you need to
• respond to any messages you receive from CDS

If your software does not allow you to amend your declaration, you need to cancel your declaration and submit a new one. 

If you’re using the Trader Support Service (TSS) for your licensed goods movements, you should contact them to help you.

If you need to report for an inspection

If you are a driver or haulier and you may need to report for an inspection:

• the Goods Vehicle Movement Service (GVMS) driver messaging service will notify you
• you can use this online service to check if you need to

Your inspection status will be one of the following:

• inspection needed — unless you are told otherwise, you need to report to either or both of the following:
  • Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs of Northern Ireland (DAERA) facility
  • Border Force facility
• no inspection needed — you do not need to report to a DAERA or Border Force facility for inspection
• your inspection status is not ready yet — a decision has not been made on your goods and you should await confirmation

If you need an inspection, the GVMS will tell you which DAERA or Border Force facility to report to.

You can find more information on:

• DAERA inspection locations
• Border Force inspection locations

You must report for an inspection where a DAERA or Border Force control has been applied. In the case where the hold is due to a data element mismatch between declarations and your licence, HMRC may conditionally permit goods to leave the port and proceed to your end destination under customs control after all inspections have taken place. This is on the condition that the declarant must correct the mismatches before they are used for their intended purpose or processed.

Hauliers, if not acting as the declarant for the goods, should contact the consignee or importer to inform them.

Further information and support

The following is a list of certificates to which the checks apply along with the relevant document code:

If you need more support you can:

• contact HMRC about customs
• contact Defra about licences and import and export of certain products
• contact the Trader Support Service if you are signed up