Roll-on/roll-off (RoRo) ports and the Eurotunnel don’t have room for a customs officer to check paperwork on every vehicle before it boards. Instead, HMRC’s Goods Vehicle Movement Service (GVMS) requires every crossing to carry a single Goods Movement Reference (GMR) — one reference that ties together every customs declaration and safety & security filing covering that vehicle’s load. No valid GMR, no boarding.
Customs Declarations UK is fully live with GVMS, integrated directly with HMRC. Build your GMR straight from the CDS import/export, NCTS6 transit or ENS/ICS2 declarations you’ve already filed on the platform — or link references filed elsewhere — validate it, and hand the driver a border-ready reference in minutes, with real-time status all the way through arrival and departure.
Free when you file with us.
GVMS is included at no extra cost whenever you file your Import, Export, Transit or ENS declaration with Customs Declarations UK — for both new and existing customers.
If your customs declaration, NCTS6 transit movement, or ENS filing already runs through Customs Declarations UK, GMR creation and linking is included — no add-on fee, no minimum commitment.
- GVMS with a declaration filed on CDUKIncluded free
- GVMS-only declaration (references filed elsewhere)£1
Need us to create and manage the GMR without filing the underlying declaration on our platform? GVMS-only declarations are £1 each — link references filed elsewhere into a single, compliant Goods Movement Reference.
What GVMS is, and who needs it.
GVMS is HMRC’s border-control system for RoRo crossings — the ferry and Eurotunnel routes that don’t have room for physical customs checks at the port. Rather than an officer working through a stack of paperwork, the haulier presents a single Goods Movement Reference that HMRC has already matched against every declaration covering the load. Without a valid GMR, the vehicle is refused boarding.
One GMR, every reference
- Vehicle and trailer details — registration number, accompanied or unaccompanied
- CDS import and export declaration MRNs
- NCTS6 transit MRNs (the TAD reference), where goods move under transit
- Safety & security references — GB ENS and EU ICS2/ENS, where required
- Empty vehicle and empty trailer movements
- Produces a single barcoded GMR for check-in at the border
Required for every GVMS crossing
- Hauliers and carriers running RoRo lanes between GB, the EU, Ireland and Northern Ireland
- Importers and exporters moving goods through a GVMS location
- Freight forwarders and customs agents managing declarations on a client’s behalf
- Loaded, empty and unaccompanied trailer movements alike
- A permanent, non-negotiable requirement at every location where it applies
GVMS is not a declaration — it’s the layer that connects them.
GVMS doesn’t replace your customs or safety & security filings; it sits above them. Before a GMR can be created, the underlying declarations must already exist and be accepted — a CDS import or export declaration, an NCTS6 transit movement, or the GB ENS / EU ICS2 filing that safety and security rules require for the crossing. GVMS’s job is to gather every one of those references for a single vehicle and turn them into one reference the carrier can check at the gate.
Customs Declarations UK already files every declaration type a GMR can reference — CDS import and export, NCTS6 transit, GB ENS and EU ICS2. A GMR built from CDUK data is never guessing: it pulls the MRN or TAD reference straight from a filing you already made on the platform, with no re-keying and no risk of a mismatched reference stopping a vehicle at the border.
Everything GVMS demands, in one platform.
From a single crossing to a full fleet of daily RoRo movements, the platform builds, validates and tracks every GMR before it reaches HMRC.
Direct HMRC GVMS Integration
Connects natively to HMRC’s Goods Vehicle Movement Service — create, validate and check the status of a Goods Movement Reference (GMR) without leaving the platform.
Build a GMR from Your Existing Filings
Pull MRNs and references directly from your CDS import/export, NCTS6 transit or ENS/ICS2 declarations already lodged in CDUK — no re-keying, no copy-pasting reference numbers between systems.
Multiple MRNs per GMR
Link every declaration covering a single vehicle or trailer — import, export, transit and safety & security references together — for consolidated and multi-consignment loads.
Accompanied & Unaccompanied Movements
Full support for both driver-accompanied crossings and unaccompanied trailer movements, with the correct vehicle and trailer detail captured for each.
Empty Vehicle & Trailer Support
Create a GMR for empty vehicles and empty trailers, just as HMRC requires — no crossing is exempt from needing a valid reference.
Digital Office of Transit Support
Where a movement travels under NCTS6 transit, link the TAD MRN into the GMR so the crossing satisfies the digital Office of Transit requirement at supporting locations, without a physical stop.
Real-Time Status & Check-In Notifications
Track GMR status as it changes — from creation through to arrival and departure — with alerts if HMRC flags the vehicle for a check before it can proceed.
Vehicle & Reference Validation
Built-in checks on vehicle registration numbers and linked references catch mismatches before check-in, reducing the risk of a vehicle being turned away at the port.
Searchable GMR History
Every GMR is stored and searchable by reference, vehicle, route and date range — a complete audit trail for every crossing.
Bulk Creation & Cloning
Create GMRs in bulk for repeat lanes and regular hauliers, or clone previous movements to speed up high-volume RoRo operations.
API Integration Ready
Connect your TMS, ERP or freight management system via API to automate GMR creation and status tracking end to end.
Built for every GVMS crossing.
Wherever the crossing and whichever declarations cover the load, you manage it the same way — through one platform, not a separate login for every route.
GB, the EU, Ireland and Northern Ireland
- GB–EU RoRo lanes, including Dover and Eurotunnel (Folkestone)
- GB–Ireland and GB–Northern Ireland lanes via Holyhead, Liverpool, Fishguard, Heysham and Pembroke
- Northern Ireland movements at ports including Belfast, Larne and Warrenpoint
- A growing number of additional GB ports where specific carriers require or offer GVMS
- Coverage is carrier- and route-specific — always confirmed against the current HMRC list for your lane
Every declaration a GMR can carry
- CDS import and export declaration MRNs
- NCTS6 transit MRNs (TAD references)
- GB ENS and EU ICS2 / ENS safety & security references
- Loaded, empty and unaccompanied movements
- One GMR per crossing, built from any combination of the above
Plug GVMS into the rest of your stack.
GVMS sits on top of the declarations you already file — one account links the GMR to every reference behind it.
NCTS6 Transit (TAD) → GMR
GB ENS / EU ICS2 → GMR
Digital Office of Transit
Vehicle & Trailer Validation
ERP / TMS via API
Bulk Creation & Cloning
AI Document Processing
Note on GVMS and underlying declarations: GVMS never replaces the customs or safety & security filing itself — a CDS import/export, NCTS6 transit or ENS/ICS2 declaration must exist and be accepted before its reference can be linked into a GMR. You can handle both on the same platform.
From filing to a border-ready GMR, in four steps.
A straightforward path from filing to check-in — existing CDUK customers with live declarations can activate GVMS immediately.
Register
Register your GB EORI for GVMS with HMRC if you haven’t already, then connect it within CDUK. Existing customers filing Import, Export, Transit or ENS declarations with us have immediate access.
File or Link Your Declarations
Submit your CDS import/export, NCTS6 transit or ENS/ICS2 filing through CDUK’s guided wizards, or add references for declarations already filed elsewhere.
Create & Validate the GMR
Add vehicle and trailer details, link every relevant MRN or TAD reference, and let the platform validate the movement before it reaches HMRC.
Check In & Go
Once HMRC confirms the GMR, share the barcode with the driver and track status — arrival, departure and any check requirement — in real time.
Turn border crossings into a routine workflow.
A secure, cloud-based platform that ties GVMS directly to the declarations you already file — so vehicles cross with the right reference, every time.
- Free GVMS when you file Import, Export, Transit or ENS with us
- £1 per declaration for GVMS-only movements
- Build a GMR straight from filings you’ve already made — no re-keying
- One platform for CDS, NCTS6, ENS, ICS2, ELO and GVMS together
- Real-time status tracking from creation to arrival and departure
- Built-in validation to help prevent vehicles being turned away at the border
- Secure, cloud-based platform with full encryption
- Searchable GMR history and audit trail for every crossing
GVMS questions, answered.
GVMS (the Goods Vehicle Movement Service) is HMRC’s system for RoRo (roll-on/roll-off) border crossings — ferry and Eurotunnel routes where there isn’t room for physical customs checks at the port. It links every declaration reference covering a vehicle’s load into a single Goods Movement Reference (GMR), which the haulier presents at the border.
No. GVMS doesn’t replace your customs or safety & security filings — it’s the connecting layer above them. A CDS import or export declaration, an NCTS6 transit movement, or a GB ENS / EU ICS2 filing must already exist before a GMR referencing it can be created.
CDS import and export MRNs, NCTS6 transit MRNs (the TAD reference), and GB ENS / EU ICS2 safety & security references — in any combination needed to cover a single vehicle’s load, including consolidated and multi-consignment movements.
Yes. HMRC requires a valid GMR for every crossing at a GVMS location, including empty vehicles and empty trailers.
GVMS applies at major RoRo locations including Dover, Eurotunnel, Newhaven, Holyhead, Liverpool, Fishguard, Heysham and Pembroke, at GB–Northern Ireland lanes such as Belfast and Larne, and at a growing number of other GB ports depending on the carrier used. Coverage is carrier- and route-specific, so always confirm against the current HMRC list for your lane.
Yes — if your CDS import/export, NCTS6 transit or ENS/ICS2 declaration is filed through Customs Declarations UK, the reference is pulled straight into the GMR with no re-keying.
You can still use CDUK to create and manage the GMR itself — enter the references from declarations filed on another platform, and we’ll validate and link them into a compliant GMR. This is priced as a GVMS-only declaration.
GVMS is free — for both new and existing customers — whenever you file your Import, Export, Transit or ENS declaration with us. If you only need the GMR itself, without filing the underlying declaration on our platform, GVMS-only declarations are £1 each.
Yes. The platform supports both driver-accompanied crossings and unaccompanied trailer movements, capturing the correct vehicle and trailer details for each.
Yes. Where a movement travels under NCTS6 transit, linking the TAD MRN into the GMR satisfies the digital Office of Transit requirement at supporting locations, without a physical stop.
Yes — connect your TMS, ERP or freight management system via API to automate GMR creation and status tracking end to end.
Yes. GMRs and linked references are processed securely with full encryption on our cloud platform.
Useful resources & related content.
Go deeper on GVMS and border crossings with our guides and references for hauliers, freight forwarders and traders.
GuideSubmitting GB Import Declarations Without a Port Badge — GVMS Ports, No CSP Badge Required
GuideUnderstanding UK Customs: A Guide to Inventory-Linked Ports, GVMS and Merchandise in Baggage
GlossaryMovement Reference Number (MRN): The Reference Every GMR Is Built From
GlossaryTransit Accompanying Document (TAD): What It Is and When You Need It
Create Your GMR — Free, When You File With Us
File your Import, Export, Transit or ENS declaration with Customs Declarations UK and GVMS is included — create your Goods Movement Reference in the same place, with every reference pulled straight from your filing. Filing elsewhere and only need the GMR? GVMS-only declarations are just £1 each. Running high volumes or multiple RoRo lanes? Get in touch and we’ll tailor a plan around your operation.