Northern Ireland’s unique post-Brexit trading position is about to experience its most significant technical change since the introduction of the Trader Support Service. On 28 June 2025 HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) will switch from the long-serving Automatic Licence Verification System (ALVS) to the European Union’s Certificates Exchange System (CERTEX) for verifying import and export licences on customs declarations. Although the upgrade is largely invisible to the casual observer, it carries far-reaching consequences for every business that moves licensable goods through Northern Ireland’s ports and airports. This in-depth article explains what CERTEX is, why it matters, how it works in practice and—most critically—what traders must do now to stay compliant and avoid costly disruption.

What exactly is CERTEX and why is HMRC adopting it?

CERTEX is the European Union’s central digital platform for exchanging, storing and validating licences, permits and certificates that govern sensitive or high-risk goods. By integrating directly with EU and UK customs systems, CERTEX allows HMRC to check a declaration’s licence data in real time, without manual intervention. The switch ensures Northern Ireland remains aligned with EU market-surveillance rules under the Windsor Framework, while giving businesses a single, harmonised channel for electronic licence verification. In short, CERTEX promises greater data accuracy, faster clearances and fewer physical inspections—provided the data on each declaration is flawless.

When does CERTEX become mandatory?

From 28 June 2025 all Movement Reference Numbers (MRNs) that include licensable goods must pass through CERTEX. Declarations lodged on or after that moment will be rejected if they point to the old ALVS architecture or carry licence references that do not match the new CERTEX format. The rule applies to both imports and exports and covers entries submitted via CDS as well as those routed through the Trader Support Service. Early filing is no escape: any declaration that arrives in HMRC’s risk engine before midnight but is amended after the cut-over must still conform to CERTEX.

Which goods and certificates fall under CERTEX checks?

Although the umbrella is broad, the majority of affected consignments cluster into a handful of high-profile licence types:

• CHED.A—live animals
• CHED.P—food and other products of animal origin
• CHED.D—high-risk food and feed of non-animal origin
• CHED.PP—plants and plant products
• COI—organic-produce conformity certificates
• ODS—ozone-depleting substances licences
• FGAS—fluorinated greenhouse-gas licences

Traders handling dual-use items, cultural artefacts, controlled chemicals or certain waste shipments should also verify whether their authorisations are routed through CERTEX.

The new CHED reference: small code, big consequences

The single most visible change is the Common Health Entry Document (CHED) reference. Under ALVS, formats varied by issuing authority; under CERTEX everyone must adopt a uniform 19-character string that looks like:

CHEDA.XI.2025.1234567

• CHEDA (or CHEDP, CHEDD, CHEDPP) identifies the certificate family.
• XI confirms Northern Ireland as the final destination.
• 2025 shows the year of issue.
• The final seven-digit sequence is a unique serial.

A declaration that shows the old style—perhaps a simple numeric code or an earlier ‘GB’ prefix—will fail validation immediately. Customs software, freight-forwarder templates and in-house data lakes must therefore be patched so that staff cannot type the wrong pattern by mistake.

Data elements that must match word-for-word

CERTEX performs a strict, computer-level comparison between the licence and the declaration. Any mismatch—however trivial—triggers an automatic rejection or, worse, diverts the consignment to a Border Control Post for manual inspection. In practice, traders must align at least four critical data points every time:

1. CHED reference in the exact new format.
2. Net mass (Data Element 6/1) expressed in the correct unit.
3. Supplementary units (Data Element 6/2)—for example litres, pieces or kilograms—matching the licence.
4. Commodity code(s) (Data Elements 6/14 and 6/15) identical to those authorised on the certificate.

Even one misplaced digit in a tariff code can halt the entry. Because CDS uses hierarchical commodity structures, traders must ensure they quote the full eight-digit (and, where requested, ten-digit) code authorised by the certificate-issuing body.

Who is exempt and under which special schemes?

HMRC has confirmed that express-parcel shipments declared under the UK Parcel Scheme are outside scope at launch. Similarly, goods moving under the Northern Ireland Retail Movement Scheme (NIRMS) or the UK Internal Market Scheme may use tailored procedures, although the licences themselves still need to obey the CERTEX data standard before they can be validated. Any business unsure of its classification should consult the official GOV.UK guidance or obtain a binding ruling from the Trader Support Service.

Operational consequences of getting it wrong

When a declaration fails CERTEX validation, three outcomes are possible:

• Immediate electronic rejection—the entry falls back into the trader’s work-queue and the goods cannot be released until it is re-submitted.
• Automatic hold for documentary inspection—the driver is told to report to a Border Control Post, adding hours or even days to the journey.
• Physical examination and sampling—especially likely for animal products and high-risk food where inspectors must ensure the consignment matches the licence description.

Rejected entries often incur port storage fees, demurrage charges, wasted driver hours and spoilage on perishable loads. The reputational impact can be worse: repeat offenders face enhanced scrutiny on every subsequent declaration.

A six-step roadmap to CERTEX readiness

1. Audit your licence portfolio. Draw up a master list of every COI, CHED, ODS and FGAS certificate you expect to use after 28 June. Confirm that each one is still valid and carries the new reference format.
2. Upgrade declaration software. Liaise with your software vendor or the Trader Support Service to ensure the system can capture the new CHED syntax, validate net mass units automatically and map supplementary unit codes.
3. Clean and synchronise master data. Align commodity codes, licence volumes, EORI numbers and consignor names across ERP, WMS and TSS templates so that declarations inherit the correct values.
4. Train declarants and warehouse staff. Everyone who raises a Goods Movement Reference, prints a CMR or books a ferry slot must understand that licence data can no longer be “close enough.”
5. Run dry-runs before go-live. Lodge test declarations under the HMRC training environment or submit live low-value shipments to verify that references clear CERTEX without intervention.
6. Establish a rapid-response correction loop. Even with perfect preparation, errors will occur, so set up a single point of contact who can amend declarations within minutes before a lorry reaches the port.

Frequently Asked Questions

Strategic considerations beyond June 2025

CERTEX is more than a technical tweak; it signals a decisive move toward fully digital, pre-lodged risk assessment for licensable goods across the UK/EU interface. For traders, that means:

• Higher compliance stakes. Automated cross-checking leaves little room for human discretion, making robust data governance indispensable.
• Convergence with other regimes. The new UK Single Trade Window, ICS2 safety filings and GB import controls all demand similar data integrity. Lessons learned from CERTEX will pay dividends elsewhere.
• Opportunity for competitive advantage. Operators that can demonstrate flawless digital compliance gain faster green-lane clearances and build trust with clients who cannot afford border-related delays.

Early adopters therefore stand to benefit from smoother supply chains, lower admin costs and a reputation for reliability in a post-Brexit trading environment where certainty is at a premium.

Conclusion

The shift to CERTEX on 28 June 2025 is non-negotiable and non-trivial. Yet it need not be painful. By auditing licences, upgrading software and embedding meticulous data practices, businesses can turn an apparent regulatory hurdle into a springboard for smoother, more resilient trade. Ignore the deadline and the costs will be measured not only in demurrage invoices but in lost customers and damaged brand equity. Prepare now, and your consignments will glide through Northern Ireland’s borders at the speed of a single, perfectly formatted code.

Update: CERTEX Implementation Delayed – What You Need to Know

In a late-June announcement, HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) confirmed that the previously planned roll-out of CERTEX—the EU’s Certificates Exchange System—for Northern Ireland has been delayed indefinitely. Implementation will no longer take place on 28 June 2025, and no new start date has been specified—a development that significantly shifts the readiness timeline for businesses handling controlled goods.

Why Was CERTEX Delayed?

Industry bulletins suggest that the postponement stems from technical and operational readiness challenges within the Customs Declaration Service (CDS) and trader software systems. These problems made it difficult to ensure reliable validation of licence data—such as CHED, COI, ODS, or FGAS references—against the new format and stricter matching rules. With little notice, HMRC concluded that launching without full stability risked massive disruption at the border.

What Does This Mean for Traders?

1. Moving Goods from Great Britain to Northern Ireland

There is no requirement yet to switch to the new CHED reference format (CHEDA.XI.2025.1234567). Traders can continue using the current format (GBCHD2025.1234567) for now, though HMRC still encourages early adoption in anticipation of the eventual implementation. As the new CERTEX checks are not active, no system-generated messages related to licence validation will be issued. Use normal GVMS or other inventory systems as before.

2. Moving Goods from the Rest of the World to Northern Ireland

Traders must continue using the old CHED format for declarations, regardless of whether they are pre-lodged after 28 June. In cases where new-format CHED references were already used, those declarations must be amended before arrival to avoid rejection, holds, or delays.

3. What Should Traders Do Now?

1. Continue following existing licence processes in CDS, GVMS and DAERA systems, as before the proposed change.
2. Use the current CHED reference format, unless ready to switch under the old timetable.
3. Monitor your pre-lodged declarations closely—if they include the new format, edit them to revert to the old format before the vehicle arrives.
4. Avoid invoicing or making operational changes based on the arrival of CERTEX until HMRC confirms a new implementation date.

Why Immediate Action Matters

Although the delay gives short-term relief, it also adds uncertainty. Traders who prematurely adopt the new CHED format risk having their documents rejected by CDS when the system is not yet active. Conversely, delaying internal system updates too long will leave them vulnerable once CERTEX is finally launched.

Looking Ahead

HMRC has not provided a new timeline for roll-out. Industry guidance suggests that once technical issues are resolved, there will likely be a renewed notice period, followed by reactivation of the original transition plan:

• CHED updates on declarations for both GB→NI and RoW→NI movements.
• Licence-data validation in real time via CDS.
• Rejecting or holding declarations with mismatches in CHED, net mass, supplementary units, or commodity codes.

Traders should stay alert for formal guidance through GOV.UK, the Trader Support Service, or software vendor updates. Early preparations—such as tracking licence formats and data consistency—remain essential.

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