Manage UK–EU Road Movements with Clearer Customs Handovers
Know which filing belongs to which part of the journey, and file it all in one place. CDUK brings declaration and border-reference services together on a single account, so your team can prepare every relevant formality for a trailer and see its status. No port badge is needed for GVMS movements or export declarations, and there is no monthly fee.
- GB CDS & ENS
- EU ICS2
- GB NCTS transit
- GMR & French ELO
- Create the GMR with your declarations linkedVehicle, crossing and the declarations behind the load in one form — free when filed with CDUK.
- See the GMR response as soon as it arrivesThe response and GMR ID land on the movement, so dispatch knows the trailer is ready for the crossing.
- Create the French ELO for the same loadSet the crossing and truck type, add the declaration MRNs — free with fair usage when filed with CDUK.
- Set the EU routing countries in orderAdd each country the trailer passes through, from loading to unloading, for the EU ICS2 filing.
In a nutshell
UK–EU road freight involves multiple systems and deadlines. A single trailer may need a GB export or import declaration (CDS, the Customs Declaration Service), entry safety and security data (ENS) for one or both sides, a transit movement (NCTS, the New Computerised Transit System), a Goods Movement Reference (GMR) through GVMS (the Goods Vehicle Movement Service) and, for the French crossing, a French ELO (Obligatory Logistics Envelope).
Customs Declarations UK (CDUK) puts these services on one account, so your team prepares and submits them directly and reuses the same consignment data across filings. ENS and ICS2 can be generated from a CDS export declaration, and a GMR is free when the declaration behind it is filed with us. No port badge is needed for GVMS movements or export declarations, and there is no monthly fee.
Which filings apply depends on direction, procedure and route. Our UK team gives you onboarding, training and support, and is happy to walk through your own lanes with you so that every trailer leaves with the right references.
Different systems do different jobs
A common handover problem on this corridor is treating one filing as a substitute for another. Keep this table close when you brief a driver or a colleague. One login, one set of saved parties and one audit trail cover all of them.
| System or reference | Purpose | Where to read more |
|---|---|---|
| GB CDS | Import and export customs declarations | GB CDS import and export |
| GB ENS | Safety and security information for entry into GB | GB ENS service |
| EU ICS2 ENS | Advance safety and security information for entry into the EU | EU ICS2 |
| NCTS | Movement of goods under a transit procedure | GB NCTS transit |
| GMR through GVMS | Reference for the applicable GB border movement process | GVMS and GMRs |
| French ELO | Logistics envelope for the French smart-border process | French ELO |
A single shipment may need more than one of these. CDUK lets you prepare them together from the same data.
Plan the journey in both directions
Choose a route to see the planning points and the CDUK service behind each one. These prompts help you map a lane before dispatch: which filings to prepare, who owns each one and what the driver needs to carry. Our UK team will confirm the route with you and set it up in your account.
Great Britain to the EU
- GB CDS
- EU ICS2
- NCTS
- GMR
- French ELO
Prepare the GB export declaration and the EU entry safety and security filing from the same consignment data, then add transit where it is used, plus the GMR and French ELO for the crossing. Your team files each one in CDUK and tracks them together.
ICS2 is an advance safety and security filing and is not an import declaration, so destination import clearance is a separate step on the EU side.
- GB export declaration through CDS
- EU entry safety and security data through ICS2
- Transit under GB NCTS where the movement uses it
- GMR (free) and French ELO (free with fair usage) when the declaration is filed with CDUK
- Destination import clearance, separate from ICS2, confirmed for your lane
Tell us your destination and we will confirm coverage for your lane.
Walk through this route with usThe EU to Great Britain
- GB ENS
- GB CDS
- GB NCTS
- GMR
Line up the EU-side export or transit with the GB safety and security filing, the GB import or transit arrival and the GMR, all prepared in CDUK. Brief the driver on the crossing’s check-in and inspection instructions so references travel with the vehicle. Your team sees each GB-side filing and its status in one account.
- EU export or transit arrangements on the departure side
- GB ENS for entry into Great Britain
- GB import declaration through CDS, or a GB transit arrival
- GMR for the GB border movement, created in a minute
- Driver briefed on check-in and inspection instructions
For overseas-side export or transit submissions, tell us your route and we will confirm coverage.
Walk through this route with usIreland or Northern Ireland on the route
- Separate assessment
Treat these movements as their own routes. The landbridge, qualifying Northern Ireland goods and movements entering Northern Ireland each have distinct requirements, so start from the scenario, not a GB to France checklist. We will help you map the filings to prepare in CDUK, and your team can reuse that set-up every time the lane runs.
- Identify whether it is a landbridge, qualifying goods or NI entry
- Map the filings and references for this scenario, not a GB to France set
- Check the applicable rules for the scenario before dispatch
Tell us your scenario and we will confirm the supported workflows for it.
Walk through this route with usTransit needs its own follow-through
A transit movement continues beyond obtaining an MRN: it must follow the presentation, arrival and discharge process. CDUK supports GB NCTS6 workflows from departure to arrival, so your team handles each stage in the same account. Arrival is free when the departure was filed with us.
Step 1: Declare
Prepare the GB transit declaration in CDUK using the consignment data you already hold, and obtain the MRN. Guided wizards and real-time validation help your team get it right first time, and the maximum price per departure is published in advance.
Step 2: Guarantee
Your guarantee must be in place before the movement starts, so the declaration can be accepted and the vehicle can leave. Our team can talk you through what to have prepared when you onboard.
Step 3: Move and present
Follow the presentation and inspection instructions for the route. The driver carries the right references, and your team can see the movement’s status in the account. If customs checks are carried out, your office has the declaration data to hand.
Step 4: Arrive and discharge
Complete arrival and discharge in the same CDUK account. The arrival sits alongside the departure, and the audit trail shows the movement from first declaration to final discharge.
Transit and safety and security are separate requirements. CDUK covers both so you can prepare them together. The transit accompanying document (TAD) and MRN glossaries explain the documents involved.
Where road handovers can slip
Many delays on this corridor trace back to a missing handover, not a missing system. With every filing visible to your whole team on one account, most of these gaps close before the vehicle reaches the crossing.
Treating GMR and ELO as the same
They support different border processes, so one does not stand in for the other. CDUK creates the GMR and the French ELO from the same declaration data, so neither is an extra data-entry job.
Assuming ICS2 clears the goods
ICS2 supplies advance safety and security data for EU entry. It is not an import declaration, and destination clearance is a separate step. CDUK files the ICS2 side so your team can keep it distinct from the declarations that follow.
Unclear responsibility
When two parties each assume the other submits a filing, nobody does. In CDUK each declaration has an owner, a status and a history, so your team can see which filings are done and which are waiting.
Reusing last route's checklist
Direction, procedure, route and exemptions change the combination of filings. Ireland and Northern Ireland movements need their own mapping. Saved templates and cloned declarations let you build a correct set for each lane once and reuse it.
Stopping transit at the MRN
The movement still has presentation, arrival and discharge to complete. CDUK keeps the arrival with the departure, so open movements are easy to find and close, and arrival filing is free when the departure was filed with us.
References not reaching the driver
The right references and crossing instructions need to travel with the vehicle, not stay in the office. Share them straight from CDUK so the driver has what they need at check-in, and your office sees the same information when a question comes in.
From one route to a repeatable routine
Start with a single route, not the whole network. Accounts are activated instantly with no monthly fee and no minimum volume, so a pilot lane costs only the declarations you file. Our UK team supports you through onboarding and training.
Step 1: Pick a lane
Choose a recurring route and note its direction, procedure and crossing. A lane you run every week is ideal, because every filing you set up can be reused as a template.
Step 2: Map the filings
List each filing that applies, who prepares it and who responds. This shows which CDUK services you will use for the lane, from CDS and ENS to transit, GMR and ELO.
Step 3: Confirm your route with us
Our team confirms the filings CDUK covers for your lane and talks you through anything that depends on direction or destination.
Step 4: Run it for real
Prepare every filing with guided workflows and reusable data, and submit directly from your account. Run the lane for real, review how long each trailer took, then extend the same routine to the next route.
Questions about road movements.
Are GMR and ELO the same thing?
No. They support different border processes. A GMR relates to the GB border movement process through GVMS, and a French ELO is the logistics envelope for the French smart-border process. Having one does not satisfy the requirement for the other. CDUK creates both from your declaration data. See how ELO and ICS2 connect.
Does transit replace safety and security?
No. They are separate requirements, so a transit movement still needs its safety and security data where the route requires it. Check the requirements for your movement and the relevant national transit implementation. CDUK covers GB ENS, EU ICS2 and GB NCTS on one account. Our ENS and ICS2 pages explain the two sides.
Which declarations can I file at both ends?
On one CDUK account you can file GB CDS, GB ENS, EU ICS2, GB NCTS transit, GMR and French ELO, directly and with built-in validation. EU national import and export filing and overseas-side transit are not part of that list, so tell us your route and we will confirm exactly what is covered before you start.
Is ICS2 an import declaration?
No. ICS2 carries advance safety and security information for entry into the EU, and import clearance in the destination country is a separate step. CDUK files the ICS2 side from your account. For EU air, tell us your dataset and we will confirm it for your lane. For road and rail, see the guide to ICS2 release 3.
What is the GMR for?
It is the reference for the GB border movement process through GVMS. Whether and how a movement needs one depends on the location and scenario, so follow the route-specific HMRC instructions. CDUK creates the GMR in a minute from your declaration, with no port badge needed for RoRo and GVMS ports. Our GMR glossary entry is a good primer.
Does GVMS cost extra?
GMR creation is free when the Import, Export, Transit or ENS declaration is filed with CDUK, and £1 otherwise. A French ELO is free, with fair usage, when the declaration behind the crossing is filed with us, and £1 otherwise. Declarations are pay as you go with no monthly fee, or a custom plan with volume discounts. See our pricing page.
How do hauliers fit in?
Hauliers often hold the references and answer the check-in questions at the crossing. With their own CDUK account they can prepare the filings themselves and keep every reference to hand. See hauliers and road carriers for that operating view.
Keep the route connected
- Hauliers and road carriersThe operating view for carriers who hold references at the crossing.
- GVMS and GMRsCreate and manage Goods Movement References.
- GB transit declarationsNCTS6 transit declarations from GB.
- French ELOThe logistics envelope for the French smart-border process.
- EU ICS2 and GB ENSEntry safety and security filings for each side.
- Freight forwardersHandover patterns for forwarders coordinating several parties.
Make Your Next Lane Easier to Understand
Bring a route and we will walk through the filings involved and set them up in CDUK with you, so you can see the whole trailer on one screen. Book a demo with our UK team, or register now: accounts are activated instantly.