About this tool
Customs office codes are easy to mistype and slow to find. This tool searches one index of customs offices, ports, airports and UN/LOCODEs, the five-letter location codes the United Nations assigns to places used in trade. Type a city, a port or a code such as NLRTM and you get the matching record.
It reads the EU Customs Office List, HMRC's list of UK transit offices, HMRC's CDS location codes and UNECE UN/LOCODE. Every record shows its source, jurisdiction and date. Transit declarants, brokers and transport planners use it to choose an office of departure, transit or destination.
It does not confirm that an office will handle your goods or accept your declaration. Check opening hours and the official record before you rely on a result.
How this was worked out
What the tool does with your answers, in order.
Say what you need: an office of departure, transit or destination, a border or port location, or a UN/LOCODE.
Type a city, port, airport, customs office or code, or pick a popular place; add a country if you want to narrow it.
The tool matches your search against four sources joined on UN/LOCODE where possible.
Open a record to see its office code, UN/LOCODE, roles, opening hours, source and date.
Use Add to my route to pick offices of departure, transit and destination.
Copy the three codes together, in declaration order.
Worked example: Searching NLRTM
- SearchNLRTM
- The code resolves directly to its recordRotterdam, Netherlands
- UN/LOCODE shownNLRTM, with a copy button
- The customs offices for Rotterdam are listed under the record
- Each office shows its roles, opening hours as published, source and retrieval date
- Source lineEuropean Union, EU Customs Office List, for information only
Illustrative example. Records are for information only; the official record governs.
Your questions, answered.
Short answers about the Customs Office & Port Finder.
What is an office of departure, transit and destination?
On a transit movement under NCTS, the office of departure is where the declaration is lodged and the goods start. Offices of transit are the border crossings along the route. The office of destination is where the goods arrive and the movement is closed. Each is identified by an office code, which the declaration needs.
What is a UN/LOCODE?
A UN/LOCODE is a five-character code for a place used in trade. The first two letters are the country and the last three identify the location, so NLRTM is Rotterdam in the Netherlands. UNECE publishes the list. Many customs office records carry one, which is how this tool joins its sources.
Where does the data come from?
From four sources: the EU Customs Office List published by the European Commission, HMRC's list of UK transit offices, HMRC's CDS location codes and UNECE UN/LOCODE. Each record shows its source, jurisdiction and the date it was retrieved. The EU list is refreshed weekly and the others when a new release is published.
Can I rely on the opening hours shown?
Treat them as a guide. Hours come from the published records, which national administrations maintain and which can lag behind changes. Seasonal or restricted hours are shown where the record gives them. Confirm with the office, or the official record linked from each result, before you plan a movement around a time.
Why does a closed office still appear?
Closed offices are shown as closed for 12 months rather than removed. That lets you recognise a code on an older document or a previous declaration and see that it is no longer in use. Do not choose a closed office for a new declaration. Pick an active office with the role you need.
Does the finder show Northern Ireland or border control posts?
Not as a separate service. Northern Ireland movements follow the Windsor Framework, and this tool does not model those rules. Border control posts for animal and plant products are planned for a later release. For either, use the official GOV.UK guidance, or talk to our team about your movement.
What does this tool not cover?
It does not tell you which office your goods must use, whether an office handles a given commodity, or whether a declaration will be accepted. It lists records from official sources for information only. The competent customs authority decides which office applies to your movement.
Data sources
- EU Customs Office List (DG TAXUD) European Union · Weekly
- UK offices: Community and Common Transit (HMRC) United Kingdom · Monitored; reviewed on change
- CDS location codes (GOV.UK) United Kingdom · Monthly check
- UN/LOCODE (UNECE) International · Each release
United Kingdom and European Union · data checked 3 Oct 2026. UK government data is reused under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Guidance only — not adviceWhat this tool is, and is not
This tool gives general guidance and indicative figures based on the information you enter and on official data available at the date shown. It is not legal, tax, customs or financial advice, it is not a ruling or a decision by any customs authority, and it does not recommend any course of action, guarantee, amount, route, supplier or service.
Customs authorities decide the classification, value, origin, charges and guarantee amounts that apply. You remain solely responsible for your declarations, guarantees, shipments and transactions, and for checking every figure against HMRC’s published guidance and the official sources before you rely on it or act on it.
Rates, rules and data can change without notice, and the results may be incomplete or inaccurate. To the fullest extent permitted by law, Customs Declarations UK accepts no liability for any loss, cost, penalty, delay or damage arising from the use of, or reliance on, this tool or its results.
