About this tool
The Goods Vehicle Movement Service (GVMS) is HMRC’s system for linking customs declarations to a single goods movement reference, or GMR, that the carrier checks before a vehicle boards. Whether you need one depends on the port, the direction and sometimes the carrier.
Choose which way the goods are going, the UK port or terminal and, where it matters, the carrier. The tool tells you whether GVMS is required, what the GMR must contain and what to do in what order. It prints as a one-page checklist for the driver. Hauliers, planners and forwarders use it when booking a crossing.
It reads the GOV.UK list of GVMS ports and shows when that list was last updated. It does not decide your customs declarations and does not replace the carrier’s own check-in rules.
How this was worked out
What the tool does with your answers, in order.
Choose the direction: into Great Britain, out of Great Britain, or between Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
Pick the UK port or terminal from the searchable list.
Pick the carrier, which is asked only where the port’s rule depends on it.
The tool looks up the port, direction and carrier in the GVMS dataset and shows a verdict.
You see what the GMR needs for what is on board, such as import, export, transit or carnet references.
A printable checklist and the order of who does what follow, and French crossings carry a separate ELO note.
Worked example: Dover to Calais with P&O, leaving Great Britain
- VerdictGVMS required
- Export declarationRequired, submit as arrived before the goods set off
- Goods movement referenceRequired before check-in
- Transitadd the transit MRN from the TAD, if moving under transit
- French sidean ELO is also required, separate from the GMR
Illustrative example. The live result shows the date the GOV.UK list was last updated.
Your questions, answered.
Short answers about the GVMS Route Checker.
Which UK ports use GVMS?
GOV.UK publishes the list. Into Great Britain, Dover, Eurotunnel, Fishguard, Heysham, Holyhead, Liverpool, Pembroke and Newhaven always use GVMS for roll-on roll-off freight. Other ports depend on the carrier. The tool shows the current list and the date it was last updated, which was 19 August 2026 at the time of writing.
Do I need a GMR for exports from Great Britain?
At the ports and carriers GOV.UK lists for exports, yes. For some the export declaration is submitted as arrived, and for others it is pre-lodged. GVMS cannot be used for exports from Felixstowe, Harwich, Hull, Immingham, Killingholme, Port of Tyne, Purfleet or Teesport, and a declaration using a GVMS location code there is rejected.
What goes in a GMR?
The direction, vehicle registration, trailer or container numbers for unaccompanied movements, the planned crossing, and one reference per consignment. Imports need the import declaration MRN, which must be pre-lodged, and the entry summary declaration MRN. Transit needs the transit MRN, and carnets need the carnet number.
Who creates the GMR?
Normally the haulier creates the GMR, after the declarant has supplied the references. The carrier then checks it at check-in. Arrangements vary, so confirm who is responsible with your haulier and carrier before travel. A GMR in the NOT_FINALISABLE state means something is missing.
Is an ELO the same as a GMR?
No. The ELO is a French border requirement for crossings on the France–UK route and has been required since 20 April 2026. It is separate from the GMR, and the GMR is not entered in it. The tool shows an ELO note on every crossing to or from France.
Where does the data come from?
From the GOV.UK list of ports using the Goods Vehicle Movement Service and HMRC’s guidance on GVMS location codes. We check the page daily. If it changes, we review the change and update the tool. Northern Ireland movements add a pointer to the Windsor Framework guidance.
What does the checker not cover?
It does not decide which declarations you need, check the content of your declarations or confirm a carrier’s own check-in rules. If a carrier is not listed for the port, it says to check with your carrier. If a port is not on the GVMS list, other processes such as inventory-linked or temporary storage apply.
Data sources
- GOV.UK: list of ports using the Goods Vehicle Movement Service United Kingdom · daily check; reviewed on change
- GOV.UK: GVMS codes for Data Element 5/23 (goods location codes) United Kingdom · daily check
- French customs: Enveloppe Logistique Obligatoire (ELO) French border · daily check
United Kingdom · 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.
