Find out when to make an exit summary declaration
If you're moving goods outside the UK, you'll need to make an exit summary declaration if you've not fulfilled safety and security requirements with a full customs export declaration.
Safety and security information must be provided for all export movements out of Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales), unless they are going to Northern Ireland or are otherwise exempt.
There is a requirement to submit export information for some movements out of Northern Ireland, unless they are going to the EU.
Find out more about moving qualifying goods from Northern Ireland to the rest of the UK.
An exit summary declaration is not a common requirement because most goods being exported will be covered by making a full export declaration, which includes safety and security data.
Exit summary declarations are submitted through the Customs Handling of Import and Export Freight (CHIEF) system or the Customs Declaration Service, in the same way as export declarations for goods exported from Great Britain.
For goods exported from Northern Ireland, declarations are submitted on the Customs Declaration Service.
When moving goods to and from countries outside the UK, you should check the customs requirements and safety and security procedures with the relevant customs authorities of that country.
Who must submit
The operator of the active means of transport, (for example, the vessel, aircraft, train or road vehicle) has the legal responsibility to make sure the UK customs authority is provided with pre-departure safety and security information. This could be a:
- haulier for accompanied movements
- carrier for unaccompanied movements
You may choose to use a customs intermediary to fill this requirement on your behalf.
When an exit summary declaration is required
An exit summary declaration is required when goods:
- have remained in temporary storage for more than 14 days
- have remained in temporary storage for less than 14 days, but the import safety and security declaration details are unknown, or the destination or consignee has changed
- are moved under transit and there is no full export declaration, using either a:
- transit accompanying document (TAD)
- transit security accompanying document (TSAD)
- transports internationaux routiers (TIR) carnet document
When an exit summary declaration is not required
You do not need to submit safety and security export declarations for goods moving:
- from Great Britain to Northern Ireland
- under common transit procedures from Great Britain to the Republic of Ireland, where the goods are destined for Northern Ireland
Some exports do not need a standalone exit summary declaration, including:
- empty pallets, empty containers or empty vehicles, including those moved under a transport contract
- outbound inter-port transhipments, meaning goods that are transhipped and then leave through a different port, if they are put into transit within 14 days of arrival and are moved under a single transport contract — the import safety and security declaration, or entry summary (ENS) declaration, must still be available and accurate
- outbound transit movements where goods are moved through Great Britain under transit and an entry summary declaration (ENS) has been made within 14 days of arrival
- outbound freeport goods where advance safety and security information is available and accurate and the goods have been at the freeport for less than 14 days before being exported from Great Britain
- sea-fishing and other products taken from the territorial waters of the UK that are to be landed outside the UK
- electrical energy
- goods leaving by pipeline
- goods contained in a travellers’ personal baggage
- goods covered by ATA or CPD carnets
A transport contract, or contract of carriage (such as a CMR, bill of lading or air waybill) is an agreement between a carrier and shipper of the consignment, setting out each party’s duties and rights.
Find a full list of goods exempted from the requirement to submit safety and security export declarations.
Before you submit
You must have an Economic Operator Registration and Identification (EORI) number.
You will need to:
- apply for access to CHIEF or the Customs Declaration Service
- buy commercial software that can submit declarations through CHIEF or register for the National Export System (NES)
Your declaration will need to include information like:
- your declaration unique consignment reference (DUCR)
- customs procedure code (CPC)
- data required for a pre-departure declaration, including:
- the name of the consignor and consignee
- a description of the goods
- routing (country by country)
- customs offices of departure and destination
Find a full list of data you need to provide in the safety and security requirements document.
When to submit
You or your representative must submit your exit summary declaration and obtain clearance from customs in advance, before you are allowed to leave Great Britain.
The way goods are transported affects how far in advance the safety and security information must be provided before leaving UK customs control.
| How you’re shipping goods | When to submit (at the latest) |
|---|---|
| maritime containerised cargo | 24 hours before the goods are loaded |
| short sea containerised and non-containerised cargo Find out about short sea journeys |
2 hours before leaving the port |
| air traffic | 30 minutes before departure from an airport |
| short rail journey (less than 2 hours duration) | 1 hour before the goods leave the customs territory |
| long rail journey (more than 2 hours duration) | 2 hours before the goods leave the customs territory |
| road and inland waters traffic | 1 hour before departure |
Due to commercial practicalities, you may be required to present your goods to customs earlier.
You can amend safety and security declarations after the initial submission if certain information changes (such as the ferry company used or time of arrival), up until the point of customs clearance.
How to submit
Insert exit summary declarations
If using CHIEF, submit using the insert exit summary (IEXS) declaration type when you are exporting from Great Britain, by any mode of transport:
- through an inventory linked location
- other than roll on roll off (RoRo), through a non-inventory linked location
To submit an exit summary declaration in the CHIEF system, you’ll need to use:
- transaction code ‘IEXS’
- CPC 10 00 046
If using the Customs Declaration Service, you’ll need to submit a C21e dataset on the system. The procedure code is split into 2 data elements (DE) in the Customs Declaration Service, these are:
- DE 1/10
- DE 1/11
There are several 1/10 codes that can be used dependant on the procedure being used. You should use:
- 0012 for export of union goods
- 0014 for re-export of non-union goods
- 0017 for movements of goods from the UK to another Member State or territory
DE 1/11 code is ‘17X’ for safety and security declarations.
You must read the inventory tariff to make sure that the correct codes are being applied in the declarations. The dataset for a safety and security declaration must include all data elements where note 56 is specified in the C21e dataset.
You can find more information in the UK Trade Tariff: volume 3 for CDS about:
- C21e dataset available in Appendix 23c
- DE 1/10 information available in Appendix 1B
- DE 1/11 ‘17X’ information available in Appendix 2
‘Arrived’ exit summary declarations
Submit an ‘arrived’ exit summary declaration using the Export Full Declaration type in CHIEF if you are exporting from Great Britain to the EU or countries outside the EU by:
- RoRo through a port which is not inventory linked
- any mode of transport through Dover, Holyhead or Eurotunnel
Some locations do not have the physical space for customs checks to be carried out and are operating with inland border facilities. For these locations, an ‘arrived’ exit summary declaration is needed.
An ‘arrived’ declaration is processed instantly, and you will be told of the outcome.
The shipment should not be moved to the border location until permission to progress is received or you are asked to do so.
To submit an ‘arrived’ exit summary declaration in the CHIEF system, you’ll need to:
- use the Export Full Declaration (EFD)
- enter the CPC 10 00 056
- declare declaration type (Box 1) as ‘EXA’
After you’ve submitted
Insert exit summary declarations
Once your exit summary declaration is accepted, you’ll be issued with a movement reference number and a DUCR (if you have not created one yourself).
If you are departing through a location which has chosen to use the Goods Vehicle Movement Service, you may choose to include the exit summary declaration DUCR in your goods movement reference. This is an optional extra step and there will be no consequences for any vehicles moving without this.
The exit summary declaration will need to be presented to the customs office of export in the UK and gain permission to progress before the goods can leave the UK.
All export declarations must be ‘arrived’ in the UK on CHIEF or the Customs Declaration Service.
Input of the electronic arrival message completes presentation of the shipment so that they may be cleared for the export procedure.
Shipments must not depart, or be loaded to depart, without permission to progress granted from customs.
Find out how to complete export arrival messages.
‘Arrived’ exit summary declarations
Once your exit summary declaration is accepted, you’ll be issued with a movement reference number and a DUCR (if you have not created one yourself).
If you are departing through a location which has chosen to use the Goods Vehicle Movement Service, you may choose to include any safety and security declaration reference numbers in your goods movement reference. This is an optional extra step and there will be no consequences for any vehicles moving without this.
The declarant will be notified by CHIEF if permission to progress has been given or if further checks are required. You should not move to the border location until permission to progress is received, or you are asked to do so.
Once permission to progress has been received, you may proceed to the port of exit and the goods may be shipped.
All exit summary declarations will automatically be assumed as departed on CHIEF, so there is no need to submit the departure notification for exit summary declarations.
Last updated 19 December 2023 + show all updates
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Added information on circumstances where exports do not need a standalone exit summary declaration.
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Information about when an exit summary declaration is required and not required has been updated. The section 'After you've submitted' has been updated to explain what you can do if you are departing through a location which has chosen to use the Goods Vehicle Movement Service.
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This guidance has been updated for clarification about the definition of a transport contract and accompanied and unaccompanied requirements.
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A distinction between long and short rail journeys when submitting an exit summary declaration has been made.
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An exit summary declaration is required when an empty pallet, container or vehicle is being moved under a transport contract (including empty reusable packaging such as stillages or roll-cages). It is also required where goods are moved under transit and there is no full export declaration. The temporary waiver for safety and security requirements on exports from Great Britain ended on 30 September 2021.
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Guidance has been updated on who must submit an exit summary declaration, goods that do not need an exit summary declaration in a limited number of circumstances and how to submit an ‘arrived’ exit summary declaration using the Export Full Declaration type in the Customs Handling of Import and Export Freight (CHIEF).
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This guidance has been corrected as safety and security export requirements have applied to all movements out of Great Britain since 1 January 2021. From 1 July 2022, an entry summary declaration will be required for goods imported into Great Britain from the EU.
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Clarified that usually an exit summary declaration is needed even if you have an entry summary declaration.
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The temporary waiver for safety and security requirements on exports from Great Britain for two categories of movements only has been extended to 30 September 2021.
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The date when you will need to start submitting safety and security declarations for imports into Great Britain from some countries has changed from 1 July 2021 to 1 January 2022.
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Information added throughout the guidance reflecting changes from January 2021
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First published.