AI Trade Blog

What Must Be in Place First?

Before your first UK customs filing, you need active CDS access, an active GB EORI, a duty payment method, and connected filing software. Registration alone is not enough. All four must be ready, or your first shipment can stall.

The Setup Behind the List

Getting there means working through registration in order: a business Government Gateway account, a UTR, a GB EORI, then the CDS subscription. Each step depends on the last. The full route is covered in this guide on registering for CDS in the UK.

Your Pre-Filing Checklist

Business Government Gateway account, not a personal one

UTR requested early, as it takes around 10 working days

GB EORI active, usually your VAT number as GB plus 000

Duty payment method chosen: deferment, cash account, or immediate

The One Myth to Drop

There is no separate CDS registration number. Your EORI is your identity in the system, which is why it must be active before you subscribe.

How Long to Allow

Plan for about two weeks. Start early and keep a buffer before any client deadline.

Fast Desks Are Not Lucky

Some clearance desks move shipments through UK customs almost without friction. Others live in queries and held vehicles. The difference is not luck or even headcount. It is a small set of habits applied to every single entry.

The Habits in Order

Fast desks chase commercial documents early, because at many RoRo ports the declaration must be pre-lodged before the goods arrive. They verify commodity codes against the current tariff instead of copying old entries. They match every declared value to the invoice. They check the four-digit Procedure Code and three-digit Additional Procedure Code against what is actually happening to the goods. Then they validate the whole entry before submission, catching problems on screen rather than at the border. Each habit maps to a stage of the process described in this guide to the UK customs process for freight forwarders.

The Payoff

Clean entries can clear almost instantly, and every rejection avoided is time returned to the desk. Software carries most of the load: validation, classification help, and bulk filing where volumes demand it.

Copy the Anatomy

None of this needs reinventing. Adopt the habits, add validation, and the desk speeds up.

One Data Trail

AEO, NCTS and Intrastat are assessed separately but rely on the same trade data: EORI, commodity codes and values.

Where Risk Builds

A mismatched commodity code draws CSO follow-up. A delayed MRN discharge locks NCTS funds. Full breakdown in the customs compliance guide for Irish traders.

The Fix

Connect NCTS and Intrastat to the same customs data source to remove duplication.