Why Can't You File UK Customs Declarations Yet?
The Real Reason You Are Stuck
If you cannot file a UK customs declaration yet, the reason is almost always the same: you do not have CDS access. The Customs Declaration Service is now the only system for UK import and export entries, since CHIEF closed. Without registration, filing is simply not possible.
What Registration Actually Involves
Registration links your business identity, your GB EORI number, and your payment method inside HMRC's system. It takes four steps in order: a business Government Gateway account, a UTR, a GB EORI, and the CDS subscription. You can follow each step in this guide to registering for CDS in the UK.
The Steps and Their Waits
Government Gateway: same day
UTR: around 10 working days by post
GB EORI: minutes, up to a week
CDS subscription: usually 2 hours
Why People Get Stuck Longest
The UTR is the slow part because it comes by post. Request it first and the rest moves quickly around it. Most agents finish within two weeks.
One Common Trap
Do not apply for CDS before your EORI is active. That is the top reason applications get rejected, and it resets your progress.
Once you are in, filing is the easy bit. iCDS submits UK import declarations in around three minutes. Watch a demo
