Be Ready to Submit Safety and Security Declarations for Imports from the EU

Importers who are able to start submitting safety and security declarations for imports from the EU to the UK are encouraged to do so before the official start date of January 31, 2025, when these submissions will become mandatory.

His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has clarified that the carrier or transporter moving goods across the UK border will be legally responsible for ensuring that the required safety declarations are submitted. However, they can arrange for a third party to submit the declaration on their behalf.

“Safety and security declarations help combat illegal goods, such as drugs and weapons, being brought into the UK,” HMRC stated, “and ensure that legitimate goods are not delayed by unnecessary checks.”

A short video has been published and is available on YouTube.

Starting from the above-mentioned date, HMRC will reduce the amount of data required for safety declarations (also known as Entry Summary Declarations), cutting the number of mandatory fields from 37 to 20. Additionally, there will be eight conditional fields that will only need to be filled out under specific circumstances. The remaining nine fields will be optional.

Businesses are strongly encouraged to consult with their supply chains to determine who will be responsible for completing the safety and security declarations for imports from the EU to the UK from January 31, 2025, and to agree on the most suitable method for submission.