Safety and Security regulations require pre-arrival information for all consignments entering Great Britain, including Remain on Board goods. From 31st January 2025, this requirement will also apply to European Union traffic. The legal obligation to submit a declaration lies with the carrier. This refers to the operator of the active means of transport on, or in, which the goods are brought into the customs territory.
Safety & Security declarations play a crucial role in Border Force’s frontier risk assessment processes. These declarations enable Border Force to focus intelligence resources on high-risk traffic while ensuring the smooth flow of legitimate goods.
The Home Office and HMRC have a joint compliance strategy for Safety and Security Data, and Border Force has developed tools to monitor compliance effectively.
Compliance Measures
Border Force assesses compliance based on the following criteria:
1. Connectivity – The carrier’s connection to the Safety & Security GB (SSGB) system.
2. Comprehensiveness – Ensuring declarations are submitted for all consignments.
3. Timeliness – Submissions made within the mandated time frames.
4. Completeness – All required fields must be fully completed.
5. Accuracy –
a) Data must meet the required standard, avoiding null values or generic descriptors.
b) Declarations must be accurate and match the goods being imported.
What to Expect
From February 2025, the existing compliance approach for Rest of World traffic will be extended to include EU traffic. Recognising that this may be a new requirement for many EU carriers, Border Force aims to support compliance through the following steps:
1.Identification – Identifying instances of non-compliance.
2. Alert – Notifying carriers of non-compliance.
3. Education – Providing guidance on obligations and how to meet compliance standards.
4. Repercussion – Implementing penalties for continued or deliberate non-compliance, which may include:
– A warning letter.
– A Customs Civil Penalty Notice.
– Sharing compliance information with HMRC teams responsible for schemes such as AEO.
For further details or support, please refer to the latest guidance from Border Force.