Other transit routes (via Ireland)

Trading GB-NI via Dublin or Rosslare after 1 January 2021

Since 1 January 2021 a number of new steps must be completed to move goods from Great Britain to Northern Ireland via Dublin or Rosslare Port.

Traders can choose if they will manage the new steps in-house or via a customs agent. In practice, most are likely to appoint a customs agent.

All actors in the chain (e.g. traders, logistics companies, customs agents, hauliers etc.) should understand and agree in advance who is responsible for each of the steps.

Goods entering Dublin or Rosslare from Great Britain bound for Northern Ireland can move (i) under a customs transit procedure, or (ii) under an import procedure and be customs cleared in Dublin or Rosslare Ports. Both procedures require the provision of a safety and security declaration and those checks must also be conducted at the point of arrival (e.g. Dublin).

In both cases, if SPS goods are included in the load, import SPS controls must be conducted at the Border Control Post of entry. The operator responsible for the consignment must pre-notify the Border Control Post 24 hours in advance of the consignment arriving, by generating a CHED on Traces NT and submitting the necessary documents via the DAFM import portal (guidance here).

Operators will need to create a Pre-Boarding Notification (PBN) on the Irish Customs RoRo Service and must ensure they have a ‘Good to proceed to check-in’ status before proceeding to the Port.

If these steps are not completed, the consignment should not proceed to the port as it will not be allowed board the ferry.

Operators must decide which process works best for them but, in every case, they can assist in minimising delays by ensuring accurate and complete Customs declarations are submitted in advance of moving goods. Video guides to import, export, transit and the Customs RoRo service are available on the Revenue website.