Ready for Brexit as a transporter
All ferry terminals and shortsea terminals in the Netherlands make participation in our chain-wide solution for the actual-obligatory customs formalities mandatory. No pre-notified document at the terminal means your driver cannot enter or leave the terminal.
The checklist below helps you to continue to swiftly transport cargo to and from the United Kingdom as a transporter.
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Your checklist
As a transporter, will you make sure that your cargo flows smoothly via the Dutch ports? Read here which actions are required on your part for transport via both shortsea and ferry.
More information is required during your booking
Please note! Ferry operators and shortsea carriers require more information from you during your booking because of Brexit. Click here to view the list.
You must always perform this Get Ready for Brexit step
Of the 5 Get Ready for Brexit steps, you must at least perform step 5 in your capacity as a transporter.
Step 5: Check beforehand whether the terminal has the customs document
The Dutch shortsea and ferry terminals request that you always verify whether the customs document accompanying the cargo has been pre-notified at the terminal before your driver starts his trip. If your client has not correctly pre-notified the customs document, you will not be granted access to the terminal and you will not receive the cargo. If that is the case, your driver will be referred to a public parking location. In consultation with you or with your client, he can still properly arrange the customs formalities here.
You use Portbase to verify the presence of customs documents in advance:
For import (cargo from the United Kingdom to the Netherlands): service Import Status
This free service offers you real-time insight into the customs status of incoming cargo at shortsea and ferry terminals. You can immediately see whether the required customs obligations have been met. Customs might want to inspect the cargo as well. Only if both are ‘green’ will you be welcome at the shortsea or ferry terminal. In all other cases, you will not be granted access. If this is the case, there is no point in still dispatching your driver to the terminal.
Costs and registration Import Status
Import Status is a free service which is web-based.
For export (cargo from the Netherlands to the United Kingdom): service Track & Trace Export
By means of this existing service, you check whether the customs document accompanying the cargo is known at the shortsea or ferry terminal prior to the driver’s departure. Without correctly pre-notified customs document your driver will not be granted access to the terminal.
Costs and registration Track & Trace Export
Track & Trace Export is part of Notification Export Documentation and is a web-based service. After registration for Notification Export Documentation, the use of this service is free of charge.
Curious how the services work?
Learn more about Track & Trace export
What many of your fellow transporters are also doing
As a transporter, you will not be granted access to the terminal without a pre-notification. In addition to step 5 – verification of the presence of the customs document at the terminal – many transporters therefore choose to perform steps 3 and 4 as well.
Step 3: Determine who will pre-notify the customs documents
As part of the service provision to your client (the importer, exporter or forwarder) you then use Portbase to submit the customs documents at the shortsea and ferry terminals on his behalf. Please note: this only concerns the pre-notification of the necessary customs documents for which your client himself has previously submitted the import or export declaration to Customs.
Should you want to perform this pre-notification of customs documents, then make clear agreements about this with your client! Pre-registration can be done via the web as well as (for larger numbers) by means of a system link. These software suppliers can help you make such a system link.
Step 4: Subscribe to the Portbase services
In order to be able to pre-notify customs documents at shortsea and ferry terminals for your clients as a transport company, you need to subscribe to two Portbase services.
For import (cargo from the United Kingdom to the Netherlands): service Notification Import Documentation
Service for pre-notifying all customs documents for import at shortsea and ferry terminals. This can be done via the web as well as (in the case of larger numbers) by means of a system link. These software suppliers can help you make such a system link.
Take note! Additional information for existing customers of Notification Import Documentation
- In order to prenotify import documents to shortsea and ferry terminals, existing customers of Notification Import Documentation have to sign a supplementary terminal contract. In consultation with these terminals, Portbase has drawn up a single umbrella contract. By sending an email to sales@portbase.com, you can request the umbrella contract and return the signed copy to Portbase.
- If you are an existing customer of Notification Import Documentation using a system link-up, then please check with your IT department or software supplier that you are using the correct version of the service. The message specifications can be found here.
Costs and participation Notification Import Documentation
The use of Notification Import Documentation for the pre-notification of import documents at ferry terminals involves a one-off connection fee € 249.50 (excluding VAT) for new customers. For the day-to-day use, there is a monthly subscription fee plus a transaction fee per message.
For export (cargo from the Netherlands to the United Kingdom): service Notification Export Documentation
Via this service you pre-notify all customs documents for export at shortsea and ferry terminals. This can be done via the web as well as (in the case of larger numbers) by means of a system link-up. These software suppliers can help you make such a system link-up.
Take note! Additional information for existing customers of Notification Export Documentation
If you are already an existing customer already using a system link-up, then a minor adjustment is required. The message specifications necessary for this are available here.
Costs and registration Notification Export Documentation
As a new participant, the one-off connection costs are € 249.50 (excluding VAT). The day-to-day usage is free of charge.
Curious how the services work?
Learn more about Notification Export Documentation
You may also choose to do this as a transporter
Step 1: Make sure your client is registered with Customs
Some transporters take their service provision to customers even further. On behalf of their client (the importer, exporter or forwarder), they also take care of the import and export declarations to Customs. Should you want to offer this customs service in your capacity as a transporter, then make sure your client first requests an EORI number with Customs (if this has not already been done). Every company in Europe that imports or exports requires such a unique identification number from Customs. Even if said company uses you to perform the import and export declarations.
Pay attention! Have you worked with a British EORI number until now? Because of the Brexit you have to convert this to an EORI number from the EU*.
*Only available in Dutch
Step 2: Arrange the import or export declarations for your customers
If you want to be able to submit import and export declarations to Customs as part of your service provision to customers, then separate software and licenses are required. For this software you will find an overview of possible suppliers on the customs website.
You may also need to take care of the following:
*NVWA is Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority