Knowledge base

Border procedures in transport

Veterinary checks, goods movement and clearance can stop a load at the border even when the cargo and the truck are fine. We gather the procedures others do not warn you about and show how to close them before departure.

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What are border procedures and when do they apply to my transport?

They are the formalities you must close before the truck reaches the border: veterinary and phytosanitary checks (SIVEP in France, SPS and BTOM in the United Kingdom), goods movement via GMR in the GVMS system, the Irish PBN, the ATA carnet for temporary admission, and vehicle lists for ferries. Each of them can hold a load, so we arrange them together with the transport, not at the clearance ramp.

Every procedure below has a simple way not to fail it, and its own article. Open the topic that applies to your lane.

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Border procedures in transport: SIVEP, SPS checks, GMR, PBN, ATA

A guide to border procedures in road transport outside the EU: SPS veterinary and phytosanitary checks, the GMR and GVMS goods-movement systems at the UK…

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At the border

Procedures step by step

SIVEP: France's veterinary and phytosanitary border checks

SIVEP is France's veterinary and phytosanitary border inspection service. We explain which goods it covers on…

Machinery customs clearance in the Netherlands: importing machines through NL ports

The machine has arrived in Rotterdam and you do not know what comes next. Importing heavy equipment through…

German import customs and the ATA Carnet: permanent versus temporary import

You are taking equipment to Germany for a trade fair or for good, and you do not know whether you need import…

Vehicle lists and sailing manifests on ferries to GB and IE

A vehicle list and a sailing manifest set out the vehicles and loads a ferry operator needs before check-in…

GVMS and GMR step by step: preparing a movement for the UK border

The GMR is the number without which a driver cannot board a ferry or the Eurotunnel. We walk through how to…

How to distribute a load to pass the weighbridge: axle weights in practice

A practical guide to load distribution: how to place heavy items on the trailer, how pre-selection and static…

ISPM 15: when a wooden pallet or crate holds your cargo at the border

In trade outside the European Union, wood packaging, meaning pallets, crates and dunnage, must be treated and…

ADR checks at the border and en route: documents, marking and the faults that stop dangerous goods

What an ADR check actually verifies when you move dangerous goods, which documents and marking must match…

Rules of origin and the EUR.1 certificate: the formal conditions of customs preference

Rules of origin decide whether goods qualify for a preferential duty rate at all. We explain sufficient…

Sanitary checks on a load at the UK border: step by step at a control post (BCP)

What a sanitary check on a load at the UK border looks like in practice: documentary, identity and physical…

Transit guarantee: how it works and what happens if transit is not discharged

A transit procedure suspends duty and taxes while goods move, but in return it requires a guarantee. We…

How to classify goods correctly: HS/CN codes, BTI and tariff tools

Correct tariff classification starts from the characteristics of the goods, not the invoice name…

T1 or T2 Transit: When to Use Which and Why Both Get Confused

OTSL decision guide: T1 for non-EU goods with duties suspended, T2 in the context of EU customs status. The…

ATA Carnet or temporary admission: what to choose for trade fairs and temporary equipment export

OTSL decision guide: when to choose an ATA Carnet and when standard temporary admission for exhibits, stands…

Statement on origin on the invoice: practice, REX and the EU-UK TCA

A practical guide to the statement on origin on the invoice: the required wording, REX registration for…

When is Procedure 42 worth it? A decision guide | OTSL

Procedure 42 pays off when imported goods travel straight to a buyer in another EU country. Check the…

Cabotage and cross-trade: why "just drop these off around Germany while you are there" can be illegal

Cabotage has hard limits: 3 jobs in 7 days plus a 4-day cooling-off. See how it differs from cross-trade…

What customs clearance really costs: the price components you learn about from the invoice

The advertised price usually covers a basic declaration under standard conditions. Extra HS codes, T1…

EES and ETIAS: new border checks and what they mean for road transport

EES has been fully operational since April 2026, registering non-EU and British drivers biometrically at…

UKCA or CE: product marking when exporting to Great Britain

After Brexit the GB market was meant to switch to UKCA, but the UK government extended recognition of CE…

Moving alcohol from Poland to the UK: excise duty, EMCS and the e-AD step by step

Alcohol leaves Poland for the UK under excise duty suspension only from a tax warehouse, on an e-AD with an…

Postponed VAT Accounting: UK import VAT without paying at the border

A UK buyer does not have to pay import VAT at the border: Postponed VAT Accounting moves the tax onto the VAT…

CBAM and steel or aluminium imports into the EU: the free reporting phase is over

Since 1 January 2026 CBAM has moved from free reporting to real settlement: importing steel and aluminium…

ADR tunnel codes: tunnel categories A to E and route planning

Tunnel categories A to E under Chapter 8.6 of ADR decide where dangerous goods may travel. We explain where…

Dual-use goods and export licences: when a CNC machine needs a permit

A CNC machine tool, an industrial laser, an encryption module: civilian goods can be controlled as dual-use…

Commercial invoice and packing list for customs: what they must contain so the truck keeps moving

A description like spare parts, an internal part number instead of a product name, a missing EORI or weight…

What you cannot send to the UK: banned and restricted goods in road freight

Pepper spray, certain knives, products of animal origin, plants, alcohol, medicines, dual-use items, lithium…

How long customs clearance takes and what happens at an inspection: selection, scan, full examination

A complete declaration lodged before the truck arrives is released in minutes. Selection for control changes…

UK food labels: the FBO address rule and the „Not for EU” mark explained

Since 1 January 2024, prepacked food sold in Great Britain must carry a UK address of the food business…

Food exports to Switzerland: tariff quotas and prohibitive agri duties

Switzerland scrapped industrial import duties, but food is a different game: agri-food products are protected…

AEO (Authorised Economic Operator): what it is, the benefits and how to obtain it

AEO status is the European Union's customs trust certificate: fewer inspections, priority at the border…

Intrastat: when statistical reporting applies to your company

Intrastat is the statistics of goods movements between EU member states, not a customs declaration. See who…

T2L and the customs status of Union goods: how to prove goods are Union goods

Customs status (Union goods, T2L/T2LF) is not the same as preferential origin (EUR.1) or transit (T1/T2)…

TIR carnet: goods transit outside the European Union | OTSL

A TIR carnet moves goods by road across several countries under a single customs cover and a single…

Fiscal clearance and the tax representative: EU import with VAT settled in the country of destination

Fiscal clearance releases goods for free circulation in one EU country with an immediate intra-Community…

Simplified customs procedure: entry in the declarant's records and simplified declaration

Simplified declaration, entry in the declarant's records (EIDR) and centralised clearance under the Union…

CEMT permits and road transport: when a Community licence is not enough

A Community licence (Regulation 1072/2009) covers carriage inside the EU and EEA, but outside that area you…

Intermodal and combined transport: when rail or short-sea beats road for the whole trip

Intermodal, multimodal, combined transport: what the three words actually mean, when shifting the main leg to…

Phytosanitary and health certificates: exporting food and plants from Poland, step by step

Exporting food, plants or products of animal origin from Poland? Before the truck moves you need a…

Inward processing and duty drawback: how to recover customs duty on re-export

You manufacture in the EU from non-EU components and export the finished goods? Inward processing lets you…

Free zone (free-trade zone): how it works and when it pays off

A free zone is a fenced area treated as outside the EU customs territory for duty and VAT. See what you can…

At the border

What goes wrong at the border

Missing SPS certificate or SIVEP pre-notification: how you lose sensitive goods at the border

Goods of animal or plant origin without a health certificate and pre-notification will be stopped at a border…

Cargo stuck in Ireland without a PBN: who pays for the standstill and the missed sailing

Without a valid PBN and a good-to-proceed status, a truck cannot board the ferry or leave the terminal in…

Undischarged ATA carnet and double VAT: the traps of import clearance in Germany

A faulty import clearance in Germany or an unsettled ATA carnet can cost twice: forfeiture of the ATA…

Missed sailing from a wrong vehicle list: the domino effect on your deadline

A single outdated number on the vehicle list, or a mismatch with the GMR or PBN, can wreck ferry check-in…

Machine stuck in a Dutch port: the bill for storage and demurrage

An incomplete import clearance of machinery through the Netherlands can hold the equipment in port for days…

Frequently asked questions

How does the French SIVEP differ from the British BTOM?

Both are border checks on goods of animal and plant origin, but in different systems: SIVEP applies on entry to France, while BTOM and the border control posts apply on import to the United Kingdom. They differ in documents and pre-notification, so we match them to the lane.

Do I need an ATA carnet for a trade fair or demo equipment?

For temporary admission to a country outside the EU customs union, for example Switzerland or the United Kingdom, the ATA carnet lets you bring stand build and equipment in without import clearance and discharge them on return. Inside the EU it is not needed. Which option pays off we settle per booking.

What happens if I skip the GMR or PBN before the ferry?

Without a valid GMR on the British leg or a PBN on the Irish one the truck is not allowed onto the ferry and loses its sailing and slot. These numbers are prepared before reaching the port, not on the spot, so we keep them together with the booking and the vehicle list.

Information and disclaimer

This material is informational and practical. It is not legal, customs or tax advice. Regulations, procedures and official lists change; the current legal status and the communications of the competent authorities are binding. Before taking action, verify the current state in official sources. OTSL accepts no liability for the consequences of relying on this content without checking that it is up to date as at the date of the action.

Some content is prepared with the support of AI tools, under OTSL editorial oversight and responsibility. The person named on each piece is the subject-matter owner accountable for it. Customs and regulatory facts are verified against official sources.

Official sources: KAS / PUESC · HMRC / GOV.UK · European Commission

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