TSS Bulletin, 199th Edition

Published: 31 July 2025 |

Contents

Improving accessibility: the TSS Bulletin format is changing

TSS is committed to making our communications clear, inclusive, and accessible to everyone. To support this, we’re updating the format of our bulletins to improve readability and navigation – particularly for users with accessibility needs.

Starting with the next bulletin on 14 August 2025, the content will be available exclusively on NICTA. You will still receive an email from us as usual, but instead of the full bulletin the email will include direct links to each article on NICTA. This change is designed to make accessing the information relevant to you, easier, and more user-friendly.

Import Control System 2 (ICS2) changes to Entry Summary Declarations for RoRo movements on TSS

The Trader Support Service (TSS) has made changes to the Entry Summary Declaration form to support the requirements of the Import Control System 2 (ICS2) coming into effect. These updates are available now when submitting your Roll on Roll off (RoRo) Entry Summary Declarations via the TSS Portal.

What is ICS2?

ICS2 is the new safety and security information system for movements to Northern Ireland (NI) and the European Union (EU). It supports:

  • Lodging of pre-arrival Entry Summary Declarations
  • Notification of the Arrival of Goods
  • Presentation of goods
  • Assessment of safety and security risk

ICS2 is replacing the existing Import Control System NI (ICS NI).

We strongly recommend that you familiarise yourself with the changes as soon as possible.

Key changes

  • A 6-digit HS code and a detailed goods description are required for each of the goods.
  • The vessel International Maritime Organisation (IMO) number is required. For additional information and how to obtain the IMO number, see the definition in the Jargon Buster on NICTA.
  • Name and address of the Carrier, Importer/Exporter, Consignor/Consignee. Buyer/Seller are required where these are different to the Importer/Exporter. TSS Support: TSS will auto-populate parties’ details where the party associated with the quoted EORI has not set their details to ‘private’ in their TSS Company Profile. Please encourage your supply chain partners to make their name and address details visible.
  • Identify whether the RoRo movement is Unaccompanied or Accompanied.
  • Accompanied movements are where goods are transported on a vessel with the person transporting them, typically a driver (truck only, or truck and trailer).
  • Unaccompanied movements are where goods are transported on a vessel without a driver present (trailer only, without a truck).
  • Place of acceptance / Place of Delivery where different from Place of Loading /Place of Unloading on Ro-Ro Accompanied.
  • A unique Transport Document Number must be entered on your Entry Summary Declaration, or it will be rejected.
  • Identify whether goods are being transported in a registered shipping container, which normally has an identification number in the format ‘ZZZZ9999999’.

Note: Arrival and Presentation of goods notifications are now required by ICS2. HMRC has built a new system called the Trader Interface Micro Service (TIMS) to submit these notifications on your behalf. You must include all Safety and Security Movement Reference Numbers (S&S MRNs) in your Goods Movement Reference so that TIMS can submit the ICS2 Arrival and Presentation of goods notifications for you. If you do not include the S&S MRN and use TIMS, you must find an alternative way to complete these processes for your movement to be compliant.

Entry Summary Declarations using the TSS Portal

ICS2 requirements are already in place on the TSS Portal for movements from Great Britain (GB) to Northern Ireland (NI) and you can continue using the TSS Portal for lodging pre-arrival Entry Summary Declarations.

You do not need to sign up for the new service or register separately for ICS2 when submitting RoRo Entry Summary Declarations using the TSS Portal.

Follow the NICTA guidance below on how to complete Entry Summary Declarations in TSS with the new ICS2 requirements:

Note for non TSS users: If you do not use the TSS Portal to submit Entry Summary Declarations, you must start submitting movements to ICS2, unless you have applied to HMRC to use the road deployment window for RoRo. Refer to:

Where can I find more information on ICS2? 

TSS has hosted two webinars on ICS2:

These are hosted on the Webinars and Recordings page on NICTA, alongside previous TSS webinars and podcasts.

Podcast and webinar update

The Trader Support Service (TSS) has two new resources to help you navigate the latest customs changes.

ICS2 webinar

A recording of our latest webinar, ‘Preparing for ENS changes in the TSS portal due to ICS2’ held on 8 July, is now available on the Webinars and Recordings page on NICTA. This session covers ICS2 and takes you through the changes to the TSS Portal screen and API interface to help you prepare to be ready.

During this webinar TSS & HMRC representatives explore the following topics:

  • A recap on safety and security declarations from HMRC
  • An overview of Haulier and Trader roles
  • How to create an ENS for RoRo in the TSS Portal
  • An overview of changes for API users
  • Next steps
  • Q&A

New ICS2 readiness podcast episode

Due to a positive response following the launch of the recent TSS podcasts, a new episode is now available: Supply Chain Conversations: Roles, responsibilities and readiness for ICS2.

In this discussion, specialists from TSS and HMRC focus on changes to information requirements when submitting an Entry Summary Declaration due to ICS2 and what this means for you as a Trader or Haulier.

This podcast builds on the subject of ICS2 explored in recent webinars and podcast episodes, and covers the following topics:

  • The role of the Trader and Haulier
  • Dependencies on other parties
  • Key focus areas and benefits of automation in the TSS Portal
  • Role play of goods movement scenarios to further understanding
  • And follow up on questions from the latest webinar

The speakers share hints and tips throughout the podcast to support you and explain how using simplified processes such as the Trader Goods Profile may help you prepare for the implementation of ICS2 for RoRo movements.

Further useful resources are also available on NICTA.

ICS2 webinar FAQs

What is RoRo?

Roll-on Roll-off (RoRo) refers to wheeled freight driven on and off a vessel using vehicles (usually trucks, or trailers), rather than being lifted by cranes.

What process should we follow when moving goods from Great Britain (GB) to Northern Ireland (NI) via Roll on Roll off (RoRo), when they are staying in NI as ‘not at risk’?

If you have UK Internal Market Scheme (UKIMS) authorisation and your goods are eligible, you can use the simplified processes for Internal Market Movements and submit movement information pre-movement using an Entry Summary Declaration (ENS) and Internal Market Movement Information (IMMI). Internal Market Movements do not require any Supplementary Declaration to be submitted after the goods have arrived in NI. If you use the Trader Goods Profile (TGP) to help submit movement information, it will populate fields such as the commodity code and goods description, which are used as part of the ENS submission.

If you opt to use the TSS Simplified Procedure and are moving non-controlled goods, you will need to submit a 6-digit commodity code as part of the ENS submission and submit the 10-digit commodity code for the goods in the post movement supplementary declaration. If you move controlled goods on the TSS Simplified Procedure you already need to provide the 10-digit commodity code for all the goods as part of the pre-movement information.

If we have more than one commodity code, how do we enter the information on the Entry Summary Declaration (ENS)?

The structure of the Entry Summary Declaration (ENS) submission remains the same. However, the introduction of the Import Control System 2 (ICS2) requires additional information. On every goods item of your ENS consignment, you need to submit a 6-digit commodity code and an accurate goods description. You can add up to 99 goods items to the ENS consignment if required.

You mentioned on your webinar that the ENS goods description needs to be accurate and that there is a list of ‘stop words’. What is this and where can I see the list?

The description of the goods in the Entry Summary Declaration should be precise enough for the goods to be easily identified. Instead of using a ‘stop word’ like ‘Clothing’, a more accurate description is ‘Men’s cotton t-shirts, mixed sizes’.

The current List of Stop Words for Trade can be viewed on CIRCABC (The European Commission’s sharing platform). This list is updated regularly and therefore it should be checked on a frequent basis. Further guidance is available in the Goods Description Guide on NICTA.

What are the requirements if you are transporting the goods from Great Britain (GB) to Northern Ireland (NI) yourself? Are there any implications for ICS2?

A safety and security declaration, known as an Entry Summary Declaration (ENS), is a legal requirement for all goods movements from GB to NI. This applies regardless of whether you are using an agent, intermediary, haulier, or transporting goods yourself. The Import Control System 2 (ICS2) is the new safety and security system that supports these declarations in NI.

What are the requirements if we are submitting a Full Frontier Declaration (FFD)? Are there any implications for ICS2?

A safety and security declaration, known as the Entry Summary Declaration (ENS) is a separate requirement from a customs declaration. An ENS must always be submitted prior to the goods arrival, regardless of which customs declaration is used for goods movements to NI.

Can I use my TGP to populate ‘not at risk’ goods?

If you are moving eligible goods and have UKIMS authorisation, you may opt to submit an Entry Summary Declaration (ENS) and Internal Market Movement Information (IMMI) pre-movement and use your Trader Goods Profile (TGP) to help populate goods information such as the commodity code and description, which will be used as part of the ENS submission.

Pre- and post-movement IMMI: simplifying GB to NI trade under the Windsor Framework

The Internal Market Movement Information (IMMI) is a reduced dataset of ordinary commercial information that can be submitted via the TSS Portal either pre-movement or post-movement. It can be used in place of a Supplementary Declaration or Full Frontier Declaration for goods movements from Great Britain (GB) to Northern Ireland (NI).

This functionality is available for all eligible goods movements using the simplified processes for Internal Market Movements set out in the Windsor Framework. To use this process:

Pre-movement Internal Market Movement Information (IMMI)

When submitting a Pre-movement IMMI, traders provide the required information at the same time as completing the Entry Summary Declaration before the goods move. This has the benefit of requiring no further steps to be taken in the TSS Portal, as no Supplementary Declaration is needed upon the arrival of the goods in NI.

Important: You will be issued two Movement Reference Numbers (MRNs): an Entry Summary Declaration (ENS) MRN and an Internal Market Movement Information (IMMI) MRN. These must both be used to generate the Goods Movement Reference (GMR) on the Goods Vehicle Movement System (GVMS).

If the IMMI MRN is not used to generate the GMR on GVMS, then the status of the IMMI MRN will not change to ‘Arrived’, which means it will not be completed. This may result in the IMMI being invalidated 30 days after submission unless it is manually marked as ‘Arrived’ through the TSS Portal.

Tip: If you have given permission for a third party agent or intermediary to complete the IMMI on your behalf, you should make them aware of the GMR requirement for the arrival, and you should check the TSS Portal on a regular basis that your IMMI records are being marked as ‘Arrived’ and closed. As the importer of record, it is your responsibility to ensure your IMMI records are being completed correctly.

Further information about submitting Internal Market Movement Information can be found on NICTA:

If you opt to provide the Internal Market Movement Information (IMMI) post-movement, you start your goods movement using the TSS Simplified Procedure. However, instead of submitting a Supplementary Declaration post movement, provided all the goods are eligible and ‘not at risk’ of entering the EU, you may choose to convert to a post-movement IMMI and complete the process using the reduced dataset.

Please note that all controlled goods must be declared at the time of movement on the Entry Summary Declaration.

The TSS Supplementary Declaration conversion to Internal Market Movements Information (IMMI) Guide outlines how to convert an eligible ‘Draft’ or ‘Trader Input Required’ Supplementary Declaration into an Internal Market Movement Information (IMMI) in the TSS Portal.

When does the Supplementary Declaration need to be completed?

 Submission of the Supplementary Declaration is required by the 10th calendar day of the month following the goods movement.

Why does it have to be submitted by the 10th calendar day?

When goods move using the TSS Simplified Procedure, where you delay the declaration and submit the information post movement on a Supplementary Declaration, you are using the TSS Simplified Declaration Procedure authorisation. The rules of using the TSS Simplified Procedure state that you agree to:

  1. Provide TSS with all Supplementary Declaration information, or where converted post movement, Internal Market Movement Information (IMMI), reasonably required by TSS and as notified to you using your Account contact details; and
  2. Make payment in advance for any duty that may become payable because of the provision of these services and in any event by the 10th calendar day of the month, following the month in which the goods subject to movement are transferred.

Additional Trader Support Service terms and conditions can be found on the TSS website.

Guidance on completing the Supplementary Declaration can be found in the Supplementary Declaration: Step-by-step guide on NICTA.

If you want to use the Internal Market Movement Information (IMMI) instead of a Supplementary Declaration, for your ‘not at risk’ goods that have moved into Northern Ireland (NI) using the TSS Simplified Procedure, the TSS Supplementary Declaration conversion to Internal Market Movements Information (IMMI) Guide outlines how to convert an eligible ‘Draft’ or ‘Trader Input Required’ Supplementary Declaration into an Internal Market Movement Information (IMMI) in the TSS Portal.

TSS Contact Centre hours of operation:

07:30 – 22:30, 7 days a week
Contact options
Tel:0800 060 8888
Welsh speakers Tel: 0800 060 8988

Northern Ireland Customs & Trade Academy (NICTA)

Find guides, webinars, and training on the NICTA website to assist with your customs movements and using TSS.

 

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