Creating a goods movement reference (GMR) into or out of Northern Ireland

Find out how to create a goods movement reference using the Goods Vehicle Movement Service or the Trader Support Service for goods moving into or out of Northern Ireland.

Contents

When is a goods movement reference required?

If you move goods through a port that uses the Goods Vehicle Movement Service, you must create a goods movement reference (opens in a new tab), also known as a GMR, before checking in for your journey.

If you are checking in as a freight vehicle, you will be asked to provide your goods movement reference during the check-in process.

You should check before your movement whether your port uses the Goods Vehicle Movement Service (opens in a new tab).

A goods movement reference links together the customs declarations and other references associated with a goods movement. The references needed to create a goods movement reference depend on the type of movement being made.

You can create a goods movement reference directly in the Goods Vehicle Movement Service or, where available, through the Trader Support Service.

To create a goods movement reference, you must be registered for the Goods Vehicle Movement Service (opens in a new tab), regardless of which service you use to create it.

What information is required when creating a goods movement reference?

There are 4 sections to complete when creating a goods movement reference.

About your crossing

This section captures information about the planned journey.

You will select the border location of:

departure
arrival

You may also be asked to identify the ferry carrier. If you know the carrier, select it from the list. If you do not know the carrier, select Unknown.

About your vehicle

This section captures information about the vehicle carrying the goods.

You must indicate whether the movement is:

accompanied – the driver travels with the vehicle during the crossing
unaccompanied – the vehicle, trailer or container travels without the driver

For accompanied movements, you will need to provide:

the vehicle registration number
the trailer number, if applicable

You can also add additional trailer numbers if there is more than one.

For unaccompanied movements, you must select how the goods will travel:

driven on
on a trailer
lifted on in a container

Depending on your selection, you will need to provide the trailer number or container number.

If there is more than one trailer or container, you can add the additional numbers in the next step.

Customs declarations

This section captures information about the goods being moved.

You will be asked whether:

the vehicle is carrying goods
there is a transport contract for the movement

You will then need to select the type of customs declaration you want to add to the goods movement reference.

The declaration types available will depend on the movement being made. You can add multiple declarations to a goods movement reference where required.

Find out more about the declaration types (opens in a new tab) that can be added to a goods movement reference.

To add a declaration to a goods movement reference, you will need the Movement Reference Number (MRN).

A MRN is a unique reference number generated when a customs declaration is submitted, it identifies the declaration and links it to the goods being moved.

You will need to enter the relevant MRN when creating your goods movement reference.

Safety and security requirements

This section may not appear for all routes.

Where it does appear, you will be asked to provide details of any entry summary declarations (ENS) that were not included in the customs declarations section.

Great Britain to Northern Ireland declaration requirements

When creating a goods movement reference for goods moving directly from Great Britain to Northern Ireland, the MRN you need to enter will depend on the type of declaration submitted through the Trader Support Service.

Standard declarations

If you have completed a standard declaration:

Select Customs declaration when choosing the declaration type to add it to the goods movement reference.
Enter the MRN provided by the Trader Support Service. This will begin with 2 numbers, followed by GB or XI as the country code. For example, 26GB123456789AB012.
After entering the customs declaration MRN, you will be asked whether you have an ENS MRN to add.
If a single ENS MRN applies only to the customs declaration you have entered, select Yes and enter the ENS MRN. This will begin with 2 numbers, followed by XI as the country code. For example, 26XI24I3ZITEKDO117.
If you select No, you will be asked why an ENS MRN has not been entered. You will be given the option to enter the ENS in a later section if:

there is more than one ENS MRN covering the goods in the customs declaration
the ENS MRN covers multiple declarations included in the goods movement reference

Simplified declarations

If you have submitted a simplified declaration:

Select Customs declaration when choosing the declaration type to add it to the goods movement reference.
Enter the simplified frontier declaration MRN provided by the Trader Support Service. The MRN will begin with 2 numbers, followed by GB as the country code. For example, 26GB123456789AB012.
When you submit a simplified declaration through the Trader Support Service, an ENS is also submitted. You should therefore receive both a customs declaration MRN and an ENS MRN following successful submission.
When asked if you have an ENS to add, select Yes and enter the ENS MRN. The ENS MRN will begin with 2 numbers, followed by XI as the country code. For example, 26XI24I3ZITEKDO117.

Entry in declarant’s records (EIDR)

If you have submitted a simplified declaration for non-controlled goods:

1. Select EIDR when choosing the declaration type to add it to the goods movement reference.

2. When you submit an EIDR through the Trader Support Service, the service will create the EIDR record and provide:

the EORI number that holds the authorisation
an ENS MRN
a local reference number (LRN)

3. When choosing the EIDR type, select EIDR and enter the EORI number that holds the authorisation and the LRN provided by the Trader Support Service.

4. When asked if you have an ENS to add, select Yes and enter the ENS MRN. The ENS MRN will begin with 2 numbers, followed by XI as the country code. For example, 26XI24I3ZITEKDO117.

UKIMS-EIDR and Notification of Presentation (NOP) Waiver authorisations are not currently supported by the Trader Support Service.

Internal Market Movement Information (IMMI)

If you have submitted the IMMI:

Select Customs declaration when choosing the declaration type to add it to the goods movement reference.

Enter the IMMI MRN provided by the Trader Support Service. The MRN will begin with 2 numbers, followed by GB as the country code. For example, 26GB123456789AB012.
When you submit the IMMI through the Trader Support Service, an ENS is also submitted. You should therefore receive both a customs declaration MRN and an ENS MRN following successful submission.
When asked if you have an ENS to add, select Yes and enter the ENS MRN. The ENS MRN will begin with 2 numbers, followed by XI as the country code. For example, 26XI24I3ZITEKDO117.

Great Britain to Northern Ireland via Ireland declaration requirements

If you are moving goods from Great Britain to Northern Ireland through Ireland:

1. When creating a goods movement reference, select from Great Britain into the EU as the movement direction.

2. When you submit a transit movement through the Trader Support Service, you will receive:

a transit declaration MRN
an ENS MRN
a simplified frontier declaration MRN

3. When choosing the declaration type in the Goods Vehicle Movement Service, select Transit declaration.

4. If you receive a LRN, present the goods at the office of departure. Once the transit movement has been released, a transit MRN will be issued. You must use the transit MRN when creating the goods movement reference. The LRN cannot be used.

5. If asked whether you want to add an Exit Summary Declaration, select the appropriate option. For movements from Great Britain to Northern Ireland through Ireland, an Exit Summary Declaration is not normally required.

6. After creating the goods movement reference, complete the Pre-Boarding Notification (PBN) on Ireland's roll-on roll-off (RoRo) service (opens in a new tab) using the:

transit MRN
ENS MRN

7. Present the simplified frontier declaration MRN at the office of destination when the transit movement is closed in Northern Ireland.

For more information about completing a transit movement, see the checklist for completing a transit declaration guidance.

Northern Ireland to Great Britain declaration requirements

When moving qualifying goods from Northern Ireland to the rest of the UK (opens in a new tab) you will not normally need a goods movement reference.

However, there are some exceptions where an export will be required (opens in a new tab). If an export declaration is needed:
Submit the export declaration using the Trader Support Service.
When creating the goods movement reference, select Customs declaration as the declaration type.
Enter the Declaration Unique Consignment Reference (DUCR) provided by the Trader Support Service following successful submission of the export declaration.

It is up to 35 characters, starting with the number ‘6’, then a GB EORI number, a hyphen, and the trader’s reference. For example, 6GB123456789012-ABC/1234.

For more information about completing an export declaration, see the export declarations for goods moving directly from Northern Ireland to Great Britain guidance.

Northern Ireland to Great Britain via Ireland declaration requirements

When moving goods from Northern Ireland to Great Britain through Ireland, you will need to submit an export declaration before the goods leave Ireland.

This applies even if the goods are qualifying Northern Ireland goods (opens in a new tab).

You can submit the export declaration using the Trader Support Service.

When completing the Pre-Boarding Notification (PBN) on Ireland's roll-on roll-off (RoRo) service (opens in a new tab), you must enter the export declaration reference provided by the Trader Support Service following successful submission of the export declaration.

You can also use the Trader Support Service to submit a Great Britain safety and security declaration (opens in a new tab) where required.

When creating a goods movement reference for this movement, you must select From the EU or Norway into Great Britain as the movement direction.

Qualifying Northern Ireland goods

If you are moving qualifying Northern Ireland goods, when asked what type of declaration you are adding to your goods movement reference, select Oral or by conduct declaration or no declaration required.

Non-qualifying Northern Ireland goods

If you are moving non-qualifying goods that require a Great Britain import declaration and Great Britain safety and security declaration, you can use the Trader Support Service to submit the Great Britain safety and security declaration.

The Trader Support Service does not support the submission of import declarations into Great Britain. You must arrange for the import declaration to be completed separately.

When choosing the declaration type you are adding to your goods movement reference, select Customs declaration and enter the import declaration MRN. The MRN will begin with 2 numbers, followed by GB as the country code. For example, 26GB123456789AB012.

After entering the customs declaration MRN, you will be asked whether you have an ENS MRN to add. This refers to the GB Safety and Security declaration.

If a single ENS MRN applies only to the customs declaration you have entered, select Yes and enter the ENS MRN. This will begin with 2 numbers, followed by GB as the country code. For example, 26GB24I3ZITEKDO117.

If you select No, you will be asked why an ENS MRN has not been entered. You will be given the option to enter the ENS in a later section if:

there is more than one ENS MRN covering the goods in the customs declaration
the ENS MRN covers multiple declarations included in the goods movement reference

Using the Trader Support Service to create a goods movement reference

The Trader Support Service can create a goods movement reference automatically using declaration references submitted through the service.

To use goods movement reference automation, all of the following must apply:

all consignments in the movement must have been created in the Trader Support Service
the movement must use a simplified declaration that includes an ENS and either a simplified frontier declaration, EIDR or IMMI
the movement must travel from Great Britain to Northern Ireland through a roll-on roll-off (RoRo) port that uses the Goods Vehicle Movement Service

If the movement does not meet all of these conditions, you must create the goods movement reference directly in the Goods Vehicle Movement Service.

To use goods movement reference automation, your organisation must:

be registered for the Goods Vehicle Movement Service
authorise the Trader Support Service to access the Goods Vehicle Movement Service on its behalf

Only the primary contact on the account can grant this authorisation.

To set up goods movement reference automation, go to your company profile and select Authorise GMR automation. You will be redirected to the HMRC Developer Hub, where you must sign in using your Goods Vehicle Movement Service credentials and complete the authorisation process.

Once authorisation has been completed, you can use goods movement reference automation when creating eligible movements through the Trader Support Service.