Courier
Specialist Services
1st November 2022 | by Aimee Spilsbury

You’ve still got time to switch to the new HMRC Customs Declaration Service (CDS) after the UK Government announced that the deadline to migrate has been extended until the end of October. However, you will need to apply for an extension and have a valid reason for requesting more time to transfer to the CDS system.
To ensure that you are fully prepared to switch to the new CDS system, here’s a step-by-step checklist outlining what you need to do to be ready:
Ο 1. Register for a Government Gateway Account
Ο 2. Register on the CDS system with your…
Address of your business held on Customs records
National Insurance number (sole traders)
Date you started your business
Ο 3. Grant access to Speedy Freight
Provide your CDS Cash Account number with authority granted
Provide your Customs Guarantee Authorisation number
Provide any other authorisation numbers you may hold
Ο 4. Complete Speedy Freight’s Power of Authority letter
Provide your Economic Operator Registration Identification (EORI) number
Provide your deferment account number with authority granted
Ο 5. Return the Power of Authority letter and Consignment form
For a detailed explanation of this process, see our dedicated Customs Declaration Service resource.
If you don’t register with the new CDS system by the end of October, there’s a risk that any goods you are importing won’t be able to enter the UK.
Registration with the CDS is not optional, it is a mandatory requirement if you want to prevent imports from getting stuck at the border.
Speedy Freight cannot register with the CDS system on your behalf. It’s something that you must do.
It’s important that you set up your business on the CDS system correctly. We can only make complete and compliant declarations on your behalf if the correct customs data is made available to us.
The switch to the CDS system means that once you’re up and running, your shipping instructions will need to be more detailed than those you have provided for the CHIEF system.
Incorrect information or missing data on the CDS system could result in customs clearance delays, resulting in delivery delays to your shipments and additional costs.
While we can’t actively register you with the CDS system, our nationwide logistics network can offer practical instructions on:
Creating and implementing a process for collecting and entering the required data onto the CDS system.
Finalising your customs clearance templates for CDS data sets that are required for your import and export customs declarations.
It can take a couple of weeks to get fully set up on the CDS system, so you need to action the above checklist now to avoid customs clearance delays in the future.
Reach out to your nearest Speedy Freight branch now for the support you need.

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