🇬🇧 Shipping between the UK and Romania after Brexit: a customs and documents guide

Since 1 January 2021, every freight movement between the United Kingdom and Romania goes through full customs formalities: an export declaration, transit, an import declaration and, towards the UK, registration of the truck in GVMS. Premium Express SRL, based in Bacău, Romania, operates weekly groupage between the UK and Romania with customs clearance included, a transit of 6-8 working days and consolidation in its own hub in Bacău.

This guide is written for British exporters shipping to Romania and for British importers buying from Romania. Compared with an EU lane of similar length, the difference is not distance: it is four customs documents and the 1-2 working days they take. For the service itself, see the UK–Romania transport page.

What you provide and what the carrier prepares

You provide four things: the EORI numbers of exporter and importer, the commercial invoice with a tariff (HS) code on every line, the statement on origin and the packing list. The carrier and the customs brokers prepare the rest from those documents: the export declaration, the T1 transit document, the safety and security declaration (ENS), the GVMS reference and the import declaration.

If the invoice is right, the rest follows. EORI is the first thing to check: a company in Romania holds an EU EORI, a British company needs a GB EORI issued by HMRC, and obtaining one takes a few days — it cannot be done with the truck already on the road.

UK → Romania, step by step

1. Documents from the British supplier. The pick-up order lists them: invoice with HS codes and statement on origin, packing list and GB EORI, plus confirmation that the goods are not subject to an export licence.
2. Export declaration in the UK. The UK broker lodges it in the British customs system before the goods leave the warehouse.
3. T1 transit to Romania. Opened on departure from the UK or on entry into the EU, it covers the journey through France, Belgium, Germany, Austria and Hungary to the customs office of destination in Romania.
4. ENS on entry into the EU. The safety and security declaration is lodged in the European system before arrival at Calais or Dunkirk.
5. Import declaration in Romania. Lodged at the customs office of destination on behalf of the Romanian importer; import VAT and any duty are calculated here.
6. Release and delivery. Once released, the goods enter the hub in Bacău and leave for national distribution.

Romania → UK, step by step

1. Documents one working day before departure. Invoice with HS codes and statement on origin, packing list and the British consignee's GB EORI.
2. Export declaration in Romania. Lodged electronically at the export customs office; the goods receive a reference number and export release.
3. T1 transit. On groupage, a single T1 covers all the consignments on the truck as far as the customs office of destination in the UK.
4. UK import declaration, pre-lodged. The UK broker lodges it for each consignment on behalf of the British importer, before the goods reach the Channel.
5. ENS and GMR. The safety and security declaration is lodged, then the goods movement reference (GMR) is created in GVMS, linking the truck to every import declaration on board.
6. Boarding. At Calais, Dunkirk or the Eurotunnel terminal at Coquelles the operator scans the GMR; without a valid one the truck does not board.
7. Arrival in the UK. GVMS tells the driver whether to continue or report to an inland control point; cleared goods go to our partner's warehouse and on into distribution.

Six mistakes that hold goods at the border

• Invoice without tariff codes. "Spare parts, 1 pallet" is not a description customs accepts: each line needs an HS code, a clear description, quantity and value.
• Missing or wrong EORI. The number belongs to another entity in the group, or is no longer valid. Ask for it in writing with the order.
• Forgotten statement on origin. The goods are of UK or EU origin but the invoice does not say so, and the importer pays duty that was not due.
• EXW terms. The export declaration must be lodged by a company established in the country of departure, so the goods sit ready with nobody able to declare them. Use FCA.
• Mismatched documents. The packing list says 12 packages, the invoice 11. Customs stops the truck, and on groupage that affects every customer on board.
• Undeclared special goods. Food, supplements, cosmetics, untreated wood, batteries and controlled substances carry extra import requirements. Tell us what you are shipping before the order is confirmed.

Customs clearance is invoiced separately from transport and depends on the number of tariff lines on the invoice, not on the volume of goods. Indicative transport rates are on the groupage prices page; the firm quote, with transport and clearance on separate lines, comes within 2 hours.

Practical questions

Ten practical questions about road freight between the United Kingdom and Romania after Brexit: seven for British exporters shipping to Romania, three for British importers buying from Romania.

What documents does a UK exporter need to ship goods to Romania?

The EORI numbers of exporter and importer, the commercial invoice with tariff (HS) codes and the statement on origin, the packing list and the CMR. The export and import declarations, the T1 transit and the registration in the British GVMS system are prepared by the carrier together with the customs brokers. For ADR goods and for products of animal or plant origin, the specific documents are added.

Which Incoterms should a UK exporter use for Romania?

FCA or DAP; EXW is not recommended on the UK lane. Under EXW the export declaration must be lodged by a company established in the country of departure, and the foreign buyer cannot do it alone. DDP requires the seller to pay import VAT in the buyer's country, and therefore to be VAT-registered there.

Are customs duty and VAT payable on UK goods entering Romania?

Customs duty is zero for goods of UK or EU origin, provided the invoice carries the statement on origin set out in the EU–UK trade agreement; without it the normal duty in the customs tariff applies. Origin means where the goods were made or substantially transformed, not where they are shipped from, so a product made in Asia and merely distributed from the UK does not qualify. VAT is always paid on import: 21% in Romania. Romanian companies holding a certificate for deferment of import VAT declare it in the VAT return, with no actual payment at the border.

How long does UK to Romania transport take, customs included?

UK – Romania groupage takes 6-8 working days, a full truck 4-5 days and 3.5t express 3-4 days, clearance included. Compared with an EU route of similar length, customs adds 1-2 working days: one for export and opening the transit, one for import and release. Documents must be sent at least one working day before departure, otherwise the goods miss the departure.

What pallets are accepted on the UK lane?

Only pallets and wooden packaging treated to the ISPM 15 standard, marked with the IPPC logo and the HT code; the rule has applied in both directions since Brexit. EPAL euro pallets are heat-treated and compliant. Untreated single-use pallets can lead to the goods being stopped at the phytosanitary check, so inspect them before loading, not at the border.

Can ADR dangerous goods travel on groupage to or from the UK?

Yes, for packaged goods of classes 3, 4, 5, 6, 8 and 9, plus limited quantities (LQ) and small quantities; classes 1, 2 and 7 do not go on groupage. ADR goods cross the Channel by ferry, because the Eurotunnel train accepts only a limited range of dangerous goods. Send the safety data sheet with the quote request, so that classification and compatibility with the rest of the load can be checked.

What insurance covers goods on the UK lane?

The CMR Convention also applies to transport with the United Kingdom, so the carrier's standard liability is 8.33 SDR per gross kilogram, around 10 euros per kilogram. For a 200 kg pallet carrying goods worth 20,000 pounds sterling, CMR compensation covers only a small part of the value. For high-value goods, Premium Express arranges all-risk insurance through a broker on request, taken out before collection, on the invoice value.

I am importing from Romania: who lodges the UK import declaration, and when?

The UK customs broker lodges it, on behalf of the British importer, for each consignment and before the goods reach the Channel: the declaration must exist before the truck boards. The importer needs a GB EORI number issued by HMRC, and the number must belong to exactly the company named on the invoice, not to another entity in the same group. Tell us when you ask for a quote whether you have your own customs broker or want us to lodge the import declaration.

What is GVMS, and does the UK importer have to do anything in it?

GVMS is the British system that links a truck to the customs declarations for the goods on board. A goods movement reference (GMR) is created for each truck and scanned at Calais, Dunkirk or the Eurotunnel terminal at Coquelles; without a valid GMR the truck does not board. The GMR is created by the carrier with the customs brokers, so the importer does nothing in GVMS itself: the importer's part is the pre-lodged import declaration that the GMR refers to. On arrival, GVMS tells the driver whether to continue or to report to an inland control point.

Can a UK importer use postponed VAT accounting on goods from Romania?

Yes. Importers registered for VAT in the United Kingdom can use postponed VAT accounting, which means they do not actually pay import VAT at the border but declare it in their periodic VAT return. UK import VAT is 20%. Customs duty is zero for goods of EU origin if the Romanian exporter's invoice carries the statement on origin; for consignments above 6,000 euros the EU exporter needs a REX number to make it.

Before you ask for a quote

For a firm quote and a clearance without surprises, send from the start: both EORI numbers, the invoice with HS codes, Incoterms and statement on origin, the packing list with gross and net weights, the collection and delivery addresses, the nature of the goods with a technical or safety data sheet, and the date the goods are ready. Premium Express SRL replies within 2 hours — use the quote request form or write to office@premium-express.ro.

From around 15 pallets, or for goods with a high risk of inspection, a full truck is worth comparing: it has a single set of customs documents and does not depend on other customers' goods.

Related pages: UK–Romania transport · groupage (LTL) to and from Romania · ADR dangerous goods · groupage prices · this guide in Romanian.