Transit Declarations

Borderbolt supports the NCTS5 (New Computerised Transit System version 5) for EU and Common Transit Convention (CTC) transit declarations. Transit allows goods to move between customs offices under customs supervision without paying duties at intermediate borders.

Transit System Overview

What is Transit?

Transit is a customs procedure that allows goods to move:

• Between EU member states without paying duties until final destination
• Through the EU to non-EU countries
• From non-EU countries through the EU
• Under simplified procedures for authorized traders

Transit Types

• T1: Non-EU goods moving under customs supervision
• T2: EU goods moving through non-EU territory (proof of EU status)
• TIR: International Road Transport under TIR carnet
• ATA: Temporary admission under ATA carnet

NCTS5 Message Types

Borderbolt generates the following NCTS5 XML messages:

Creating a Departure Declaration

Starting a New Transit

1. Navigate to Transit in the main menu
2. Click New Departure Declaration
3. Select the transit type (T1, T2, TIR, ATA)
4. The transit form opens

Transit Header Fields

Parties

• Principal: The entity responsible for the transit (requires EORI)
• Consignor: The entity sending the goods (required)
• Consignee: The entity receiving the goods (required)
• Declarant: Your company (auto-filled if acting as representative)
• Carrier: The transport company

Customs Offices

• Office of Departure: Where the transit starts (customs office code)
• Office of Destination: Where the transit ends (EU customs office code)
• Office of Transit: Intermediate customs offices (if required)

Common NL office codes:

• NL000396: Rotterdam
• NL000100: Schiphol Airport
• NL000461: Venlo
• NL000471: Moerdijk

Transport Details

• Mode of Transport at Border: Road (3), Rail (2), Sea (1), Air (4)
• Inland Mode: Transport mode within EU
• Transport Means: Vehicle registration or vessel/flight number
• Container Indicator: Yes/No for containerized transport
• Nationality of Transport: Country code of transport vehicle

Guarantee

• Guarantee Type:
  • 0: Guarantee waiver (authorized consignor)
  • 1: Comprehensive guarantee
  • 3: Individual guarantee (single use)
  • 9: Not required (specific procedures)
• Guarantee Reference Number: GRN from customs
• Office of Guarantee: Customs office that issued the GRN

Transit Items

Each transit declaration must have one or more items (goods):

1. Click Add Item in the Items section
2. Fill in item details:

Item Fields

• Item Number: Sequential (1, 2, 3…)
• Commodity Code: HS code (8 digits minimum)
• Description: Detailed goods description
• Gross Mass: Total weight in kg
• Net Mass: Weight excluding packaging
• Package Type: Packaging code (e.g., CT, PX, PC)
• Number of Packages: Quantity of packages
• Shipping Marks: External markings on packages

Commercial Reference

• Commercial Reference Document: Invoice, contract, or order number
• Document Type: Usually “380” for commercial invoice

Previous Documents

For goods already under another customs procedure:

• Link the previous MRN or declaration reference
• Required for T2 declarations to prove EU status

House Consignments

For grouped consignments (LCL shipments with multiple customers):

1. Enable Use House Consignments
2. Add house consignment for each customer:
   • Consignor and Consignee per house
   • Items within each house consignment
   • Transport documents per house

House consignments are common for:

• Freight forwarder consolidations
• Multiple customers in one container
• LCL (Less than Container Load) shipments

Submitting Transit

Pre-Submission Validation

1. Click Validate in the transit header
2. Review validation messages:
   • EORI format validation
   • Office codes validity
   • Guarantee coverage check
   • Required fields per transit type
   • Item quantities and packages

Submit to Customs

1. Fix all validation errors
2. Click Submit to Customs
3. Borderbolt generates CC015C XML
4. XML is sent to NCTS5 via the transit API
5. Status changes to Submitted

Customs Responses

After submission, you’ll receive:

CC028C - MRN Allocated

• Status: Accepted (ACC)
• MRN: Master Reference Number assigned (format: YYCCnnnnnnnnnnnnnn)
• Example: 24NL12345678901234
• Next: Await release or rejection

CC029C - Release for Transit

• Status: Released (REL)
• Meaning: Goods can depart
• TAD: Generate Transit Accompanying Document (TAD)
• Action: Attach TAD to shipment and begin transit

CC016C - Rejection

• Status: Rejected (REJ)
• Errors: Functional error codes listed
• Next: Create new declaration with corrections

Creating an Arrival Declaration

When goods arrive at the destination:

Manual Arrival Creation

1. Navigate to Transit → New Arrival Declaration
2. Enter the MRN from the departure
3. Fill in arrival details:
   • Office of Destination: Where goods arrived
   • Arrival Date and Time: Actual arrival timestamp
   • Simplified Procedure: Yes/No (if authorized)
4. Click Submit

Borderbolt generates CC007C and sends to NCTS5.

Create Arrival from MRN

For faster processing:

1. Click Create Arrival from MRN
2. Enter or scan the MRN
3. Borderbolt retrieves the departure declaration data
4. Verify the pre-filled arrival details
5. Adjust if needed (arrival office, date/time)
6. Click Submit

This auto-fills all departure data, reducing manual entry.

Arrival Responses

CC045C - Write-Off Notification

• Status: Closed (CLO)
• Meaning: Transit successfully completed
• Archive: Movement is officially closed

CC051C - No Release for Transit

• Status: Control (CTL)
• Meaning: Arrival rejected, inspection required
• Action: Contact destination customs office

Transit Actions

Amend Declaration

Correct errors before release:

1. Status must be Submitted (not yet released)
2. Click Amend
3. Make necessary changes
4. Click Submit Amendment
5. Borderbolt sends CC013C

Common amendments:

• Correct destination office
• Update transport details
• Fix party EORI numbers
• Adjust goods descriptions

Invalidate Transit

Cancel a transit before departure:

1. Status must be Submitted or Released (goods not yet departed)
2. Click Invalidate
3. Select invalidation reason:
   • Cancelled shipment
   • Duplicate declaration
   • Wrong office of departure
   • Other (with explanation)
4. Click Submit Invalidation
5. Borderbolt sends CC014C

Enquiry Response

Check transit status when delayed:

1. Open the transit declaration
2. Click Enquiry
3. Select enquiry type:
   • Current location of goods
   • Reason for delay
   • Arrival status
4. Submit enquiry
5. Borderbolt sends CC140C
6. Response (CC144C) shows current status

Use enquiries when:

• Transit not arrived within expected timeframe
• No arrival notification received
• Carrier reports issues at border
• Customer requests status update

Unloading Remarks

Report discrepancies at destination:

1. Goods have arrived but issues discovered
2. Click Unloading Remarks
3. Document discrepancies:
   • Shortage: Missing packages or quantity
   • Overage: Extra packages or quantity
   • Damage: Goods damaged in transit
   • Seal Broken: Security seal tampered with
   • Other: Any other irregularity
4. Provide detailed remarks
5. Upload supporting photos or documents
6. Submit to customs
7. Borderbolt sends CC044C

TAD - Transit Accompanying Document

Generating the TAD

After receiving release (CC029C):

1. Open the transit declaration
2. Click Generate TAD
3. TAD PDF is created with:
   • MRN barcode
   • Principal, consignor, consignee details
   • Office of departure and destination
   • Item descriptions and quantities
   • Seal numbers
   • Carrier information
   • Security features (watermarks, barcodes)
4. Download and print the TAD
5. Attach to the shipment

TAD Requirements

The TAD must:

• Be printed clearly and legibly
• Include the MRN barcode for scanning
• Be signed by the carrier
• Accompany goods at all times
• Be presented at border controls
• Be surrendered at the office of destination

Number of copies:

• Copy 1: For carrier (accompanies goods)
• Copy 2: For office of departure (retained)
• Copy 3: For principal (proof of departure)
• Copy 4: For office of destination (retained on arrival)

Email Notifications

Configure email alerts for transit events:

Settings → Notifications

Enable notifications for:

• Transit Released: When CC029C received (ready to depart)
• Transit Arrived: When CC045C received (write-off notification)
• Transit Control: When inspection or delay occurs
• Transit Rejected: When CC016C received

Notification Recipients

Set recipients per event type:

• Principal (if email available)
• Consignor
• Consignee
• Carrier
• Internal operations team
• Customer service contacts

Emails include:

• MRN and LRN
• Event type and timestamp
• Next action required
• Link to view declaration in Borderbolt
• Attached TAD (for release notifications)

Transit Lifecycle

Status Flow

Draft → Submitted → Released → In Transit → Arrived → Closed
                         ↓
                    Rejected (create new)

Status details:

• Draft (DFT): Being prepared
• Submitted (SUB): Sent to customs, awaiting MRN
• Released (REL): Cleared to depart
• In Transit (TRA): Goods en route
• Arrived (ARR): Arrival notification sent
• Closed (CLO): Write-off received
• Rejected (REJ): Customs rejected
• Control (CTL): Under inspection or delayed

Monitoring Transit Movements

Transit Overview

The Transit list shows all movements:

• Filter by status, office, date range, MRN
• Search by principal, consignor, or consignee
• Sort by submission date, MRN, destination
• Export to CSV for reporting

Non-Closure Risk

Borderbolt monitors transits for closure delays:

• Green: Closed within expected timeframe
• Yellow: Approaching closure deadline (warning)
• Red: Overdue, risk of guarantee claim

Expected closure timeframes:

• Road transit (T1/T2): 7 days
• Rail transit: 14 days
• Sea/Air transit: 21 days
• TIR: Per TIR carnet validity

Guarantee Tracking

Monitor guarantee usage:

• View active transits per guarantee
• Calculate total exposure (sum of transit values)
• Alert when approaching guarantee limit
• Track guarantee renewal dates

Best Practices

Before Submission

• Verify all EORI numbers are valid and active
• Check guarantee coverage is sufficient
• Ensure office codes are correct and operational
• Validate commodity codes are complete (8+ digits)
• Confirm transport details match actual carrier

During Transit

• Generate and attach TAD immediately after release
• Brief carrier on border crossing requirements
• Monitor transit status via enquiries if delayed
• Have principal contact information available
• Keep copies of all transit documents

At Destination

• Submit arrival notification promptly (within 24 hours)
• Report unloading remarks for any discrepancies
• Retain TAD and proof of arrival
• Verify write-off notification received
• Archive all transit documentation

Common Pitfalls to Avoid

• Missing Guarantee: Ensure GRN is valid and has capacity
• Wrong Office Codes: Verify departure and destination offices
• Insufficient Description: Provide detailed commodity descriptions
• Late Arrival: Submit arrival within 24 hours of actual arrival
• Lost TAD: Protect TAD documents - replacements are difficult

Troubleshooting

Transit Rejected (CC016C)

“Invalid office of destination”

• Check the office code exists in NCTS5
• Verify it’s a designated transit office
• Confirm it handles the transport mode (e.g., airport for air freight)

“Guarantee not sufficient”

• Calculate total value of goods
• Check GRN available amount
• Request increased guarantee or use individual guarantee
• Consider splitting shipment across multiple transits

“Invalid commodity code”

• Ensure HS code is minimum 8 digits
• Check for typos or invalid codes
• Verify code exists in TARIC
• Use Item Master for validated codes

Transit Not Released

“Pending inspection”

• Contact office of departure
• Provide additional documentation if requested
• Physical inspection may be required
• Typical delay: 2-24 hours

“Principal authorization suspended”

• Verify principal’s AEO or transit authorization status
• Contact customs if authorization issue
• May need to use different principal

Arrival Issues

“Write-off not received after 30 days”

• Submit enquiry (CC140C) to check status
• Confirm arrival was properly submitted
• Check if destination office requires additional action
• Contact destination customs office

“Discrepancy at arrival”

• Submit unloading remarks (CC044C) immediately
• Document the issue thoroughly
• Upload photos if seal broken or damage
• Cooperate with destination customs investigation

Related Topics

• Declarations - Import and export declarations
• Dossiers - Group transits with related declarations
• Customers - Manage principal and consignee EORI data
• Reports - DVA Departure and Arrival reports
• Compliance - Monitor non-closure risks