Since Brexit, moving goods between Great Britain and the European Union involves a string of acronyms that most importers had never heard of in 2019. ENS, EXS, SSD, GVMS, PBN — they all refer to different declarations or systems, and getting them wrong can mean a truck turned away at the port. Here is what each one is, why it exists, and when you need it.
ENS — Entry Summary Declaration
An Entry Summary Declaration is a safety and security filing for goods arriving in Great Britain. It is the UK equivalent of the EU's ICS2 ENS and must be lodged before the goods reach the UK border. The carrier is legally responsible for the ENS, although in practice many shippers or brokers submit it on the carrier's behalf.
Key points:
- Required for almost all imports from outside the UK
- Filing deadlines vary by mode (typically two hours before arrival for road)
- Submitted through the GB Safety and Security service (S&S GB)
EXS — Exit Summary Declaration
The EXS is the mirror image of the ENS — a safety and security declaration for goods leaving Great Britain. In most cases the export customs declaration itself contains the EXS data, so a separate filing is not needed. A standalone EXS is required when no export declaration is being made (for example, empty containers being repositioned).
SSD — Safety and Security Declaration
"SSD" is an umbrella term that covers both ENS (imports) and EXS (exports). When traders or carriers refer to "the SSD", they usually mean whichever one applies to the direction of movement. The data set is broadly aligned with the EU and includes consignor, consignee, commodity codes, packages and route information.
GVMS — Goods Vehicle Movement Service
GVMS is HMRC's system for linking customs declarations to a single vehicle movement. Hauliers use it to generate a Goods Movement Reference (GMR), which is essentially a barcode containing every declaration relevant to that trip. The driver shows the GMR at the port and the system tells them whether to proceed or report for inspection.
GVMS is mandatory at all RoRo ports between Great Britain and the EU, including Dover, Eurotunnel, Holyhead, Killingholme and Immingham.
PBN — Pre-Boarding Notification
The PBN is the Irish equivalent of the GMR for movements into Ireland from Great Britain. It is generated through Irish Revenue's Customs RoRo Service and must be created before the haulier boards the ferry. Like the GMR, it bundles together the declarations for one truck.
How they fit together for one truck
A typical Dover-to-Calais export shipment involves:
- UK export declaration filed in CDS (includes EXS data)
- GMR generated in GVMS, referencing the declaration
- EU import declaration filed in the destination country's system
- EU ENS filed through ICS2
Miss any one of these and the truck either cannot board or cannot be released at the other end.
Need help?
PCS Port Clearance Services Ltd handles all of these declarations 24/7 at every UK port. We are AEO licensed, bilingual in English and Turkish, and our team is experienced in moving complex consignments through Dover, Felixstowe, Southampton and London Gateway. To discuss your Brexit declarations, call +353 1 960 2215 or email customs@pcsl.uk.com — or read more on our Brexit service page.