HMRC has announced a forthcoming CDS update taking place on the 28 March 2026
The update will be completed with a system outage from 20:00 Saturday 28th March until 05:45 on Sunday 29th March 2026.
Declarations should not be submitted during the outage period. Creating, updating, or embarking a Goods Movement Reference (GMR) during this time might be affected.
The 5.1.0 release includes:
- Updates for document/information/procedure/location codes
- Quota claims
- Use of commodity codes for exporting personal effects
The guidance document for traders can be found here.
In addition, please see the attached documents:
- Detailed instructions on how to declare certain document codes on Northern Ireland declarations to avoid compatibility issues with the EU CERTEX system
- A spreadsheet showing the Appendix 5A changes relating to the CERTEX system
- A spreadsheet containing the Appendix 5A instructions for non-CERTEX-related document code validation changes
- Sample spreadsheet showing the format changes for Goods Location Codes in Appendix 16C: Maritime Ports and Wharves
Northern Ireland movements – important update from 13 April 2026
For customers moving goods between Great Britain or Rest of World and Northern Ireland
From 13 April 2026, some customers may start to see new error messages on their Customs Declaration Service (CDS) declarations. Where this happens, declarations will need to be amended or re‑submitted before goods can move and the declaration can be completed.
This change affects goods that require regulatory licences or certificates issued by another government department, for example:
- CHEDs (animals, plants and plant products)
- Certificates of Inspection (COI)
- FGAS and ODS licences
What you need to know
- There are no changes to how you apply for or receive licences or certificates from DAERA or other agencies
- There are no changes to the CDS declaration process
- However, it is essential that licence and certificate details are entered accurately on the CDS declaration, exactly as shown on the document
If licence data does not match, the declaration will error and placed on hold until it is corrected.
Why this is happening
HMRC will now be including CERTEX validation (the EU Certificate Exchange System) for GB–NI movements. CERTEX automatically checks that licences and certificates:
- Exist
- Match the declaration details
- Have enough remaining quantity
Where these checks fail, CDS will generate an error message.
From 13 April 2026
From this date, HMRC will switch on CERTEX checks for:
- GB–NI movements requiring CHEDs for live animals and plants (100% physical checks)
- COI movements for Rest of World to NI
Customers using TSS or direct CDS routes may therefore see new validation errors if licence details are incorrect.
What you should do now
- Check that licence and certificate references are entered correctly and consistently
- Make sure quantities and commodity details match the licence exactly
- Allow time to amend and re‑submit declarations if errors occur
HMRC has produced this short guide highlighting the most common declaration issues.
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