As of August 2026: goods brought from the EU into Great Britain need a British ENS (safety and security declaration), mandatory since 31 January 2025. In the opposite direction the EU's ICS2 applies, covering road transport since 1 April 2025, with a transition that ended on 1 September 2025. Filing the ENS is, as a rule, the carrier's job.
Two systems, one route
- Poland to Great Britain: an ENS into the British S&S GB system before the crossing. Since 31 January 2025 this also covers goods from the EU, which were previously exempt. The British dataset was slimmed down to 20 mandatory fields plus conditional ones.
- Great Britain to Poland (imports from the UK, return loads): an ENS into the EU's ICS2. For road transport the obligation started on 1 April 2025 and from 1 September 2025 it covers all road carriers without exception.
Who files and where the data comes from
In both directions the ENS obligation rests, as a rule, with the carrier, because the carrier knows how and when the goods will cross the border. The data, however, comes from the consignor: an honest goods description, an HS code to at least six digits, consignor, consignee, package count and weight. Vague descriptions like "parts" or "gift" get rejected; we collected the wording to avoid in our article on unacceptable goods descriptions in ENS.
What happens without a filing
Without an ENS the truck should not even approach the crossing: the ferry operator or terminal verifies filings before boarding. A missing or faulty declaration means, in practice, a lost sailing and a delivery pushed back a day, and on entry into the EU an additional flag for inspection. The British side of ENS is covered in detail in our article on the ENS declaration for the UK, and return loads in the piece on importing from the UK to Poland.
What this changes for the customer
Little, as long as the data is complete: we prepare the filings in both directions as part of the transport. We only ask for the commercial documents early, because an ENS is lodged before arrival at the border, not at the terminal. Shipping without a complete data set is asking for a lost crossing slot.
A safety declaration and a customs declaration
ENS and the customs declaration are two separate obligations filed in two separate systems. The ENS answers the border agencies' question: is this load safe and is it worth stopping for a check. The customs declaration answers the fiscal question: what are these goods, what duty and what tax. You can have a correct clearance and still not board the ferry because the ENS is missing, and the other way round: an accepted ENS relieves you of nothing on the customs side. Customers confuse them most often on a first return load from the UK, when it turns out the full set of formalities has to be filed again, this time in the other direction and in a different system.
What to send, and when, so the filings go on time
- The commercial invoice and packing list in an editable form or a legible PDF, not a phone photo.
- A goods description fit for a declaration: type, material, purpose, plus an HS code to at least six digits.
- Full consignor and consignee details with addresses, not just short names.
- A package count and gross weight matching what actually stands on the ramp.
- Notice of any special goods: excise, chemicals, dual-use items.
Sources
- GOV.UK: safety and security requirements for imports from the EU (from 31.01.2025)
- European Commission: Import Control System 2 (ICS2)
- European Commission: ICS2 extended to road and rail from 04.2025
We carry both ways and take the safety filings on ourselves as part of our customs service. Planning an export or a return load from the UK? Write through the contact form.
