Guide: NCTS Phase 5 – Streamlining Goods Transit Across Borders
The New Computerised Transit System (NCTS) is a sophisticated digital platform established by the European Union to manage the transit of goods between countries that have signed the Common Transit Convention (CTC).
The CTC facilitates smoother movement of goods between the EU and Common Transit Countries, which include Norway, Iceland, Switzerland, North Macedonia, Serbia, Turkey, the UK, and Ukraine. This agreement simplifies rules, such as mutually recognised financial guarantees for customs transit and fewer controls, which helps businesses reduce costs and provides more flexibility in determining the point of clearance into the EU.
NCTS enables customs authorities and transport operators to submit and process transit declarations efficiently, offering real-time monitoring and control of transit movements. This system aims to streamline transit procedures, minimise documentation requirements, enhance security, reduce fraud risks, and improve customs control. Since its inception in 2005, NCTS has undergone several updates to boost functionality and security. And now this week marks the latest update with the migration to NCTS Phase 5 which aligns the data structure with the European Customs Data Model and represents more closely the commercial transactions.
For more information on NCTS, visit the HMRC website:
