UK Border Controls Postponed, Simplified Declarations Process Extended

The dates in this blog post might be outdated. For the most up-to-date information, please consult our blog.

The second and third phases of the UK’s Border Operating Model have been extended from 1 April and 1 July to 1 October and 1 January 2022, respectively. The UK Parliament issued this extension to enable UK businesses to focus on their recovery from COVID. The new timetable includes postponement of UK border controls for some imports and an additional six-month allowance for companies to use the delayed declarations procedure.

The adjustments to the timetable are as follows.

1. April 1 → October 1. The original timeline requiring health certificates and pre-notification of Products of Animal Origin (POAO), certain animal by-products (ABP), and high-risk food and feed not of animal origin (HRFNAO) has been postponed to 1 October. At that point, these products must be pre-notified using IPAFFS at least 24 hours before arrival in GB. They must also be accompanied by a Health certificate, which the EU exporter must obtain from its national authorities.
2. July 1 → January 1, 2022. Deferred declarations and border controls originally scheduled to take effect on 1 July 2021 have been postponed to 1 January 2022.
   1. The deferred declarations scheme, or transitional Entry in Declarant’s Records (EiDR), allows companies to record the import of standard goods in their own records followed by the filing of a supplementary declaration. With this extension, companies have six months to file a supplementary declaration for imports up to and including 31 December 2021.
   2. Physical checks on POAO, certain ABP, HRFNAO, and high-risk plants are postponed until 1 January 2022. After that, these products must enter GB through a port where an appropriate Border Control Post (BCP) is located.
   3. Entry Summary (ENS)/Safety & Security Import Declarations must be submitted to the UK’s S&S GB beginning 1 January 2022.
   4. Phytosanitary certificates and pre-notification will be required for low-risk plants and plant products and documentary checks for these items will be performed as of 1 January 2022.
3. July 1 → March 1, 2022. Live animals and low-risk plants and plant products will be subject to physical checks at designated BCPs.

This extended timetable gives companies ample opportunity to adopt a cost-effective and scalable digital solution to manage customs formalities. If you are interested in a digital-first approach that will prepare you for compliance with the upcoming phases of the UK Border Operating Model and position you for a greater competitive advantage now and in the future, contact us today.