Customs Clearance UK

Standard customs clearance takes 1-4 hours from entry submission, as long as all documentation is correct. Pre-lodged entries (submitted before your goods arrive) can be cleared almost instantly on arrival. If HMRC selects your goods for examination, allow 1-3 working days.

Customs clearance fees depend on the complexity of the entry, the number of commodity lines and whether you need extra services like classification advice or duty relief applications. We charge competitive per-entry rates and offer volume discounts for regular importers. Contact us with your typical shipment details for a specific quote.

For UK imports you need a commercial invoice (showing seller, buyer, goods description, value and Incoterms), packing list (weight, dimensions, package count), transport document (bill of lading, airway bill or CMR) and any commodity-specific certificates. Depending on the goods: certificates of origin, conformity certificates, phytosanitary certificates, import licences or safety data sheets.

Customs clearance is the process of declaring goods to HMRC when they enter or leave the UK. It is a legal requirement for all commercial imports and exports. Without it, your goods get held at the port and may be seized. A customs clearance agent like KAM Freight submits the entries, calculates duty and VAT, and gets your goods released.

Yes. You need a UK EORI number to import or export commercial goods. If you trade with the EU, you may also need a separate EU EORI number. Apply through the HMRC website -- it usually takes a few working days. We can guide you through the application.

All goods moving between the UK and EU now need customs declarations. We handle export declarations, safety and security declarations, import entries, rules of origin and preference claims under the UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement. We also manage Northern Ireland Protocol requirements.

Goods get held for documentation errors, HMRC examination, licensing issues or suspected non-compliance. We act immediately to find out why and fix it. For document problems, we liaise with HMRC. For examinations, we attend on your behalf. We also handle post-clearance amendments and appeals.

Yes. If you overpaid because of wrong commodity codes, incorrect valuation or unclaimed reliefs, we submit a retrospective duty reclaim to HMRC. You can claim back overpayments from the last three years. We regularly recover significant amounts for businesses that did not know they were overpaying.

CDS (Customs Declaration Service) has replaced CHIEF as HMRC's customs system. All UK import declarations now go through CDS. We have been fully operational on CDS since launch. If your previous broker was still on CHIEF, we handle the switch.