Information to submit when importing by sea

When:

The entry summary declaration must be submitted before the goods enter the EU. The deadline depends on how the goods are packed on the ship:

• Containerised cargo: 24 hours prior to loading the goods in the port of departure.
• Bulk or batch: four hours prior to the arrival of the goods to a port in EU.

The above rules have some exceptions whereby the entry summary declaration may be submitted at the latest two hours prior to the arrival of the goods to the first port in the EU:

• Goods arriving from Greenland, the Faroe Islands, Morocco, ports in the Baltic Sea, North Sea, Black sea or the Mediterranean.
• Moving between a territory outside the customs territory of the Union and the French overseas departments, the Azores, Madeira or the Canary Islands when the journey last for less than 24 hours.

Why:

The customs authorities needs to detect and address security and safety threats.

Data filling:

An entry summary declaration should be submitted in the common EU Import Control System (ICS2).

The information in the entry summary declaration is provided either in full by the maritime carrier or by both the maritime carrier and other actors involved in the handling of the goods, known as house filers, providing their respective information.

The information to be submitted depends on your role:

• A maritime carrier files information at master consignment level. This includes vessel number, route, times of departure and arrival, custom office of first entry (COFE), container list etc.
  
• en maritime house filer holds and files information about goods at house consignment level. They have more details about a consignment, such as information about the consignor and the consignee (e.g. name, e-mail address, telephone number) and information about the contents of the consignment (e.g. description of the goods) A house filer can be a haulage company, a ground handling agent, an importer, a ship broker or similar.

Roles and responsibilities, ICS2 (in Swedish).

There are cases when an entry summary declaration is not required. For example, this applies to goods introduced from Norway, and some postal and express consignments.

Goods in transit are not covered by the entry summary declaration. Instead, the pre-arrival declaration information is included in the transit declaration

Find out more about pre-arrival declarations and entry summary declarations (in Swedish).

How to connect to ICS2 (in Swedish)

When:

You need to provide prior notification for your vessel at least 24 hours before the vessel calls at the port. Vessels making trips of less than 24 hours are exempt from this rule. If your ship will be calling at several ports, you need to provide prior notification before arriving at each port.

Why:

Swedish Customs should be informed of where and when the means of transport is due to arrive.

Data filing:

Your pre-arrival declaration should contain the following information:

• All information included in the FAL forms 1-4:
  • FAL form 1 – General Declaration
  • FAL form 2 – Cargo Declaration
  • FAL form 3 – Ship`s Stores Declaration
  • FAL form 4 – Crew`s Effects Declaration

• Presentation notification, see step 4. Presentation notification for goods

If Sweden is the first country of entry to the European Union, you should also submit a reference to each respective entry summary declaration for your cargo.

See also: All cargo att arrival, p. 56 of the MSW Reportal user guide (Swedish Maritime Administration)

Vessels arriving from Northern Ireland are exempt from the entry summary declaration requirement. Mark “Undantag från att lämna föranmälan” (Exemption from entry summary declaration) in the MSW.

When:

Arrival notifications in ICS2 should be filed as the vessel calls at the first Union port. The information should be submitted to the common EU Import Control System (ICS2) as the vessel calls at the port.

Why:

Swedish Customs should be informed that the means of transport has arrived and that the arrival has been registered in ICS2.

Data filing:

The arrival notification of the means of transport is provided by the vessel operator and can therefore be a different actor than the one who originally provided the data for the entry summary declaration (step 1).

The notification of arrival of the means of transport shall be made in the central external interface of ICS2.

The notification shall contain a reference to the entry summary declarations submitted for all goods on board the means of transport.

The arrival notification of the means of transport shall contain one of the following:

• List of MRNs:
  • MRNs of master level filings that are also MRNs for an entry summary declaration.
• List of master transport documents with the estimated date and time of arrival (should not be modifed, it is ESTIMATED not actual e.g. delay):
  • Reference number of the master bill of lading in combination with the estimated date and time of arrival indicated in the entry summary declaration.
• 'Entry Key':
  • The Entry Key consists of IMO number or ENI number and is given in combination with the expected date and time of arrival indicated in the entry summary declaration.

When:

At the time of arrival. Goods arriving to Sweden by sea should be presented upon arrival. The requirement to present goods to customs only applies to goods that are unloaded in Sweden.

Why:

Swedish Customs should be given notification of the arrival of the goods, any applicable tariff status and how the goods will be handled in the following step.

Data filing:

The presentation notification should be submitted in the MSW Reportal.

Please include the following information:

• Goods arriving from non EU-countries
  • Entry summary declaration MRN at Master and /or House consignment level.
  • Transport document reference at Master and/or House consignment level.
  • Container
  • Receptacle

• Union goods
  • PoUs MRN
  • Reference to supporting documents

See also: Cargo to unload (p.58) in the MSW Reportal user guide (Swedish Maritime Administration)

The requirement to present goods to customs only applies to goods that are unloaded in Sweden.

For goods arriving from Norway, only reference to transport documents shall be provided.

Currently, the information in FAL 2 constitute a Temporary Storage Declaration (TSD).

When:

Before Swedish Customs is due to approve the declaration.

Why:

Swedish Customs needs to collect correct revenues and trade statistics, and monitor the restriction criteria.

Data filing:

Follow the declaration guide that corresponds to your type of declaration.

Declaration guides (in Swedish)