Carrying Goods
Goods carried across the boundary of the Velocity Interoperability Network fall into three classes: personal goods, which need no declaration; declared goods, which are recorded on a short form at the crossing point; and commercial consignments, which are declared in advance and cleared at one of the two crossings equipped for cargo. The Borders Authority of the Velocity Interoperability Network receives every declaration and clears every consignment on behalf of the Customs Service and the other departments whose rules apply to particular goods.
The arrangements on this page were agreed with the Customs Service and the Transport Department during the transition period and apply from Monday 7 September 2026. They replace the separate rules previously applied by member organisations at their own boundaries. A traveller who is unsure whether an item must be declared should declare it; there is no penalty for declaring an item that turns out to be a personal good.
Advance declaration of commercial consignments from Tuesday 8 September 2026
The three classes of goods.
- Personal goods
- Clothing, personal effects, a personal supply of medicine, and small quantities of food and other items that a traveller carries for their own use or as gifts. Personal goods need no declaration and are not normally examined. A traveller may be asked to confirm that goods are for personal use.
- Declared goods
- Goods that a traveller carries for their own use but which the Customs Service, or another department, requires to be recorded: medicines beyond a personal supply, animals and plants, tools and equipment for work, and any single item of high value. Declared goods are recorded on a short form handed to the officer at the crossing and are normally cleared at once.
- Commercial consignments
- Goods carried for sale, for delivery to a business or on behalf of another person, whatever their quantity or value, and any goods carried in a goods vehicle. Commercial consignments are declared in advance by the carrier and are cleared at Westbrook Freight Gate or Southbank Quay, the two crossing points equipped for goods vehicles and cargo. A commercial consignment presented at any other crossing is directed to one of those two.
Goods that must be declared. The table below lists the goods that must be declared when carried by a traveller for their own use, the department whose rules apply and the document to carry. Goods carried for sale or delivery are commercial consignments whatever their kind.
| Goods | Scope | Rules set by | Document to carry |
|---|---|---|---|
| Medicines | Any quantity beyond a personal supply for the length of the journey | Health Department | Prescription or written confirmation from the prescriber |
| Animals | Every animal, including pets travelling with their owner | Agriculture Department | Health certificate issued within the preceding ten days |
| Plants, seeds and soil | Every plant and every quantity of seed or soil | Agriculture Department | Plant health certificate |
| Food in quantity | Food beyond what is consumed on the journey, and all meat and dairy products | Food Standards Office | None for personal use; certificate for a consignment |
| Tools and equipment for work | Tools, instruments and equipment carried for use at a place of work | Customs Service | None; equipment is recorded so that it may be carried back |
| Single item of high value | Any single item worth more than the threshold set by the Customs Service | Customs Service | Receipt or valuation where available |
| Currency and bearer instruments | Cash and bearer instruments above the threshold set by the Currency Office | Currency Office | Declaration of origin |
| Weapons | Every weapon and every component of a weapon | Police Department | Permit; refused without one |
| Hazardous materials | Fuels beyond a vehicle's tank, gases, corrosives, explosives and radioactive materials | Emergency Management Department | Permit; refused without one |
| Controlled substances | Substances listed by the Health Department as controlled | Health Department | Permit; refused without one |
The declaration form asks for the traveller's name and identity document number, the goods and their quantity, the reason they are carried and, where a document is required, its reference. Forms are available at every crossing and may be completed before arrival. A declaration is normally cleared at once by the officer at the crossing; only where a permit or certificate is missing, or the goods are of a kind the department concerned has asked to see, is the traveller directed to the secondary inspection area.
Clearing a commercial consignment. The procedure below applies to every commercial consignment, by road at Westbrook Freight Gate or by water at Southbank Quay.
Step 1: The carrier makes an advance declaration
No later than four hours before the consignment reaches the crossing, the carrier sends the Authority the consignment declaration, giving the goods, their quantity and value, the consignor and consignee, the vehicle or vessel and the expected time of arrival. Carriers who cross regularly may lodge declarations for a week at a time.
Step 2: The Authority transmits the declaration to the Customs Service
The declaration is transmitted to the Customs Service on receipt. The Customs Service either clears the consignment in advance, asks for further information, or marks the consignment for examination on arrival. The Authority tells the carrier which of these applies before the consignment arrives.
Step 3: The consignment presents at Westbrook Freight Gate or Southbank Quay
The driver or the vessel's master presents the declaration reference and identity documents. A consignment cleared in advance passes through the freight lane and is recorded. A consignment marked for examination is directed to the holding area.
Step 4: Examination, where required
Officers of the Customs Service examine the consignment in the holding area in the presence of the driver or master. The Authority provides the area and the equipment; the Customs Service decides whether the consignment is cleared, cleared with conditions or refused. Examinations are normally completed within two hours.
Step 5: The consignment is released
The Authority records the clearance against the crossing and releases the consignment. The carrier receives confirmation by email the same day, which serves as evidence of clearance for the consignor and consignee.
Carrying goods across the boundary: common questions.
Enquiries about declarations and consignments may be sent to contact@borders.gov.vin. For the crossings equipped for goods vehicles and their hours, see Crossings; for the figures on declarations and refusals during the transition period, see Statistics; for how referrals to the Customs Service and other departments work, see Coordination.