Guidance

Data Element 2/3: Documents and Other Reference Codes (Union) of the Customs Declaration Service

Find the relevant document codes, document status codes and details to be declared such as licences and certificates (Appendix 5A).

Documents

Data Element 2/3 Documents and Other Reference Codes (Union) (Appendix 5A)

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Details

Known error workarounds may apply to this area of the instructions.

This Appendix provides details of the relevant document codes, document status codes and details to be declared (for example, licences and certificates) in Data Element (DE) 2/3 of the customs declaration.

This includes document codes for all types of authorisations required to declare the goods to the customs procedure concerned (for example, C512 to be declared when the Simplified Declaration Procedure is being used).

This guidance refers to Union codes and details. If you want to declare National codes and details, see Appendix 5A: DE 2/3 Document and Other Reference Codes (National).

Where both Union and National document codes are being declared, enter any Union codes first.

Where a document code permits the use of status codes UA, UE, UP, US, XX or XW, and where the document normally requires a reference number, and where the document is not held (waiver is claimed) a statement supporting the use of those status codes must be provided. The statement must be provided in both the Second Component (Document Identifier) and in the fourth component: (Document Reason) (an..35) of DE 2/3.

See Appendix 5B: DE 2/3 document status codes for status code definitions.

Unless specifically instructed otherwise in column 4 of the individual document code, a document identifier reference number is not required.

Use of status code XX or XW is a legal declaration that the goods are exempted from the documentary controls.

Enough evidence must be held in records to show eligibility for the waiver or exemption which must be produced on demand.

Published 1 August 2018
Last updated 216 NovemberDecember 2022 + show all updates
  1. Codes L139, L142, X839, Y846, Y847, Y848, Y849, Y850, Y851 and Y853 have been added to Data Element 2/3 Documents and Other Reference Codes (Union) (Appendix 5A).

  2. This guidance has been updated to reflect amended instructions at codes C085, C640, C673, C678, I004, L001, L079, N002, N851, N853 and Y100.

  3. Completion instructions for document codes N002 and N851 have been amended to reflect the differences dependent on whether the pre-notification was done using PEACH or IPAFFS. The document status codes for these document codes have also been updated. Document code Y946 has also been amended to show that it can be used on both import and export declarations.

  4. Document codes U116, U117 and U118 have been removed.

  5. The page has been updated with new codes at Y229 and Y999. Codes C603, C604, C606 and C610 have been removed.

  6. The page has been updated at CO52, U112, Y900, Y925 and Y950.

  7. Document codes Y840, Y841, Y842, Y843 and Y845 have been added as part of a response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

  8. Document code Y127 added for consignments of certain foodstuffs to declare that they have not originated in or been dispatched from Turkey. Document codes Y831, Y832, Y833, Y835 and Y838 added as part of the response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

  9. New union document code U178 for ‘Origin quotas — Product originating in accordance with Annex ORIG-2A’ between the EU, UK and European Atomic Energy Community has been added.

  10. Union document codes Y803, Y804, Y817, Y818 and Y819 have been added to cover EU sanctions in response to the invasion of Ukraine. Union document codes D008 and Y939 have had the definitions updated.

  11. New codes Y801, Y802, Y805, Y806, Y807, Y808, Y809, Y810, Y811, Y812, Y813, Y814, Y815, Y816, Y820, Y821, Y822, Y824 and Y825 have been added to facilitate the operation of sanctions imposed against Russia and Belarus.

  12. The list has been updated at Document Codes A016, C083, U075, U076, U077, U116, U117, U118, U119, X060, X061, X062, X063, X064, X065, X066, X067, X068, X070, X072, Y117, Y118, Y120, Y123, Y124, Y125, Y955, Y956, Y976, Y980, Y983, Y984, Y985, Y986, Y987, Y988, Y990, Y991, Y992, Y993, Y994, Y995 and Y996.

  13. This page has been updated to reflect amended completion instructions at C640, C678, N002, N851 and N853.

  14. This page has been updated to remove C051, C642, Y039, Y064, Y065, Y068 and Y974.

  15. This page has been updated at C014, C015, C017, C018 and C652 with clearer declaration completion instructions. The availability of status codes EA, EE, EL, EL and ES have also been removed at C014.

  16. This page has been updated with corrected instructions at Y930 and Y931.

  17. This page has been updated regarding ‘Details to be entered’ advice for C052, C667, Y006, Y007, Y034, Y038, Y085, Y105, Y109, Y200-223, Y919, Y951, Y970 and Y971.

  18. Updated guidance on document codes permitting the use of status codes UA, UE, UP, US and ‘Details to be entered’ for C667, N934, U112, Y006, Y007, Y034, Y038, Y054, Y058, Y085, Y919 and Y925.

  19. Added codes C089 and Y981 to relevant parts of Appendix 5A data table.

  20. Appendix 5A has been updated to include changes to the following codes: C008, C084, L081, L082, U031, U052, U072, U073, U074, Y116 and Y980.

  21. This page has been updated to reflect code changes, specifically the removal of C087 and Y933.

  22. This page has been updated to reflect the revised Appendix 5A: DE 2/3 Documents and Other Reference Codes (Union), specifically a change regarding Document Code Y935.

  23. First published.