Common user charge: rates and eligibility

As part of changes to import controls under the Border Target Operating Model (BTOM), from 30 April 2024 the common user charge will apply to commercial imports entering or transiting through Great Britain through the Port of Dover and Eurotunnel from all countries.

For information on why the government is introducing the charge, read the government response to the consultation on charging arrangements at government-run border control posts.

When the charge will apply

From 30 April 2024, you will need to pay the common user charge if you are a UK business importing a consignment of goods that:

• enters or transits through Great Britain through the Port of Dover or Eurotunnel
• is eligible for sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) checks at a government-run border control post in England

The charge will apply to common health entry document (CHED) notifications on the import of products, animals, food and feed system (IPAFFS) that are submitted or changed on or after 30 April 2024.  

Changes or cancellations can be made to CHED notifications up to 2 hours before the entry time stated on the notification. At this point the notification will be locked and the information will be used to calculate the charge.

The charge will apply even if the authorities do not select your consignment for SPS checks.

Participants of the Accredited Trusted Trader Scheme (ATTS) pilot will need to pay the common user charge on imports which are eligible for SPS checks at a government-run BCP. We will review the position as the scheme is developed further.

When the charge will not apply

You will not need to pay the common user charge for: 

• low-risklow risk plants and plant products – if these goods are pre-notified on IPAFFS, you may still be charged
• plants and plant products checked at an inland control point instead of a government-run BCP
• plants and plant products moving from one country to another and transiting through Great Britain (this is known as ‘using Great Britain as a landbridge’) – if these goods are pre-notified on IPAFFS, you may still be charged
• goods for personal use you’re bringing on the Eurostar, Eurotunnel Le Shuttle or Dover Ferry passenger services

Participants of the Authorised Operator Status (AOS) pilot for plants and plant products will not need to pay the common user charge provided SPS checks take place at an inland control point.

How the charge will be calculated

If your goods are eligible, the common user charge will apply to each commodity line in a common health entry document (CHED).. It will apply to separate commodity lines even if they share the same commodity code.

The maximum charge for one CHED will be limited to 5 commodity lines, even if there are more than 5 commodity lines present in the CHED.

A CHED is an import notification you submit on the import of products, animals, food and feed system (IPAFFS) to notify authorities in Great Britain about your import. A commodity line is a quantity of goods entered as a separate line item in a CHED.

Common user charge rates

The following rates will be charged for each commodity line in a CHED.

Commodity type	Imports	Transits
Low-riskLow risk products of animal origin (POAO)	£10	£10
Medium-riskMedium risk POAO	£29	£10
High-riskHigh risk POAO	£29	£10
High-riskHigh risk food and feed not of animalnon-animal origin (HRFNAO)	£29	noNo common user charge
Low-riskLow risk plants and plant products	noNo common user charge	noNo common user charge
Medium-riskMedium risk plants and plant products	£29	noNo common user charge
High-riskHigh risk plants and plant products	£29	noNo common user charge

The maximum charge for one CHED will be limited to 5 commodity lines, even if there are more than 5 commodity lines present in the CHED. This means that medium and high-riskhigh risk CHEDs will be capped at £145. Low-riskLow risk POAO CHEDs and POAO transits will be capped at £50.

If your CHED has commodity lines with different risk categories, the rate of the highest risk category will apply to all commodity lines. For example, if low risk and medium risk commodity lines are combined in the same CHED, the medium risk common user charge rate will apply to all commodity lines.

VAT will not be added.

Defra will review and update rates annually.

Defra is developing the common user charge rates for live animals separately and will publish the rates before implementing them. 

Example calculations 

These examples show how the common user charge will be calculated. 

Example 1 

Example 2 

Example 3 

Example 4 

Other charges

The common user charge will be in addition to any inspection fees applied by the:

• port health authority (for productsPOAO ofand animal origin)HRFNAO)
• Animal and Plant Health Agency (for plants and plant products)

There will be additional charges for failing to comply with paying the common user charge. Read the ‘compliance with paying the charge’ section below.

Billing 

FromThe 30importer Aprilor 2024,agent working on behalf of the personimporter ormust organisationprovide submittingup-to-date anbilling importdetails notificationin througheach IPAFFS notification. These will be responsibleused for:for invoices. Agents must make sure they have permission to use an importer’s billing details. 

Billing details include: 

• theaddress 
• email consignmentaddress 
• phone fromnumber 

If whenan importer raises their own notifications on IPAFFS, they sendwill be responsible for paying the notificationcommon untiluser charge. They should provide their own billing details in the consignmentIPAFFS reachesnotification. 

For POAO, if an agent raises notifications on IPAFFS on behalf of an importer, the portagent and importer will need to agree who is responsible for payment of entrythe common user charge. If the: 

• agent is responsible, the agent should provide their own billing details in Greatthe BritainIPAFFS notification  
• payingimporter is responsible, the commonagent usershould chargeprovide forthe eachimporter’s consignmentbilling details in the IPAFFS notification 

IfFor theplants personand orplant organisationproducts, submittingif thean importimporter notificationhas isgranted using Delegation of Authority,Authority to an agent, the organisationagent theymust areprovide the importer’s billing details in the IPAFFS notification.  

Defra will issue a monthly invoiceinvoices in arrears. Invoices will come from Shared Services Connected Ltd. (SSCL), who will answer queries about invoices.  

The first invoices will be issued no sooner than 12 weeks after 30 April 2024.  

Invoices will include details for CHEDs which were charged during the invoicing period, including: 

• CHED reference numbers - each CHED will appear on a new line 
• CHED risk levels 
• the number of commodity lines within each CHED 
• the total charge for each CHED 

Invoices will not include specific commodity information. 

Invoices can be paid by: 

• GOV.UK pay, using the link on the invoice  
• bank transfer or BACS 
• over the phone by debit or credit card 
• cheque 

Invoices must be paid within 30 days.

Compliance with paying the charge

We will put in place measures to deter late payment and payment avoidance, including charges for late payment.

We’ll publish further information on compliance measures before the first invoices are issued.

How common user charge rates have been set

Rates for the common user charge have been set by calculating the estimated annual operating costs at government-run BCP facilities and dividing this by the estimated annual number of SPS commodity lines that enter through Port of Dover and Eurotunnels.

Operating costs include:

• business rates
• costs associated with administering the charge
• costs associated with payment collection
• maintenance costs
• sewerage costs
• site operator costs
• site management costs
• utilities costs

Guidance on import controls for SPS goods

Read about:

• importing live animals and animal products to Great Britain
• importing plants and plant products from the EU to Great Britain
• importing plants and plant products from non-EU countries to Great Britain

High-risk

importing high risk food and feed not of animalnon-animal origin

from the EU to Great Britain