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Advanced Guide to Completing Customs Declarations

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This advanced training course will closely guide you through the decisions that led to the arrival of HMRC’s CDS (Customs Declaration Service) platform.

You will achieve a comprehensive understanding on how the different operating models of the UK’s ports affect the clearance process, what documents and pre-requisites are needed to begin the process of submitting an entry and we will demonstrate how to complete import declarations in a live demo system. This will show you the steps you need to cover and showcase a “real-life” application.

This course is suited to both importers and exporters, and will have a core focus on imports due to their greater complexity around valuation.

By the end of this course you will gain an understanding of how a customs declaration software can be laid out, and how identify solutions to common CDS error codes.

*The course will demonstrate the use of an e-customs platform, however this knowledge and skill can be applied to any customs platforms.

  • Course content

  • Learning outcomes

    • Understand why customs declarations are required and why CDS (Customs Declaration Service) implemented
    • Understand the steps required to begin lodging customs declarations
    • Learn how to extract key information from commercial documents
    • Learn how to refer to gov.uk guidance to assist in completing declarations
    • Follow a step-by-step example of completing an import declaration in CDS


  • Pre-requisites
  • There are no pre-requisites for this course.
  • Assessment
  • Exercises designed to test the attendees understanding - including completing one export declaration to the satisfaction of the trainer
  • More details

  • Who should attend?

    This course is suited for individuals or businesses that are looking to upskill their team on the process of completing customs declarations in HMRC’s CDS, either in-house or by instructing intermediaries.

    Prior knowledge of importing and exporting processes will benefit the learner, but are not required. This course is designed to give a working, practical knowledge of customs clearance processes that can be applied in isolation, or as part of an individual’s wider learning programme/experience.

    Professionals suited to this course include:

    • Customs agents
    • Freight forwarders
    • UK traders
    • Export and import administrators
    • Export and import sales administrators
    • Distribution specialists
    • Import/Export compliance officers
    • Trade and compliance officers