UK CDS guidance: document codes and licence declaration
HMRC has published updated guidance on Data Element 2/3 of the Customs Declaration Service (CDS), clarifying which document codes, document status codes, and supporting references (licences, certificates) must be declared in customs submissions. The guidance includes a detailed appendix (5A) mapping document types to their required codes and declaration formats.
Photo: Zulfugar Karimov / PexelsHMRC updates CDS document declaration guidance
On 1 May 2026, HMRC released guidance covering Data Element 2/3 of the Union Customs Declaration Service (CDS), the UK's primary customs clearance platform. This technical notice specifies the exact document codes and reference formats shippers and customs agents must use when filing import and export declarations.
Who is affected
All UK importers, exporters, and customs brokers using CDS must comply with these data-element rules. Anyone declaring goods subject to licences (e.g. food, chemicals, textiles), certificates of origin, phytosanitary documents, or other mandatory supporting papers is directly affected.
What the guidance covers
According to HMRC:
Find the relevant document codes, document status codes and details to be declared such as licences and certificates (Appendix 5A).
The guidance provides:
- Document codes: standardised identifiers for each document type (licences, certificates, permits, safety approvals)
- Document status codes: flags indicating whether a document is original, copy, or conditional
- Appendix 5A reference table: a comprehensive mapping showing which documents require what metadata and how to structure the declaration
Shippers must use the exact codes specified in Appendix 5A or their declarations will be rejected at the CDS submission gateway, resulting in clearance delays.
Why this matters
The CDS platform is non-negotiable for UK customs clearance. Incorrect or omitted document codes trigger automatic rejection, stopping goods in customs for hours or days while corrections are resubmitted. Compliance is immediate—there is no transition period.
What this means for shippers
Download and memorise Appendix 5A of HMRC's guidance now. Every declaration involving licences, certificates, or restricted goods must cite the correct document code; non-compliance triggers mandatory resubmission and clearance delays. Your freight forwarder or customs broker must implement these codes into their CDS submission workflow immediately. Audit your last 10 declarations for accuracy and correct any non-compliant filings with HMRC before they compound into pattern violations.
