Guides / Air freight imports · Updated 30 September 2026

Importing by air freight into UK airports: how clearance works

From the carrier's safety declaration to release from temporary storage: who does what when goods fly into a UK airport, and what the importer must supply.

This guide is also available in Polish.

Why air cargo clearance feels different

Air freight moves fast, but the customs steps behind it are the same building blocks as any other UK import: a safety and security declaration before arrival, a period in temporary storage, and a full import declaration in the Customs Declaration Service (CDS). What changes is who handles each step and how little time there is between take-off and landing. If you understand which party owns which step, most delays at a UK airport become predictable rather than mysterious.

Step 1: the entry summary declaration is the carrier's job

Before goods arrive in Great Britain, an entry summary declaration (ENS) must be lodged with HMRC. GOV.UK is clear that this sits with the carrier: the party moving the goods is responsible for making sure the declaration is submitted, although it can use a customs agent or another third party to file it. For imports into Great Britain the service used is Safety and Security GB (S&S GB); for goods going into Northern Ireland from Great Britain or non-EU countries, ICS2 is used instead.

The rules say the ENS must be made before the goods arrive and can be submitted up to 200 days in advance. The general guidance does not set out separate air-specific deadlines, so check the latest HMRC technical guidance or ask the airline or forwarder rather than relying on figures quoted elsewhere. As an importer you rarely file the ENS yourself, but you do feed it: the shipper's description of the goods, consignor and consignee details and the transport document all come from your commercial paperwork, so vague descriptions upstream create problems downstream.

Step 2: temporary storage after landing

Once the aircraft lands, the cargo is presented to customs and normally held in temporary storage at or near the airport until it is released. This is not a free parking space: GOV.UK states that where temporary storage is used, the full import declaration must be made within 90 days of the goods being presented to customs, and specific locations may apply their own requirements. In practice the storage operator will not let the goods leave until customs release has been granted.

Step 3: the full import declaration in CDS

The import declaration is made in CDS, the system that replaced the older CHIEF system. You need software that can submit declarations, which is why most importers use an agent. The declaration includes, among other things:

• the customs procedure code and the commodity code of each item;
• consignor and consignee details, including your EORI number;
• the type, amount and packaging of the goods;
• origin, mode of transport and valuation information;
• a declaration unique consignment reference.

If you are unsure which procedure code fits your shipment, our explainer on customs procedure codes walks through the common import ones.

Pre-lodging: using the flight time

Air freight is where pre-lodging earns its keep. GOV.UK allows a full import declaration to be submitted up to 30 days before the goods arrive; it is formally accepted when the goods actually arrive. If the arrival status is not updated automatically, the goods have to be arrived manually. For an importer, this means sending your agent the invoice, packing list and air waybill details as soon as the goods are booked, not after they land.

Food, plants and animal products: border control posts

Some consignments need more than a customs declaration. Live animals, germinal products, animal by-products, products of animal origin, composite food products, high-risk food and feed not of animal origin, and medium and high risk plants and plant products must be pre-notified in IPAFFS before they arrive in Great Britain. Whoever raises the IPAFFS notification is responsible for the consignment from entry until the authorities complete their checks.

These goods must also enter through a border control post (BCP). The UK government publishes a list of BCPs at airports, including Heathrow, and warns importers to make sure the BCP is designated for the specific commodity. It also asks importers to tell the BCP about the consignment in advance, otherwise checks may take longer or an additional charge may be applied. Customs clearance and SPS checks are separate tracks: a completed CDS declaration does not release goods that are still waiting for BCP checks.

Courier or freight forwarder: two different routes

There are broadly two ways air imports reach you.

GOV.UK describes express operators as businesses that move documents, parcels and freight within a set time frame and that can deal with customs as part of their delivery. For larger or regulated consignments, importers more often appoint an agent directly. Our guide on whether you need a broker helps you decide.

Representation and who carries the risk

Anyone declaring on your behalf needs written instructions from you, and those instructions must state whether they act as a direct or indirect representative. Under direct representation you, the importer, remain liable for the declaration; under indirect representation the agent is jointly liable with you. Either way, GOV.UK notes that you remain responsible for due diligence on your declarations, so keep copies of the representation terms and check what is filed in your name.

What the importer should have ready

• A GB EORI number that starts with GB.
• A commercial invoice with a precise goods description, value and currency.
• A packing list and the air waybill reference.
• The commodity code and origin of each item, with evidence if you claim preferential origin.
• Signed representation instructions for your agent.
• For SPS goods: the IPAFFS notification, the correct health or phytosanitary certificate, and a BCP designated for the commodity.

If you want a worked, airport-specific walkthrough, Easy Clearance publishes a guide to clearing air cargo at Heathrow that covers air waybills and the Heathrow sequence. For the declaration itself, see our CDS import declaration guide.

Related guides

• Importing Polish food products for UK shops and delis

• Importing honey from Poland and the EU into Great Britain

• IPAFFS pre-notification: which imports, who submits and how it links to customs

Sources

• Making an entry summary declaration (GOV.UK)
• Making a full import declaration (GOV.UK)
• Import of products, animals, food and feed system (IPAFFS) (GOV.UK)
• UK border control posts: animal and animal product imports (GOV.UK)
• Appoint someone to deal with customs on your behalf (GOV.UK)

General information, not legal, tax or customs advice. Rules change; confirm current requirements on gov.uk or with a registered agent before you ship.