Guides / Check GMR status · Updated 19 October 2026
How to check GMR status on GOV.UK: GVMS states and inspection results
To check GMR status, the haulier signs in to GVMS to see the state of the reference (open, checked in, embarked, completed), while the driver enters the GMR in HMRC's inspection check service to learn whether the goods must report for a check. Here is what each answer means and what to do next.
This guide is also available in Polish.
Two different things called "GMR status"
People searching for their GOV.UK GMR status usually want one of two answers, and HMRC keeps them in separate places:
- The state of the GMR itself in the Goods Vehicle Movement Service (GVMS): whether it can still be edited, has been checked in, or has crossed. The haulier sees this when signed in to GVMS.
- The inspection status: whether the goods must report for a check. Drivers find this in HMRC's check if you need to report for an inspection service, which asks for the GMR.
Mixing the two up is how drivers end up driving past an inspection they were called to, or dispatchers try to edit a GMR that is already locked.
GMR gov.uk login: where you actually sign in
There is no separate GMR account. You sign in to GVMS with the details you used when you registered for the service, and GMRs are created and managed there. HMRC's handbook says hauliers reach GVMS either through the online service via Government Gateway, or through their own software connected to GVMS by HMRC's haulier API. Registration itself needs a GB EORI number, and the business address must match the one HMRC already holds for you.
The inspection check is different. The service start page tells you to enter your goods movement reference and does not mention a sign-in, so a driver can run it from a phone with nothing more than the GMR. There is also a GOV.UK page about checking whether a GMR is valid, but that is written for carriers using HMRC's carrier API, not for hauliers or drivers. If you still need to build the reference, start with how to create a GMR step by step.
The five GMR states in GVMS
HMRC's GVMS technical handbook names five states. What matters in practice is who can still change the GMR.
| State | What it means | Can it be changed? |
|---|---|---|
| Not finalisable | The GMR cannot be finalised; the haulier must update it before it can be used to check in with a carrier | Yes, by the haulier |
| Open | Open for updates and can be finalised by the haulier | Yes, by the haulier |
| Checked in | The carrier has checked it in and is awaiting embarkation confirmation | No |
| Embarked | The carrier has told HMRC the GMR is on a crossing that has departed; goods are waiting for clearance to proceed | No |
| Completed | The movement has crossed and the goods are clear to proceed | No |
The carrier sends the embarkation notice when the ship's bow doors close or, for Eurotunnel, when the train leaves the platform. From that point HMRC's automated customs processes run during the crossing, and the GMR is updated with the goods' status, including any holds.
How to check GMR status for an inspection
The inspection service gives one of three results: inspection needed, no inspection needed, or your inspection status is not ready yet. Timing matters:
- Entering the UK: check towards the end of the crossing, around 10 minutes before reaching the border location of arrival.
- Leaving the UK: check before arriving at the border location of departure.
If the answer is "not ready yet", check again shortly. Some carriers also show on screens whether a driver has been called for inspection, but the GMR is the reference that counts.
For inbound movements, HMRC's handbook explains how the two views line up: when goods are cleared, the GMR shows as complete and the driver can continue; when an inspection is required, the GMR stays at embarked and the inspection service lists the address where the driver must report. One GMR can carry more than one check, for example a Defra check and a customs check, and it shows which location to attend first.
If checks are needed
Coming into the UK
If you arrived through Dover or Eurotunnel, held goods go to an inland border facility. At other GVMS locations, you go to the inspection facility within or near the port. Border Force may also check a vehicle or load within the port and direct you to an inland border facility, and you must then attend. Goods must be taken there directly and must be in the same condition as when imported, so nothing is unloaded or swapped on the way. Our guide to the Sevington inland border facility explains what happens on site.
Leaving the UK
The process depends on the port. At ports where exports are declared as "arrived", the haulier is notified if an inspection is needed and the driver must report before check-in. At ports using pre-lodged exports, the carrier is told and directs the driver to complete the check before boarding. HMRC rejects check-in requests where an inspection request has been ignored.
Fixing problems before the port
Most status problems are visible before the driver reaches check-in, while the GMR can still be changed:
- "Not finalisable": find the missing or invalid reference and update the GMR.
- Export through an "arrived" port: GVMS flags any DUCR that is not ready; HMRC advises not sending the driver to the port until the GMR is open.
- Vehicle change: update the registration, trailer or container number, because carriers turn away vehicles whose details do not match the GMR.
- Missing consignment on a shared load: add its reference, since the GMR must cover all goods in the vehicle.
Once a GMR is checked in, the haulier can no longer edit it. For wider context on what a customs check involves, read UK customs checks: what happens if your goods are selected.
For a fuller look at the reference and its role at the border, Easy Clearance explains how the GMR fits into GVMS.
Related guides
BTOM border controls in practice: what a haulier and driver experience
What your CDS declaration route number means
Sevington inland border facility: a guide for hauliers and drivers
Want the bigger picture on GMR and GVMS?
Easy Clearance is a UK–EU customs clearance agency handling import and export declarations, T1/T2 transit and UK–Poland removals. Its article explains what a GMR is, which references go into it and the help it offers when a movement does not line up.
Read Easy Clearance's GMR guideSources
- Goods vehicle movement reference states (GOV.UK)
- Check if you need to report for an inspection (GOV.UK service)
- How the system processes the movement of goods (GOV.UK)
- GVMS processes at the border and during crossing (GOV.UK)
- Create a goods movement reference (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.