Guides / CDS status codes · Updated 30 September 2026

CDS declaration status codes explained for importers

Accepted, held for documents, rejected, cleared: a plain-English guide to the messages HMRC sends about your CDS import declaration and what each one asks of you.

When a declaration goes into the Customs Declaration Service (CDS), the answer does not come back as a single yes or no. HMRC's Declaration Management System sends a series of short notifications, each identified by a code beginning with DMS. Your software or your customs agent receives them, but as the importer you are the one who pays the duty and, under direct representation, carries the liability. Knowing what each message means tells you whether to wait, act or pick up the phone.

Where the status messages come from

Every CDS declaration receives notifications from HMRC that describe what has happened to it. They go to the submitter: the software used to lodge the declaration, which in most cases belongs to your agent. If a broker files for you, ask them to forward the key messages, especially anything that asks for documents or payment, rather than just a final "all done". If you file yourself, your declaration software displays them against the Movement Reference Number (MRN) of the entry.

For a walk-through of the data elements on the entry itself, see our guide to reading your CDS import declaration. This guide covers what happens to the declaration after it is sent.

The main notifications on an import

Code	What HMRC is telling you	What you normally do
DMSRCV	The message has been registered. Used for pre-lodged declarations and additional messages.	Nothing yet; the goods still have to arrive.
DMSACC	The declaration has been legally accepted.	Note the date: amendment and cancellation time limits run from acceptance.
DMSTAX	The duties you are liable for, with deferment reservation or payment instructions.	Check the figures and make sure payment is available.
DMSCPI / DMSCPR	Insufficient balance on a deferred payment method, or a reminder that action or immediate payment is needed.	Top up or arrange payment quickly.
DMSDOC	You are asked, and obliged, to present one or more documents. Also sent as reminders.	Send the requested documents.
DMSCTL	Customs intends to physically examine the goods. Only sent when the goods are on hand.	Co-operate with the examination through your agent or the location operator.
DMSQRY	Customs has raised a query and a caseworker has sent a secure message.	Answer the query.
DMSALV	Defra has made a decision that will delay clearance.	Check sanitary or phytosanitary paperwork with the relevant authority.
DMSRES	Corrections have been applied, by the trader or after a physical inspection.	Check the corrected figures.
DMSROG	The goods can be released, but the debt is not yet final.	Collect the goods; expect a final tax position later.
DMSCLE	The declaration is cleared and the goods can be released.	Keep the records.
DMSREJ	The message has been rejected.	Fix the errors and submit again (see below).
DMSINV	The declaration has been cancelled, by the trader or by the system.	Confirm why, and whether a new declaration is needed.
DMSREQ	Your additional message (for example an amendment or cancellation request) was accepted or denied.	Read which it was before assuming the change went through.
DMSEXT	The declaration must be handled manually. Used only in exceptional circumstances.	Follow up with your agent.

Exports have extra messages, such as DMSEOG when the goods have exited the customs union and DMSGER when exit results have not yet reached the export system.

Accepted is not the same as cleared

A common misunderstanding is to treat DMSACC as the finish line. Acceptance means the declaration is legally in the system. It does not mean the goods may leave. Release comes with DMSROG or DMSCLE. The difference between those two matters too: DMSROG releases the goods while the amount owed is still being finalised, while DMSCLE means the declaration is cleared. Until you have one of them, plan on the goods staying where they are.

Held for documents or a physical check

DMSDOC and DMSCTL are the two messages that mean customs wants to look more closely. A document request is an obligation, not a suggestion, and reminders will follow if nothing arrives. Have the commercial invoice, proof of origin, licences and transport documents ready before the goods move, so a request can be answered the same day. A DMSCTL means an officer intends to examine the goods themselves; it only appears once the goods are available. Our guide on what happens at UK customs checks explains the practical side. If the inspection leads to corrections, you will see DMSRES, followed by an updated tax position.

A rejected declaration cannot be amended. HMRC's guidance is that you must submit a new declaration with the errors corrected.

Rejected declarations

DMSREJ comes with one or more validation error codes that explain what failed; HMRC publishes a list of CDS error codes to interpret them. For a pre-lodged import that is rejected on arrival, HMRC says the new declaration cannot be linked to the original goods movement reference. If the crossing used the Goods Vehicle Movement Service, the reference stays on hold and moves to complete status after 7 days. At an inland border facility the goods move there and are released only once the new declaration is presented and cleared. At an inventory-linked location, Border Force will contact you and the goods are released manually once the corrected declaration clears.

Amendments and cancellation (invalidation)

What you can change depends on whether the declaration has cleared.

Before clearance: the declaration can be amended through your software, provided it has not already been cleared and the final tax calculation message has not been received. No direct contact with HMRC is needed.
After clearance: the software route closes and you must contact HMRC to amend or cancel.
Time limits: up to 3 years from acceptance to amend, and 90 days from acceptance to cancel.
Money: underpayments are reported on form C2001; overpayments are claimed back on form C285.
Withdrawal after clearance: a cleared declaration cannot simply be cancelled. Within 90 days you can request withdrawal using form C285.
Wrong importer: HMRC asks for the MRN, new importer details, EORI number and supporting evidence to be sent to its post-clearance team.

Always check the DMSREQ response after sending an amendment or cancellation. It tells you whether HMRC accepted or refused the request; a request that was sent is not the same as a change that was made. A confirmed cancellation shows up as DMSINV.

How to keep track of your own declarations

Keep a list of MRNs for every shipment, with the acceptance date next to each.
Ask your agent to forward DMSDOC, DMSCTL, DMSQRY, DMSTAX and payment messages as soon as they arrive.
Do not tell your haulier to collect until you have DMSROG or DMSCLE.
Check the DMSTAX figures against your invoice and the commodity code, and use the procedure code to confirm the right regime was claimed.
Diary the 90-day and 3-year limits for any entry you suspect is wrong.

If the abbreviations still blur together, keep a customs terms reference open alongside your notifications. Easy Clearance has a customs terms glossary for UK–EU trade that covers CDS, GVMS, transit and relief terms, and our own glossary covers the basics.

Related guides

Need help reading your customs paperwork?

Easy Clearance is a UK–EU customs clearance agency handling import and export declarations, T1/T2 transit and UK–Poland removals. Its glossary explains the terms you will meet on CDS and at the border.

Open the customs glossary

Sources

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