Guides / Find a UK–EU customs broker · Updated 19 October 2026

How to find a customs broker for UK–EU trade

To find a customs broker, start with HMRC's free register of customs agents, shortlist firms that cover both the UK and EU side of your route, and test them with a real shipment. This guide shows what to ask, what the register does and does not prove, and the warning signs to walk away from.

Where to find a customs broker in the UK

The most useful starting point is HMRC's own list. GOV.UK publishes two downloadable registers, one of customs agents and one of express operators, to help traders find someone to help with import and export declarations. Businesses holding UK Authorised Economic Operator (AEO) status are listed first, in alphabetical order, with everyone else below. The same page also links to the member list of the Association of International Courier and Express Services for parcel traffic.

Read the register for what it is: a directory, not a quality mark. HMRC says businesses on the lists are not vetted, approved or recommended by HMRC, and that it does not verify how current or accurate the details are, because the businesses supply them. Being listed is free, so it tells you a firm exists and wants customs work, nothing more. Use it to build a shortlist, then do your own checks. If you are still deciding whether you need outside help at all, start with our do you need a broker checklist.

Independent customs broker, forwarder or courier?

People searching for an independent customs broker usually mean a firm that does customs declarations as its main service, separate from whoever moves the goods. GOV.UK describes three kinds of business that can deal with customs for you: freight forwarders, which move goods internationally and arrange clearance; customs agents or brokers, whose job is getting goods through customs; and express operators, which clear parcels and freight as part of a timed delivery. None of these is automatically better. A standalone broker can work with any haulier you choose, while a forwarder or courier may be simpler if you already use them for transport. What matters is that everyone knows who files which declaration.

What a UK–EU customs broker needs to cover

A shipment between Great Britain and an EU country has two customs borders to clear, not one. On the EU side, the Polish Ministry of Finance reminds businesses that since 1 January 2021 trade with the UK means lodging customs declarations, paying customs duty and taxes (VAT and excise) and holding an EORI number, and that export formalities can be handled through a customs agency, a carrier, a logistics firm or by the business itself. On the UK side, the agent must be established in the UK for customs purposes. A broker who only covers one side will leave you to find a second firm for the other, so ask early.

Goods can also cross under the common transit procedure, which GOV.UK describes as the way to move goods between or through countries in the Common Transit Convention, including the EU. Transit declarations are lodged on the New Computerised Transit System (NCTS), and HMRC publishes separate guidance on the guarantee a transit movement needs. If your loads cross the Channel by lorry, check whether the broker can open and close transit movements or works with someone who can. Our guide to T1 transit from the UK to the EU explains how that leg fits in.

Questions to ask before you sign

HMRC's own checklist for appointing someone is a good basis for a shortlist call. These are the questions that separate a capable UK–EU customs broker from one that will struggle:

• Direct or indirect representation? Under direct representation the agent acts in your name and you are solely liable for the customs debt and the accuracy of the declaration; under indirect representation the agent acts in its own name and is jointly and severally liable with you. If your business is not established in the UK and you import into Great Britain, HMRC says only indirect representation is available.
• Can they handle your goods? Ask about your type of goods, routes, countries and volumes, and whether anything you ship needs a licence, certificate or special handling.
• Who does what? Agree in advance who handles import and export declarations, safety and security declarations and transport.
• How will duty be paid? HMRC suggests settling whether you will use your own duty deferment account or the agent will use theirs.
• What do they need from you? At a minimum, your EORI number, evidence of the goods such as invoices or contracts, a description of the goods and any licences or certificates. A GB EORI is needed for goods entering England, Scotland or Wales.
• When are they available? Check their working hours against your delivery times, and how they handle urgent shipments, out-of-hours changes and unexpected problems.
• Northern Ireland? If any goods move through Northern Ireland, ask whether the agent can make those declarations and has access to the Trader Support Service.

Whatever you agree, put it in writing. GOV.UK says an intermediary cannot act for you without written instructions, that those instructions must state whether it acts directly or indirectly, and that you should keep a copy. Our provider comparison lists a few more practical checks, such as whether quotes are all-in.

Red flags when choosing a broker

Most problems with customs agents come from unclear arrangements rather than bad intent. Be wary when:

• a firm describes itself as officially licensed, approved or recommended by HMRC. GOV.UK describes no licence for customs agents, and HMRC says it does not vet or recommend the businesses on its register;
• the firm will not state in writing whether it acts as your direct or indirect representative, or avoids the question of liability;
• nobody can tell you who files the safety and security declaration or the EU-side import entry;
• you are told you can stop worrying about compliance. HMRC is clear that you remain responsible for due diligence on your declarations even after appointing someone;
• the firm asks for no product detail and offers a commodity code from the invoice wording alone;
• you receive emails asking you to pay to be added to, or stay on, HMRC's agent register. HMRC says listing is free and that suspicious emails should be reported.

Making the final choice

Once you have two or three candidates, send each the same sample shipment: what the goods are, their value, origin, route and Incoterms. Compare how they answer, not just how quickly. Look for questions about origin evidence, representation type and both sides of the border. For a wider discussion of how to weigh cost against reliability, see this article on choosing a customs agency for UK–EU trade.

Related guides

• Sending used car parts from the UK to Poland: duty, VAT and origin

• Selling used machinery from the UK to Poland: customs, VAT and CE marking

• Northern Ireland and the Windsor Framework: a guide for traders

Sources

• List of customs agents and fast parcel operators (GOV.UK)
• Get someone to deal with customs for you (GOV.UK)
• Check what you need to consider before getting someone to deal with customs for you (GOV.UK)
• Moving goods between or through common transit countries, including the EU (GOV.UK)
• Brexit a cło: informacje wstępne (podatki.gov.pl, Polish Ministry of Finance)

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