Guides / MRN explained · Updated 30 September 2026

Movement Reference Number (MRN): what it is and how hauliers use it

The MRN is the reference a customs system gives your declaration. Knowing which MRN you hold, and where it goes, avoids delays at GVMS ports.

This guide is also available in Polish.

What an MRN actually is

A Movement Reference Number, almost always shortened to MRN, is the reference that a customs system gives to a declaration. HMRC's technical glossary for the Customs Declaration Service describes it as a globally unique identifier for a declaration, assigned by CDS once a declaration is submitted. In plain terms: you (or your agent) send the declaration, and the system answers with the number that identifies that declaration from then on.

The MRN is not something the trader invents. That is the main difference between it and the DUCR (Declaration Unique Consignment Reference), which the declarant assigns to identify a single consignment that may be covered by one or more declarations. If you are holding a reference you made up yourself, it is not an MRN.

If you want a walk-through of how the import declaration itself is prepared and lodged, see our guide to CDS import declarations. This page focuses on the number that comes out at the end, and what happens to it next.

Two systems, two kinds of MRN

In UK–EU road freight you will meet MRNs from two different systems. They look similar, but they are issued for different purposes and are checked in different places.

One consignment can therefore collect several MRNs over its journey: an export MRN in one country, a transit MRN while the goods are under transit, and an import MRN at destination. Each identifies a different declaration, so it matters which one you hand to the driver.

How hauliers use the MRN with a GMR

At GVMS-controlled ports the vehicle crosses on a goods movement reference (GMR). The GMR does not replace the customs declaration; it links the vehicle crossing to the declarations for the goods on board. GOV.UK guidance is explicit that declaration references must be included in the GMR for all goods being carried.

Which reference goes in depends on the route and the procedure:

• EU to Great Britain: an imports MRN if the goods were declared into CDS; or an EORI number where the trader is authorised to make declarations in their own records; or, for transit, an MRN generated by NCTS.
• Great Britain to Northern Ireland: an imports MRN if declared into CDS, the EORI number of an authorised trader making declarations in their own records, or an NCTS transit MRN.
• Great Britain to the EU: the DUCR for combined export and safety and security declarations, the safety and security exit summary declaration MRN, or the Transit Accompanying Document MRN if the goods are not excise goods.

For goods moving under the Common Transit Convention, HMRC's GVMS guidance says the declarant creates the transit declaration in NCTS, which generates the transit MRN, and that MRN is then entered into GVMS. Once it is added, GVMS validates the transit MRN against NCTS. The same guidance says that for transit goods only the transit MRN should be entered, not an import declaration, so that two customs regimes do not collide at the point of entry.

How to check an MRN's status

There is no single public screen that shows everything about every MRN, so the right place to look depends on which system issued it.

CDS declarations

The status of a CDS declaration is visible to the declarant: the trader filing directly, or the agent acting for them, through their CDS access or declaration software. If you used an agent, ask them for the MRN and its current status rather than relying on a copy of the paperwork.

Transit movements

For export and transit movements, the European Commission runs an MRN Follow-up service where you enter an MRN to see information about the movement. The Commission notes that this data is for information only and is binding neither on the Commission nor on national administrations; for anything definitive, contact the customs administration of the country concerned.

HMRC also expects transit users to keep track of their own open movements. Its February 2026 transit newsletter tells traders to monitor all instances of guarantee use and the associated transit MRNs raised by them or by a third party. When a movement is discharged the trader receives an IE045 message (within 60 days) or a letter (after that); no notification means the movement is still open. HMRC will not give out bulk information about MRNs in use, and holders of GB or XI guarantees can use the guarantee balance checker on GOV.UK. Where a movement stays open, HMRC asks for proof that the procedure ended, such as destination customs certification or an import declaration at destination.

At the border

For the vehicle itself, the practical check is the GMR status in GVMS. HMRC's guidance puts it plainly: it is the haulier's responsibility to stay up to date with the GMR status.

A quick checklist before departure

• You know which declaration each MRN belongs to (export, transit or import).
• The MRN came from the system, not from your own reference list.
• Transit goods carry only the transit MRN in the GMR, not an import MRN.
• The declarant has confirmed the MRN and its status.
• The driver knows the GMR and can present it at the port.

For a deeper look at the number itself, including how it is structured, see Plutos's reference guide to MRN numbers. If you are still deciding whether to handle declarations yourself, our page on whether you need a customs broker sets out the options.

Related guides

• T1 transit from the UK through France: the short-straits route

• Groupage and consolidated loads: UK–EU customs explained

• Shipping goods from Germany to the UK: customs step by step

Sources

• Create a goods movement reference (GOV.UK)
• Travelling under the Common Transit Convention procedure using GVMS (GOV.UK)
• Declaration types in Goods Vehicle Movement Service (GOV.UK)
• February 2026: monitoring in-use MRNs (GOV.UK)
• Customs Declarations end-to-end service guide: glossary (HMRC)

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