Guidance

How to get online access to NCTS

Updated 1 April 2021

1. Introduction

The New Computerised Transit System (NCTS) became mandatory on 1 July 2005 and it is now a legal requirement to use the NCTS for all eligible transit declarations. Paper declarations will only be allowed during fallback when the NCTS is unavailable and for private travellers - with goods in excess of allowances.

2. Access to NCTS

2.1 Connect by the NCTS web service

The NCTS web channel is a basic free to use service designed for traders who are low volume users. It will provide the capability of communicating with the NCTS. NCTS web service is accessed via the HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) portal on the internet.

NCTS web can be used by any authorised employee or representative of any company that has a current Economic Operator Registration and Identification (EORI) number registered with HMRC and whose postcode associated with that EORI is in the UK.

To use the service you will need a computer with a working internet connection and suitable web browser.

2.2 Connect by Electronic Data Capture Service (EDCS)

You can enter the goods to transit via the EDCS, which provides more advanced features for users who use their own in-house or commercially available software. You will require an IT capability to make electronic declarations by Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) to the NCTS and to exchange the necessary messages with the system. You will also require a software solution for the constructing and translating of the Electronic Data Interchange For Commerce and Transport (EDIFACT) messages that the NCTS requires.

2.3 Connect by the NCTS Extensible Markup Language (XML)

The XML allows you to structure, store and exchange data. This means that it would be used for both message transport and data representation. It will overcome many of the problems associated with email. Using the XML route means sending and receiving EDIFACT messages wrapped with an XML envelope. This route is available if a trader decides to purchase or develop their own software. The NCTS Online XML route contains full technical details.

Apple Macintosh and the NCTS web

The Government Gateway and Digital Certificate providers do not currently support the use of Digital Certificates on Apple Macintosh machines.

2.4 Community Systems Providers (CSP)

None of the CSP are currently able to provide any connectivity facilities to the NCTS.

3. Electronic declarations and arrival messages

Traders that have a software solution that has been satisfactorily tested against UK NCTS, may connect to the NCTS and start making Transit Declarations or sending Arrival Notifications under the normal procedure without further formal authorisation. No badge code or certification of registration is necessary for declarants or notifiers to send NCTS messages to the system as, or on behalf of, principals or recipients/consignees.

If you intend to use EDI messaging to UK NCTS, contact the NCTS UK Central Services Helpdesk (CCTO), before attempting to connect to the system, to ensure that they have all of the necessary identification data and the correct email address for EDCS.

If you wish to print the Transit Accompanying Document (TAD) at your premises you must use a printer capable of printing bar codes. Otherwise, the printed TAD must be collected from HMRC at the nominated Office of Departure.

3.1 Simplified procedures

Approval is required to be an authorised consignor/consignee for Community Transit and to use the simplified procedure. See Part VI of the Transit Manual on the European Commission website for more information about Authorised Consignors and Consignees.

Use application form C1343.

4. Software

The NCTS trader test team provides a service for verification of email links to UK NCTS, via EDCS trader office software. Software houses and individual traders developing their own solutions are requested to contact the NCTS trader test team to receive a copy of the Community Transit trader test pack.

The NCTS software developers page lists several software houses which have already developed or have expressed an interest in developing software for the NCTS.

5. Use a Digital Certificate to access NCTS web

If you have a current Digital Certificate you may continue to access services with that certificate, until it expires. At that point you will have to either obtain a new Digital Certificate or change to UK Government Gateway standard registration and enrolment procedure (User ID and password).

6. Getting started with the NCTS web

Before you can start using NCTS you will need to follow some simple steps.

6.1 1. Register

To access NCTS web first get a Government Gateway account. The first individual in an organisation who registers for an account and then enrols for an online service becomes the principal user for that organisational group.

Multiple people can be enrolled to use NCTS web for a single organisation.

Register as an ‘Organisation’ type user account. You can then use the same ID and password across all government online services. However, If you already have a Government Gateway ID and password for use with services relating to you as an ‘Individual User‘, for example PAYE, Self Assessment or Council Tax, you will be unable to use that User ID and password for any HMRC Online Service.

If you only have an ‘Individual’ Gateway user account you will need to sign up again to obtain a new User ID representing your organisation or employer.

6.2 2. Enrol

Once you have registered as a ‘User’, you may log in to the HMRC portal and use the site information services straight away to personalise your homepage and request information alerts to keep you up to date with changes which may affect your business. However, to access the NCTS web you must first enrol for the service. Enrolment is the process of requesting to use a government service. You do this by supplying some information about your organisation.

6.3 3. Activate

Activation is a process used by Government Gateway to confirm that services are only made available to authorised users.

6.4 4. Launch

Launch is the process used to ensure that your Guarantee Reference Number and Access Code(s) are registered with the NCTS Helpdesk.

Once you have activated the service, you may access NCTS web service by:

• accessing the Online Services section of the HMRC website
• selecting the NCTS web service option
• entering either your User ID and password or your Digital Certificate (if you have registered with one) to log in

6.5 Data for multiple branches of your organisation

If you wish to submit data for individual branches you must register each separately on the Government Gateway.

More detailed information on getting started with NCTS online is available in NCTS online: guidance on registration and enrolment

7. Security

A User ID and password can be used from any computer and works with a range of browser/computer combinations. You need to keep your User ID and password secret in the same way that you use your cashcard and PIN.

The first time you log in to the HMRC portal you will be asked to establish a number of ‘shared secrets’. You only need to do this once and HMRC may use these details to help identify you, if for instance you need phone-based advice.

HMRC will never ask you to disclose a complete shared secret, either verbally or on the website. HMRC will only ask for certain characters from one of your ‘shared secrets’.

7.1 ‘Known facts’ for NCTS web

You will be asked to provide two ‘known facts’:

1. The EORI number
2. Postcode - enter the UK postcode you provided to HMRC when applying for your EORI (foreign postcodes will not be accepted)

If the ‘Known facts’ you have supplied are correct, you will get an acknowledgement. If they are incorrect, you will need to verify them before proceeding.

If you have already been allocated an EORI for identification on customs or statistical declarations, you may use that number.

Please telephone the VAT, Excise and Customs Helpline on Telephone: 0300 200 3700 if you would like to check that the details held by HMRC are correct. If you need to change any of these details, you must confirm the changes by letter, email or fax.

7.2 Solving problems

If you are logged out while you are in the process of completing an NCTS declaration, you may have lost any unsaved data. Please log in again to check. You will need your ID/password or Digital Certificate details.

To ensure that your information is secure, your login is allowed a 15 minute period of inactivity. If you do not make any use of online services within this period your login will be timed out.

If your session is timed out, you will need to log in again and you may have lost any data that you had not saved.

NCTS web users may choose to ‘save’ at any point in their online declaration and return to complete the declaration at a later time.

7.3 Unenrol your organisation

You can unenrol your organisation. Return to the Government Gateway and log in to access your ‘services list’ page. Select the ‘unenrol’ link against the service you no longer wish to use.

This unenrols your entire organisation and no one will be able to use the service after you do this. If you do not want to retain a Government Gateway User ID you can log in to the Gateway and follow the ‘manage users’ link to delete your own User ID.

7.4 How to delete a user

Your organisation can approve ‘users’ and ‘assistants’.You can delete a user’s Government Gateway User ID to prevent them from logging in.

To delete an assistant ID the Peer User who created the ID needs to log in to the Government Gateway and follow the ‘manage your assistants’ link to delete the user.

To delete a Peer User you will need a second Peer User ID to delete the original.

If you unenrol a user as this will unenrol your whole organisation and all users.

8. Contact HMRC

NCTS Helpdesk Telephone: 0300 322 7095
(Monday to Friday, 8am to 5pm, excluding bank holidays)

NCTS software enquiries Telephone: 01702 366 858
(Monday, Wednesday and Thursday mornings 9am to midday, excluding national holidays)