January 2025 — NCTS Phase 5: Business Continuity fallback procedures
Updated 22 January 2025
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On 21 January 2025, all member countries of the Common Transit Convention (CTC) implemented the final version of New Computerised Transit System (NCTS) Phase 5. These are known as the final state rules.
To help you prepare for the implementation of final state rules we are issuing regular updates. In this update we are setting out how the Business Continuity (BCP) fallback procedure will work in NCTS Phase 5 final state. You can find all our transit updates on GOV.UK.
What’s changing — BCP fallback procedure for NCTS
From 21 January 2025 the way in which you make a transit declaration when NCTS is unavailable in Great Britain (GB) or Northern Ireland (XI) has changed.
The Single Administrative Document (SAD) (known as form C88) is currently used when NCTS is unavailable and declarants cannot print a copy of the Transit Accompanying Document (TAD) from third-party software.
From 21 January 2025, the SAD can no longer be used for transit movements when the Business Continuity fallback procedure is invoked and declarants need to use a paper TAD.
In instances where declarants do not have access to a TAD printed from their third-party software, declarants will be able to obtain an alternative blank copy of the new TAD from section 7 of the Transit Manual Supplement. Section 7 was updated on 21 January 2025 to include the blank copy.
Other processes relating to transit fallback remain unchanged and can be viewed in the Transit Manual Supplement.
The Goods Vehicle Movement Service (GVMS) will be updated at a later date to refer to the changed Business Continuity fallback process. Until then it will continue to refer to the SAD document for transit fallback.
More information
The create a goods movement reference guidance page on GOV.UK was updated on 21 January 2025 to reflect the information in these communications.
The Transit Manual Supplement is the source of detailed information concerning BCP fallback and was updated on 21 January 2025 to reflect these communications.
For up-to-date information relating to NCTS system availability in the UK, refer to the service availability page for updates.