Guidance

Apply for a manual release of certain plant, animal and food products

Use form ALVS1 if the Automatic Licence Verification System cannot process an automatic release on CHIEF or the Customs Declaration Service.

You can use this form to apply for a manual release of the following sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) regulated products:

  • horticultural fruit and vegetable products
  • plants and plant related products
  • live animals
  • products of animal origin
  • high risk food (not of animal origin)
  • illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) caught fish

Before you apply

You must:

Once advance notification is received, the Animal and Plant Health Agency and Port Health Authorities will share their release decisions with HMRC using the Automatic Licence Verification System.

When a release decision is made, your regulated goods receive an automated customs clearance.

If you have not received an automated customs clearance when declaring your goods, use this form to apply for a manual release.

Check if you are eligible to apply

The following imports are excluded from the Automatic Licence Verification System:

  • imports into Scotland, Northern Ireland and the Isle of Man (affected goods should follow the usual process for importing goods into the UK)
  • animals that enter under the Pet Travel Scheme
  • animals or animal products imported for research, diagnostic or sampling analysis purposes
  • imports under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES)
  • imports from the EU, Iceland, Norway, Switzerland, Faroes, Lichtenstein, the Åland Islands, the Canary Islands, the Channel Islands, French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Mount Athos or Reunion
  • imports that have subsequent enforcement action by Lead Authorities after being refused entry
  • imports with any additional customs checks that HMRC or Border Force instigate (for example, Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) documentary checks)
  • live animal imports when the Animal and Plant Health Agency have issued a detention notice
  • personal imports
  • goods removed from a Customs Warehouse or any other customs special procedure (such as inward processing into free circulation)
  • high risk food products which are accompanied by a common entry document when entering the UK through the Port of Dover

How to complete the form

You need to:

  1. Download and save the form on your computer.

  2. Open it using the latest free version of Adobe Reader.

  3. Complete it on-screen.

Manual release request form for declarations made using the Customs Declaration Service

Request an accessible format.
If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need a version of this document in a more accessible format, please email different.format@hmrc.gov.uk. Please tell us what format you need. It will help us if you say what assistive technology you use.

Manual release request form for declarations made using CHIEF

Request an accessible format.
If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need a version of this document in a more accessible format, please email different.format@hmrc.gov.uk. Please tell us what format you need. It will help us if you say what assistive technology you use.

Read the accessibility statement for HMRC forms.

It may not work it you try to open it in your internet browser. If the form does not open, then contact the Online services helpdesks for more help.

Email HMRC to ask for the form in Welsh (Cymraeg).

Updates to this page

Published 5 January 2023

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