New message interface for customers using transit guarantees
The changes to EU customs legislation bring about phased changes to customs declarations in 2019–2025. In Finland, new transit declarations will be deployed in September 2023. The aim is to introduce, on 1 December 2023, a guarantee message interface for customers using transit guarantees. Via the interface, new guarantee messages can be sent to Customs.
New message interface for transit guarantees
In future, the owner (transit guarantee holder) can send queries to Customs about the reservation status of transit guarantees or other requests concerning transit guarantees via message exchange. Guarantee messages can be used in the case of a comprehensive transit guarantee or an individual guarantee with a guarantor’s undertaking (guarantee types 0, 1 and 2). It will be optional to use the new guarantee messages, so it will not be mandatory to start using these query and request messages. A representative cannot be used for sending guarantee messages, but the messages can be transmitted to Customs via an IT service provider.
It will not be possible to submit queries and requests via the online service. Regarding transit guarantee reservations, operators will still be able to contact Customs by email.
Queries about the reservation status of transit guarantees
In future, the owner, i.e. the holder of the transit procedure, can enquire about the reservation status of guarantees with the message “guarantee query” (FI034). The query can concern one of the following:
- reservation-specific details (query identifier = 1)
- reservations in total (query identifier = 2)
- reservation-specific details and reservations in total (query identifier = 3)
- only active reservations and these reservations in total (query identifier = 9)
- only general information on the guarantee (query identifier = 4).
Owner’s access code requests
Customs sends the owner’s Master code to the person indicated in the application for comprehensive guarantee authorisation as the person responsible for customs transactions. Using the message “guarantee access codes” (FI226) and with the Master code, the owner can ask Customs to add, remove or change access codes associated with a comprehensive guarantee. This message can also be used e.g. for requesting a new access code to be added. In future, there can be no more than ten access codes valid at the same time. This message can also be used for requesting details of valid access codes.
The access code request can only be used in the case of comprehensive transit guarantees (guarantee types 0 and 1).
How to apply for message exchange customer status for guarantee messages?
The message descriptions (message implementing guidelines) for guarantee query have been published on the Customs message descriptions website.
If you wish to use message exchange for guarantee messages, apply for a decision on message exchange registration in the Authorisations and Decisions Service. If your company already uses message exchange for submitting customs declarations to the Customs Clearance System (UTU) or has applied for message exchange customer status for the transit declarations that will be introduced in September 2023, apply for amendment of the decision on message exchange registration in the Authorisations and Decisions Service. You cannot apply for message exchange customer status for guarantee messages until in early autumn 2023.
During the summer, Customs will release information on how to send an amendment application and on the customer testing of these non-mandatory messages.
More information:
Deployment of new transit declarations and guarantee query messages in 2023 (customer notice, 21 February 2023)
yritysneuvonta(at)tulli.fi