Pre-lodged declarations

Goods cannot be released for free circulation before their arrival in Finland, because goods being declared must be available for customs inspection at the time of presentation.

If a safety and security declaration or a transit declaration has been submitted for the goods, an import declaration can be pre-lodged prior to the arrival and presentation of the goods. Customs can request documents relating to the customs declaration in advance, but will only release the goods for free circulation once they have arrived in Finland and they have been presented to Customs.

If you have the MRN of the previous document, you can pre-lodge a declaration for a freight consignment (e.g. the MRN of an AREX declaration or a transit declaration). You can pre-lodge the declaration no more than 30 days prior to the arrival of the goods and their presentation to Customs. If you do not have the details of the previous document, you can ask for them from the transport company that carries your goods. If the previous document has been presented to Customs, the customs declaration cannot be pre-lodged.

You can pre-lodge a declaration for a postal consignment only if Posti has informed you in advance that it is possible.

Pre-lodged standard import declaration

Provide both details:

  • Additional declaration type ”D – Pre-lodged standard customs declaration”
  • Previous document code and as its reference the MRN and as the goods item identifier the item number, if the previous document is an entry summary declaration.

For example: ”N355 – Entry summary declaration” and the MRN (for example 22FI000000000000I0) and the item number (for example 5).

Pre-lodged simplified import declarations

You can also pre-lodge simplified import declarations, if you have the details of the previous document. See the guidance on submitting simplified declarations for import: 

A presentation notification cannot be pre-lodged, as the goods must have physically arrived at the location specified in the authorisation when the notification is lodged. Read more about declaring goods by entry in the declarant’s records (EIDR).

Pre-lodged standard import declaration

If you have provided ”D – Pre-lodged standard customs declaration” as the additional declaration type and the previous document you provided has already been presented to Customs, you will get a rejection message saying that the state of the previous document is invalid:

  • Change the additional declaration type to “A – Standard customs declaration” and submit the declaration to Customs as a new declaration.

Note that if your declaration is amended, it will not be possible to correct the additional declaration type once Customs has started processing the declaration and it has been assigned an MRN.

Pre-lodged simplified import declaration

If you have provided “F – Pre-lodged simplified declaration with regular use” or ”E – Pre-lodged simplified declaration on occasional basis” as the additional declaration type and the previous document you provided has already been presented to Customs, you will get a rejection message saying that the state of the previous document is invalid:

  • Change the additional declaration type to either of the following:
    • “C – Simplified customs declaration with regular use” 
    • ”B – Simplified declaration on occasional basis"
  • After this, you can submit the declaration to Customs as a new declaration

Note that if your declaration is amended, it will not be possible to correct the additional declaration type once Customs has started processing the declaration and it has been assigned an MRN.

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