The previous document must be provided in the import declaration

The reference number of the previous document must be provided in the import declaration. The reference number, i.e. the master reference number (MRN), can be found in the carrier’s arrival notice. If the transport company has agreed to transmit information to Customs, the information is filled in automatically in the Customs Clearance Service when you provide the arrival ID. 

Which codes are used to indicate the previous document?

If you are submitting an import declaration in the Customs Clearance Service or by message exchange, use the following codes to indicate the previous document:

When the previous document concerns external Union transit

1.    Provide as the previous document type for the goods item:

  • ”N821 – External Union/common transit declaration (T1)”
  • "N952 – TIR Carnet," if no electronic TIR declaration was lodged 
  •  “N820 – Union/common transit declaration – Mixed consignments (T)”, if the goods arrive under the T2 or T2F transit procedure
  • “N820 – Union/common transit declaration – Mixed consignments (T)”

2.    Provide the MRN of the transit as the previous document reference.

You can provide several MRNs (no more than 99) for one goods item.

When the previous document is an entry summary declaration or a summary declaration 

1. Provide ‘N355 – Entry summary declaration’ or ‘337 – Temporary storage declaration’ as the previous document type.

2. Provide as reference number of the previous document the MRN of the Entry summary declaration or the summary declaration for temporary storage.

3. Provide the goods item number as the item number for the previous document.

4. If the previous declaration is a temporary storage declaration or an entry summary declaration to the CR system of the EU, provide also the house waybill reference number as the transport document identifier.

  • In the Customs Clearance Service, enter the number in the “Transport document identifier” field
  • In message format, enter the number in the “Transport document reference” field.

You can provide several MRNs and goods item numbers (no more than 99) for one goods item.

When the previous document is a customs warehousing or import declaration

  1. Provide as the previous document type ‘NMRN – Declaration/Notification MRN.’
  2. Provide the customs warehousing MRN as the previous document reference.
  3. Provide the goods item number of the customs warehousing MRN as the previous document item number.

You can provide several MRNs and goods item numbers (no more than 99) for one goods item 

If the previous document is a customs warehousing declaration lodged with a SAD form, provide ‘1ZZZ – Other previous document’ as the previous document type and the warehouse deposit number as the previous document reference. The item number is not provided.

Postal and express freight consignments

When the goods arrive by post or express freight, the details of the previous document are automatically transferred to the Customs Clearance Service, if you have provided the arrival ID in the start menu when completing the new declaration. The details of only one postal or express freight consignment may be provided in one customs declaration.

If you are a message exchange customer and the consignment arrives by post, provide ‘N355 – Entry summary declaration’ as previous document type. Provide as reference the MRN of the entry summary declaration submitted for the postal consignment. Enter also the transport document identifier provided in the entry summary declaration. The item number of the previous document is not provided for postal consignments.

If you are a message exchange customer and the consignment arrives as express freight provide ‘N337 – Temporary storage declaration’ as the previous document type. Enter as reference the MRN of the AREX declaration for temporary storage and the goods item number. The type of previous document can also be ‘N821 – External Union/common transit declaration (T1)’ electronic T1 or TIR. In that case, enter the MRN of the transit as reference.

Points to consider

If you are submitting a declaration in the Customs Clearance Service or in message format, and there is no previous document or it was submitted under the fallback procedure, provide ‘1ZZZ (other previous document)’ as the document type. During fallback procedure, enter also the number of the fallback document as well as additional information code FIXXX to indicate that it is a ‘previous document submitted under the fallback procedure.’ 

Read the instructions on using the fallback procedure.

Provide the previous document in this way if the goods have been presented to Customs, but there is a service interruption in the Transit Declaration Service or the Arrival and exit declaration service (AREX) when you try to submit an import declaration. Do this, if Customs has informed of a service interruption, but you can’t wait for it to end because you have to submit a declaration to enable the transport of the goods to continue. 

If you are submitting the declaration in the Customs Clearance Service or in message format, provide ‘1ZZZ (other previous document) as the previous document type and the MRN as the previous document reference.

Read the instructions on using the fallback procedure.

If a declaration submitted as a message or through the Customs Clearance Service is rejected, the reason for the rejection may be that the status of the previous document is incorrect. This means that the state of the previous declaration is not “accepted” for import clearance.

When you are lodging a standard customs declaration (A), the declaration may be rejected, if the previous document has not yet been presented to Customs, or Customs is still processing it. In such cases, you can contact the transport company and ask them to notify you when the declaration state is “Accepted”.

When you are lodging an advance customs declaration (D), the declaration may be rejected, if the previous document has already been presented to Customs. Re-enter “A - Standard customs declaration” as the additional declaration type, and send the declaration to Customs again.

If Customs has taken the declaration in for processing, and if it has been given an MRN, it is no longer possible to amend the additional declaration type.

If the declaration is rejected because the MRN is not found in Customs’ service, check the MRN and send the declaration to Customs again.

You can check the status of the previous document also in the MRN Search, if the previous declaration is an entry summary declaration, summary declaration for temporary storage or customs warehousing declaration.

If the state of the previous declaration is “accepted” for import clearance, but you still receive an error notification, you can contact Customs’ Electronic Service Centre.

If an incorrect MRN has been entered for the entry summary declaration or the summary declaration for temporary storage or an incorrect goods item number related to it has been entered in the customs declaration, proceed as follows:

  • Send the details to be corrected by email to the Electronic Service Centre: spake.arex(at)tulli.fi:
    • Write ‘Amendment of import declaration data’ in the subject field.
    • State, which transaction ID (customs clearance number) and goods item of the import declaration should be amended.
    • Enter the correct reference number (MRN) of the previous document and the goods item number. 
  • The Electronic Service Centre will report the receipt of the message by email.
  • Give the email message you received to the person who will collect the goods so that the corrected detail can be shown to the temporary storage operator.

The temporary storage operator attaches the email message and the original release decision to the storage records.