Carriers can submit transit declarations and safety and security data in the same system, in countries that have connected NCTS Phase 6 to ICS2

The European Commission announces that NCTS Phase 6 is used in 41 countries, including all 27 EU Member States. For road and rail transport, economic operators may submit the transit declaration together with the complete safety and security data through a single channel, where the customs administration has connected NCTS to ICS2. In countries that have chosen the non-integration option, the entry summary declaration is submitted separately in ICS2.

Economic operators involved in road and rail transport may submit the transit declaration and the complete safety and security data through a single electronic channel, in countries that have connected NCTS Phase 6 to the European Import Control System ICS2. The European Commission announced on Monday, 26 October 2026, that the sixth phase of the customs transit system is used in 41 countries, including all 27 Member States of the European Union and the countries participating in the Convention on a common transit procedure. However, the availability of combined submission depends on the option chosen by the competent customs administration.

In brief

Operators in road and rail transport may submit transit data and ENS through a single channel in countries that have connected NCTS Phase 6 to ICS2.

In opt-out countries, ENS is submitted separately in ICS2. Participation in NCTS Phase 6 does not automatically mean that combined submission is available.

The Commission confirms the use of NCTS Phase 6 in 41 countries, including all 27 EU Member States.

The reduction of delays, errors and the risk of penalties is presented by the Commission as a benefit of integration, without quantified comparative results for all countries.

Risk analysis and the possibility of customs controls remain in force. Combined submission requires complete ENS data.NCTS, short for New Computerised Transit System, enables the electronic exchange of information between economic operators and customs administrations, as well as between customs offices in participating countries. The system manages the movement of goods under the transit procedure, under which the payment of certain duties and the application of certain commercial measures may be suspended during transport, in accordance with the legislation. The goods remain under customs supervision, and the holder of the procedure must comply with the declaration and guarantee requirements. Upon acceptance of the declaration, the system generates a unique reference number, MRN, through which the operation can be tracked.

The entry summary declaration, known as ENS, contains the data required for the advance analysis of safety and security risks associated with goods before arrival. It serves a different function from the transit declaration. Connecting NCTS Phase 6 to ICS2 allows the information for the two formalities to be submitted together, without removing the obligations relating to either of them. The possibility concerns road and rail transport entering the safety and security area, in national configurations that allow it.

Customs administrations may choose between two options, known as opt-in and opt-out. Under the opt-in option, the operator includes in the transit declaration all the data required for ENS, and NCTS Phase 6 transmits them to ICS2 through the interface between the systems. Combined submission is possible only for a complete ENS. Customs authorities continue to carry out risk analysis using ICS2, with the related processes for recommending controls and making decisions. A transit declaration that does not contain all the required ENS data does not automatically meet the safety and security requirements.

Under the opt-out option, ENS data are not included in the transit declaration, and the entry summary declaration is submitted separately, directly in ICS2. An administration may subsequently switch from opt-out to opt-in, according to the Commission. For operators in Romania and for those carrying out transport through several countries, the submission channel must be verified with the competent administration and against the requirements of the respective transport operation. The mere fact that a state uses NCTS Phase 6 does not confirm the availability of combined submission.

The Commission presents the reduction in the number of transmissions and repeated data entry as the main advantage of the opt-in option for companies. The institution states that improved validation of information may reduce errors and the risk of penalties, while faster processing and better traceability may support the planning of logistics operations. However, the statement does not publish time savings or reductions in errors measured comparably across all 41 countries.

For customs authorities, data integration and automation may improve supervision and risk management, according to the Commission, allowing resources to be focused on higher-risk consignments. Risk analysis and the possibility of documentary or physical checks remain in force. Depending on the results of the analysis, authorities may request additional information and establish the measures necessary for the respective transport operation.

The date of 1 June 2026, mentioned in the ICS2 documentation, concerns the expiry of the temporary derogations for NCTS Phase 6 and the connection with ENS submission. For goods subject to the obligation to lodge an entry summary declaration, the data must be transmitted directly in ICS2 or through the combined NCTS Phase 6 declaration in opt-in countries, in compliance with the applicable deadlines. The Union Customs Code also provides for cases exempt from the ENS obligation. The announcement of 26 October confirms the use of the system in the 41 countries and does not create a new ENS obligation on that day.

Implementation of NCTS Phase 6 is part of the digitalisation programme for customs systems provided for by the Union Customs Code. The Commission places it within the broader modernisation of European customs infrastructure, based on data exchange and advance risk assessment. For companies, the practical effect depends on the national configuration and the ability to provide complete and accurate information. Customs rights and obligations continue to derive from the applicable legislation, and communication about the IT implementation does not constitute the adoption of a new regulation.

https://2eu.brussels/ro/news/transportatorii-pot-depune-declaratiile-de-tranzit-si-datele-de-securitate-in-acelasi-sistem-in-tarile-care-au-integrat-ncts-phase-6-cu-ics2