The paper T1 is no longer mandatory

Since January 2025, a driver moving goods under transit no longer has to carry a paper Transit Accompanying Document. The change took effect across the EU, the Common Transit Convention states and Great Britain on the same date, as the final stage of NCTS Phase 5.

It is one of the most practical changes to transit in years and one that still catches transport offices out.

What actually changed

The paper TAD (VBD in Germany) has stopped being the thing that must travel with the goods. What must be presented at the office of transit is the MRN — the 18-character movement reference number.

For GB border locations operating GVMS, the MRN is presented digitally through the GMR. Nothing is handed over at all.

What the driver needs

Under Article 184 UCC IA, the MRN can be presented by any of four means:

A barcode containing the alphanumeric MRN — printed, or shown on a smartphone or tablet
The paper TAD, which remains permitted as one option among four
Other means accepted at the discretion of the individual customs office

One point deserves emphasis, because it is where most problems arise: a PDF of the TAD on a phone is not an accepted presentation. German customs guidance is explicit that only national NCTS applications count as electronic data processing means. If the MRN is on a screen, it must be the barcode.

Three further changes landed on the same date:

Commodity codes became mandatory on all electronic T1, T2 and T2F declarations — minimum six digits under EU rules.
A new "office of incident" transmits en-route events electronically to the offices of departure and destination and to the holder of the procedure, which is what removes the need for paper endorsements along the way.
The fallback procedure was renamed the Business Continuity Plan, activated by a tick box on the TAD. The single administrative document has been discontinued for transit.

Our advice

The rule is settled but practice at individual offices of transit is not uniform and offfice discretion over "other means" is written into the legislation. Our standing recommendation to clients is, when possible please keep a printed barcode in the cab regardless. It costs nothing and removes the argument at the barrier.

If you move goods under T1 and want to check your paperwork get in touch info@brightcustoms.co.uk.