T1 movements and the external transit procedure

What the external status signifies

It marks goods that have not been released for free circulation in the territory they are crossing, so charges remain suspended and the goods stay under customs supervision throughout. A consignment moving on that basis cannot be delivered to a customer, sold or unpacked en route without the procedure being ended properly. The status travels with the movement rather than with the vehicle, which is why groupage loads mixing statuses need careful handling.

External and internal compared

The internal procedure exists for goods that already have domestic status but need to cross a third territory or move in a way that would otherwise call that status into question. The external one exists for goods that have not been cleared at all. Selecting the wrong one produces goods arriving with a status the destination office does not expect, and correcting it after the fact is considerably more work than choosing correctly at departure.

The electronic system and the paper that travels

Movements are opened, tracked and discharged electronically between customs offices, with a reference number identifying the movement and an accompanying document travelling with the goods so that officers and drivers can identify it. The document is evidence of the electronic record rather than the record itself. Drivers should understand that presenting it at the right office is the act that closes the movement, because the system will not close by itself.

When a movement will not close

Non-arrival, arrival at an office other than the one declared, a broken seal, or goods presented without the reference all stall a discharge. The holder is then asked to prove what happened, and the security is at stake until they do. Operators running volume through these procedures should reconcile opened against discharged movements as a routine control rather than waiting for an enquiry letter.

Frequently asked questions

Does the external procedure apply only inside one customs union?

The status concept belongs to particular regional arrangements, and neighbouring countries participate in common transit schemes that extend it beyond the union's own territory. Which countries are covered and on what conditions is set by the arrangements themselves, so it should be confirmed with the relevant authority for a given route.

Can goods be split during a movement?

Not without customs involvement. Splitting a consignment, transferring it to another vehicle or storing it changes what was declared, so it needs the authority's agreement or a formal end and reopening of the procedure. Doing it informally is what produces discrepancies at the destination office.