Customs Single Window/CERTEX

Overview

The Customs Single Window (SW)/CERTEX is designed to provide a more efficient release of certain goods at the European Union (EU) border. This is achieved by the sharing of data electronically between government agencies.

In Ireland, the relevant government agencies are:

  • Revenue
  • the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM)
  • the Health Service Executive (HSE)
  • and
  • the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

The Customs SW/CERTEX is in operation in Ireland since 2015. The latest phase of the SW was implemented on 28 February 2023.

Who benefits from this latest phase of the Customs Single Window/CERTEX?

Those businesses who import goods that require any of the following certificates:

  • Common Health Entry Document (CHED)
  • Certificate of Inspection for Organic Conformity (COI).

What changes have been introduced?

This phase introduced the matching of the following data declared on the customs import declaration, and the related CHED/COI:

  • Certificate reference number
  • CN code (up to the first 8 digits)
  • Net mass or supplementary units.

Further details on how the system works is available in Customs Single Window/CERTEX.

What does your business need to do to benefit from this change?

Take steps now to ensure that the data on the import declaration matches exactly what is on the relevant CHED/COI. This will require communication between the party completing the customs declaration and the party completing the relevant CHED/COI. A data mismatch may cause a significant delay in the clearance of your goods.

Will there be further certificates and licences added?

The next phase will be launched in 2025 and will see the addition of import licences for:

  • Ozone Depleting Substances (ODS)
  • Fluorinated Greenhouse Gases
  • cultural goods
  • and
  • importer statement for cultural goods.

Note

This page will be updated with additional information as we approach the implementation date for each phase of the SW.

Further information

If you have specific questions, you can contact any of the following emails with ‘Single Window/CERTEX’ included in the subject line:

Revenue: ecustoms@revenue.ie
DAFM:      importcontrols@agriculture.gov.ie
HSE:         importcontroldublin@hse.ie
                importcontrolrosslare@hse.ie

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA): fgases@epa.ie