NCTS5: Details of the changes implemented in NCTS Phase 5

NCTS Phase 5 will be released in two phases:

Phase 1 (Transition period): In this phase special rules and conditions are implemented to restrict or prevent the use of new data fields. New functionality introduced as part of NCTS Phase 5 will not go into effect until the end of this phase. This is to ensure that messages can be exchanged between countries using NCTS4 and NCTS5. 

NCTS Phase 5 will go live during the transition period. All customers must migrate during the transitional phase.

• Go live dates are defined by the respective national customs authorities.
• All member states must migrate to the transition phase by 1 December 2024.
• The transition period ends on 21 January 2025.

Phase 2 (Post-transition / Final state): In this phase all new NCTS5 functionalities, data fields, rules and conditions will come into effect.

• Final state starts on 22 January 2025.

Changes at a glance

NCTS phase 5 differs from NCTS4 in multiple aspects. Some changes however will only be applicable once the transition to final state has been completed.

Transition state changes (effective from go live date until 21 January 2025) 

The main changes that have been implemented for the transition phase include:

• New hierarchies: declaration head, consignment, house consignment and house consignment item. Only 1 house consignment can be declared during the transition period.
• New data structure and data groups.
• Changes in messages, message flows, data fields, code lists, and rules and conditions of declared data fields. In particular, the introduction of:
  • Authorization data group.
  • Location of goods data group, which uses a different method for identifying a location type.
  • Updated guarantee types.
• Pre-lodgement of departure declarations and sending of presentation notification to office of departure now applies to all CTC countries.
• Ability to amend transit departure declarations.
• Sending out declarations that include a maximum of 1999 goods items.
• New office of exit role - responsible for the point of exit from the safety and security area. This office is used for transit declarations combined with EXS declarations (Exit summary declaration).

Final state changes (effective starting 22 January 2025)

The main changes that have been implemented for the final phase include:

• Use of multiple house consignments, which allows declaring multiple and unique consignors / consignees for all items that belong to the house consignment.
• Mandatory use of 6-digit commodity codes.
• Electronic presentation of Movement Reference Number (MRN) will replace the paper based TAD.
• New office of incident role - responsible for registering incidents en-route for real-time reporting directly into NCTS5. This replaces the manual recording of the incident during the journey and providing details of the incident with the arrival notification message (IE007).

Further information

Further information (general and country specific) can be found in the Help Center:

• Help Center: NCTS Phase 5 migration