ICS2: The new advance cargo information system of the EU customs authorities – AEB Help Center

What is ICS2?

ICS2 (Import Control System 2) is the new IT advance cargo information system of the EU customs authorities, which is used to collect and evaluate certain data on the transported goods for security reasons or to avert danger before the goods arrive in the EU.

What are the advantages of ICS2?

More protection for EU citizens and the single market against security and safety threats
A "single endpoint" for all ENS filings in the EU
Better identification of high-risk shipments and the ability to intervene at an appropriate point in the supply chain
Support of targeted customs measures at the external borders in crisis situations
Simplification of the exchange of information between economic operators and EU customs authorities
Facilitation of cross-border customs clearance for the legitimate trade

(Source: European Commission: Directorate-General for Taxation and Customs Union, ICS2 - The new EU customs advance cargo information system, Publications Office of the European Union, 2020)

Who is affected and what are the most important requirements?

Affected economic operators (e.g. carriers, transport companies, freight forwarders, etc.) are now obliged to file the relevant data in the form of an Entry Summary Declaration (ENS) in ICS2. Depending on the transport route (air, sea, road, rail), certain time limits apply to the submission of an ENS.

Mandatory details of a complete ENS are (per item):

Complete description of goods
6-digit HS commodity code
Information about the operators
EORI number
Shipping information

Detailed information can be found on the official website of the European Commission. There you will find e-learning courses and various fact sheets, e.g.:

What deadlines apply and how can I prepare?

The new system was introduced in various phases, each of which was aimed at implementing the new requirements across the various modes of transport (air freight, sea, road, and rail transport).
The final phase 3 (implementation of ICS2 requirements for sea, road, and rail) was completed on December 31, 2025.

Since this date, ENS declarations in the ICS2 system have been mandatory for all economic operators concerned. If you are affected, you will find information on the implementation and any possibly required technical preparations here:

Multiple vs. single ENS filings

In the case of multiple ENS filings, several economic operators in the supply chain can make several partial filings of ENS data at different times and in any order, provided this has been arranged in advance. Overall, all partial filings must meet the requirements of a complete ENS declaration.

In the case of a single ENS filing, however, the required ENS data is submitted collectively by an economic operator, e.g. the freight forwarder.

Fact sheet by the European Commission on multiple ENS filing

Using Customs Management from AEB to process ENS declarations

With Customs Management, you are ideally prepared for the new ICS2 system, because the application allows you to:

create and send ENS declarations (entry summary declarations) manually via the software interface or automatically (if configured) for numerous ICS2 filing types
receive relevant customs messages and be notified of certain events
request further status information

Coupling of ICS2 to NCTS6 – Outlook (opt-in countries)

In future, national customs administrations can decide to connect their NCTS systems to ICS2 (so-called opt-in countries) and thus offer the option of filing a combined transit declaration with ENS data in the transit procedure (NCTS) phase 6 instead of in the ICS2 system.

Read more about this topic in our Help Center article.