• May 2024 update: AEB has received information on adapted timelines regarding the Go-Lives of AES, IDMS, and NCTS phase 5 in Belgium. We expect official confirmation of these changes early May.

• April 2024 update: Belgian customs authorities have published an updated timeframe for the MASP projects, which again involves changes to the migration dates of AES Export and NCTS5.

General information on MASP timeframes

The MASP (Multi-Annual Strategic Plan) projects include the new systems for import, export, and transit (NCTS5) declarations. The latest timeframe published by Belgian customs authorities can be found here:

MASP timeframe Belgium (updated March 2024)

However, different parties involved with the PLDA migration have informed AEB that the schedule will be adapted as follows:

• AES: Start migration mid-June until end of September 2024
• IDMS: Start migration June until beginning of December 2024
• NCTS phase 5: Delayed to Q2 of 2025

We expect official confirmation early May.

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Change in the submission of T2L/T2LF declarations (PoUS)

The new Proof of Union Status (PoUS) system to prove Union status of goods with electronic means and replace paper-based T2L/T2LF documents was scheduled to go-live on March 1, 2024. 

However, Belgium customs have formally requested a delay due to technical problems. Therefore, T2L/T2LF documents will be lodged via the PLDA system until further notice.

Read all details regarding the new PoUS system in this Help Center article.

Changes affecting transit procedures

Read all details regarding the transfer to NCTS Phase 5 in Belgium in this article:

Transfer to NCTS Phase 5 in Belgium.

Changes affecting export and import procedures

The current PLDA system for filing export and import declarations will be replaced by AES Export and IDMS. AES Export and IDMS are completely new declaration systems that will harmonize the processes to the regulations of the UCC and meet the requirements of the EU Customs Data Model.

• AES Export will replace the export section of PLDA. The migration is expected to start mid-June until the end of September 2024.
• The Import Declaration Management System (IDMS) will replace the import section of PLDA. The migration is expected to start in June until the beginning of December 2024.

AEB is currently preparing for the changes and developing the new declaration systems. We will inform all affected customers about the changes via the application and other channels in a timely manner.

What will change with the migration from PLDA (Export) to AES Export?

The changes mainly affect the declaration data that needs to be submitted to customs.
Some of the major changes involve, for instance:

• several new document types
• additional information on delivery terms and transport means
• a change in declaration and procedure types in accordance with UCC regulations

Furthermore, new fields will be available in a declaration, for example:

• an EXS checkbox
• a field for the presentation time
• new fields for commodity codes and document types (at item level)

These new fields need to be filled in the declaration and therefore, the implementation of a few API changes is required, too. This concerns the new information on delivery terms and country as well as the new document types.

Further information

Useful information can be found on the Belgian customs website.