Import Control System 2 (ICS2) is an advance cargo information system designed to improve security in the international transportation of goods and involved supply chain. All Economic Operators (EOs) that bring goods to or transiting through the EU, have to declare safety and security data to ICS2, through the Entry Summary Declaration (ENS). Based on the ENS, all goods are subject to safety and security risk analysis and better targeted controls.
ICS2 helps to better identify high-risk consignments and intervene at the most appropriate point in the supply chain, while facilitating legitimate flow of goods.
More information about the bi-monthly technical-operational webinars is available on CIRCABC.
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All consignments that enter the EU territory by any means of transport as of 1 June 2026 should have a valid ENS that is submitted either directly to ICS2 or filed in the combined transit declaration through the NCTS Phase 6 in opt-in countries.
ICS2 is already providing concrete benefits for customs authorities on the frontline, protecting citizens and the EU economy. Take a look at examples of ICS2 in action in 2025.
New ICS2 leaflet addresses importance of precise and comprehensive data in the ICS2 ENS filing to ensure full compliance with legal requirements.
How to prepare
To connect to ICS2, Economic Operators have to obtain an Economic Operators Registration and Identification (EORI) number from one of the EU Member States’ customs authorities. They also have to develop the necessary IT and business processes and successfully complete the mandatory self-conformance test.
To meet the ICS2 ENS data filing obligations, Economic Operators can decide to either develop their own IT system for this purpose or use the services of an IT Service Provider (ITSP).
ENS filings can be submitted through the Shared Trader Portal (STP). To access and connect to STP, the sender of the ENS needs to be registered in the national/central Unified User Management and Digital Signatures (UUM&DS) system. You can find more information about UUM&DS on EU Customs Trader Portal.
ICS2 STI-STP portal training is available in the ICS2_Library.
Alternatively, Economic Operators may choose to develop their own IT system and connect directly to ICS2 via Shared Trader Interface (STI). In this case, mandatory self-conformance testing must be completed before GO-LIVE.
For technical preparation related to ENS filing, please see the relevant Technical Factsheet.
All necessary documents for conformance testing and ICS2 implementation are available in the publicly available CIRCABC EU Advance Cargo Information System (ICS2) Interest group.
How ICS2 works
- Economic Operators need to submit a complete Entry Summary Declaration (ENS) in the ICS2 system for all goods transported to or through the EU prior to their arrival. For air transport, a minimum set of information must also be filed prior to loading (pre-loading phase).
- As an alternative option, in some countries the EO can fulfil the ICS2 ENS filing requirements for rail and road using New Computerised Transit System Phase 6 (NCTS-P6 opt-in) by submitting the ENS data combined with transit declaration. More information about NCTS P6 can be found on the NCTS website.
- A complete ENS shall contain all required data elements specific to the mode of transport or business model.
- Depending on the contractual arrangements among supply chain actors regarding ENS filing responsibilities and the availability of information, either single or multiple ENS filings may be used.
- Based on the information provided in the ENS, customs authorities perform pre-loading or pre-arrival safety and security risk analysis.
- As a result of risk analysis, risk mitigating referrals might be issued requesting the declarant to provide additional information, perform high risk cargo and mail screening or not to load the cargo. The risk mitigating referrals must be answered before the risk assessment can resume.
- Operator of a sea-going vessel or of an aircraft must lodge an arrival notification upon the arrival of the means of transport at the Customs office of first entry.
- Goods must be presented to customs upon their arrival.
- Customs may also decide to impose administrative sanctions for non-compliance with data requirements.
Read more about multiple filing
Details about multiple ENS filing can be found here:
Publication metadata
If you are transporting goods (including postal consignments) into or via the EU, Northern Ireland, Norway, or Switzerland by road, you will have to submit new safety and security data prior to the goods’ arrival.
Read more about consequences of incomplete ENS
The EU customs authorities may reject incomplete ENS declarations or issue risk mitigating referrals in the pre-loading or pre-arrival phase requesting the declarant to provide the necessary data, for example in the case data will not be accurate.
This might create delays in processing of the ENS upon the arrival of the consignments and in the entry process.
Read more about importance of Filing accurate and complete ENS data
How to open an incident to NSD
In case you experience an issue with the ICS2 ENS filing, and this issue is not related to the internal company matters (IT connection, validity dates and sufficiency of the certificates, AS4 access point configuration, etc.), you can contact the ICS2 National Service Desk (NSD) linked to your EORI registration to raise an incident and request initial support. If the NSD is unable to resolve the issue, they will escalate the case to the Central Service Desk (CSD).
This document provides the information that needs to be provided to the NSD to ensure efficient and smooth analysis and resolution of your request.
- Identification: provide your company name, EORI number and Party ID.
- Environment – specify relevant environment: PROD or CONF
- Issue description – describe the issue that you experience, or in what area do you request a support. Please also include the date and time when the issue occurred (including time zone, if possible), as well as any relevant timestamps
- Business case (describe business scenario behind the request);
- Current application behavior (description with reference(s) to the application specifications, code list etc.);
- Attachment (screenshot, message);
- Other useful information that would facilitate the investigation of the issue.
- Contact person(s) and e-mail address(es) for further communication.
Success stories 2025
Denmark: suspected alcohol duty evasion scheme triggered by the absence of safety and security data declaration (ENS)
Luxembourg Airport: nearly 2 tonnes of cannabis and more than 360 kg of cocaine seized (€100 million street value)
Valencia port: more than 2 tonnes of cocaine coming from Ecuador seized
Barcelona port: almost 800 kg of marijuana coming from Thailand seized
Belgium and the Netherlands: over 130 kg of cocaine seized in collaboration with Germany
Netherlands: disguised as disposable bowls, almost 7.9 million untaxed cigarettes intended for the French market seized from a sea freight container in collaboration with Germany
Germany: roughly 3.5 million untaxed cigarettes intercepted in collaboration with the Netherlands
Switzerland: around 1.1 million untaxed cigarettes seized in Switzerland in collaboration with Northern Ireland (UK)
Examples of ICS2 in action in 2025
CIRCABC
All necessary documentation can be found on CIRCABC (the European Commission’s document-sharing platform): EU Advance Cargo Information System (ICS2).
To understand the essence of ICS2, the documents published in this CIRCABC group are recommended to be read in the following sequence.
- ICS2 Common Functional System Specifications
- ICS2 Known Error List (KEL)
- ICS2 Common Technical System Specifications
- ICS2 Testing
- ICS2 Common Operational Guidance
- ICS2 Go-live procedure
- ICS2 Business Continuity
- Contact details of National Service Desks
Guidances
ICS2 Operational guidance for all modes of transportation
Read more about ICS2 unavailability and Business Continuity Planning (BCP)
Legal texts
- Union Customs Code
- Union Customs Code Legal Package
- Regulation (EU) No 952/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council laying down the Union Customs Code
- Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2023/2879 establishing the Work Programme relating to the development and deployment for the electronic systems provided for in the Union Customs Code
Privacy Statement
The Commission processes data in ICS2, in its role as a controller jointly with the Member States, through the ICS2 central component - common repository, for the purposes of monitoring and evaluating of the implementation of ICS2 processes in order to ensure harmonised and uniform implementation of common risk criteria and standards, risk analysis and control measures and priority control areas.