Real-time insight into the customs status of your cargo arriving at shortsea and ferry terminals.
Import Status gets a new look by 19-8-2021
Import Status has been redesigned with a new look and feel. There is no longer a difference between the shipment and the container overview.
The functionality and the provided status information remains the same.
Do you have a subscription to Cargo Controller, you will now find import status directly in your Cargo Controller overview.
Below are examples of the new and the old look and feel.
New overview, for containers and of (ferry)shipments
Old overview for ferry shipments
Old overview for containers
How to deal with groupage transport?
If your shipment is a groupage transport, a document must be pre-notified for each shipment.
You can check whether you are dealing with groupage transport in the service Import Status.
You are dealing with groupage transport if, when you search for your shipment in the service Import Status, you receive several search results in which the last 3 digits of the shipment number differ each time. See for example:
You can see the status per shipment in the example above. Make sure that an import document is pre-notified for each shipment.
If you have questions about one of the shipments, please contact the ferry operator.
Why am I sometimes asked to enter a shipment number, and sometimes a container number?
For transport by ferry (via a ferry terminal) it is possible to request the status for a given shipment ID (which is why you are asked for a shipment number). For the connected shortsea and other terminals, the information can be requested for a specific container (which is why you are asked for a container number).
Shipment numbers of ferry-operators have the following format (SCAC + bookingnumber + sequence number):
CLDN: CLVW0012345678001
DFDS/KVSA: DFDS123456780001
P&O: PONFHU12345678001
Stena Line: STNL0012345678001
I’m unable to select the desired terminal; why is this?
The service Import Status displays information only for those terminals that make use of the NID return messages. This includes all ferry and shortsea terminals that (potentially as a result of the Brexit) are connected to the PCS. If it is not possible to select a particular terminal, this means that terminal does not work with the NID return messages and no information is available within the service Import Status.
How to deal with groupage transport?
If your shipment is a groupage transport, a document must be pre-notified for each shipment.
You can check whether you are dealing with groupage transport in the service Import Status.
You are dealing with groupage transport if, when you search for your shipment in the service Import Status, you receive several search results in which the last 3 digits of the shipment number differ each time. See for example:
You can see the status per shipment in the example above. Make sure that an import document is pre-notified for each shipment.
If you have questions about one of the shipments, please contact the ferry operator.
Who should I contact if the status is incorrect or if the container/shipment cannot be found?
If the container/shipment cannot be found, this means no documents have been notified and you should contact the person who was in charge of submitting the documents. In most cases, this is the forwarder or importer. If the status is incorrect, you should contact the terminal to check whether the container/shipment is ready to be picked up.
There is a blue dot displayed on the screen; can I pick up my shipment?
A blue dot means that the important documents have been notified to the terminal. The terminal has not yet accepted the documents. As a result, the shipment has not yet been released. If you attempt to pick up the shipment now, there is a good chance your trip to the terminal will be in vain.
How do I know whether a container is ready for me to pick up at a shortsea terminal?
When you search by container number, the status will be displayed for any notification(s) of import documents for this container that have been submitted in the past two weeks. If more than one notification has been submitted in the past two weeks, these will all be displayed. The date and time of each notification will be shown as well. You can take your own decision as to whether the most recent displayed notification fits with your assigned pick-up.
If you see the message “Import document accepted by terminal”, the import documents are on file with the terminal. This is one of the requirements for being able to pick up a container. You can safely assume that, if the vessel arrived and was unloaded on schedule, it is now possible to pick up your container. If you see the message “Import document sent to terminal”, the import documents have not yet been accepted by the terminal. This means the container has not yet been released for pick-up by the terminal.
Please note: Notifying the import documents is one of the requirements for being able to pick up a container. Before a shipment can be picked up:
At the moment, the information above is not yet displayed in the service Import Status. In the near future, however, Import Status will be expanded to include the discharge status and the inspection status. When that happens, this service will offer greater insight regarding the status.
There is a green dot displayed on the screen; can I pick up my shipment?
A green dot means that the important documents are on file with the terminal. This is one of the requirements for being able to pick up a shipment. You can safely assume that, if the ferry arrived on schedule, it is now possible to pick up your shipment.
In the future, we plan to add information that will provide you with insight into whether the shipment is on file with Customs, and whether the shipment or corresponding transport unit has been unloaded/discharged.
The shipment/container cannot be found for my import notification; what’s going on?
When a shipment/container cannot be found, there are a number of possible explanations:
Shipment numbers of ferry-operators have the following format (SCAC + bookingnumber + sequence number):
CLDN: CLVW0012345678001
DFDS/KVSA: DFDS123456780001
P&O: PONFHU12345678001
Stena Line: STNL0012345678001