Turnkey customs clearance for road cargo
When a truck travels from Europe to Ukraine, the cargo crosses several customs territories, and at every stage its movement must be compliant from the customs point of view. We take on both parts of this work: transit processing along the route (a T1 declaration in the NCTS system) and import clearance at the destination. This is part of our full road freight from Europe service — the customer does not have to find a broker, calculate the guarantee, or align documents between countries.
We work with companies and sole proprietors across Ukraine; customs support is available at terminals and customs offices in Kyiv, Odesa, Kharkiv and Dnipro.
What road cargo customs clearance includes
Road cargo from the EU passes through two distinct customs stages, and it is important not to confuse them:
- Transit — moving the cargo across EU territory and the border without paying duties in each country along the route. Handled with a T1 declaration in NCTS.
- Import clearance — releasing the goods for free circulation in Ukraine with payment of duty, VAT and, where applicable, excise.
We close both stages in a single chain, so the cargo does not get stuck at the border over mismatched documents.
T1 transit in the NCTS system — what it is
NCTS (New Computerised Transit System) is the electronic customs transit control system. Since 1 October 2022 Ukraine has been a full member of the Convention on a common transit procedure, and Ukrainian carriers now work in NCTS together with the EU and other Convention countries.
T1 is a transit declaration for goods that do not have Union status (i.e. cargo from third countries, including Ukraine). Under it, cargo travels through one or several countries to the destination customs office without customs clearance in each transit country. The declaration is assigned a unique MRN, which customs uses to track the procedure from start to discharge.
When a T1 declaration is required
- Cargo from the EU travels in transit through several countries to Ukraine.
- The goods have not yet been released for free circulation and remain under customs control until the destination.
- The shipment departs from an EU port or warehouse, and clearance is planned in Ukraine.
If you are unsure whether your route needs T1, TIR or both procedures — that is exactly the question we settle at the freight calculation stage.
T1 or TIR — which to choose
Both regimes let you move cargo under customs control without paying charges en route, but they apply in different situations, and often work together on one route.
| Parameter | T1 (NCTS) | TIR (Carnet) |
|---|---|---|
| Basis | Common Transit Convention (EU + CTC countries) | TIR Convention |
| Form | Fully electronic (NCTS, MRN number) | TIR Carnet + electronic handling |
| Geography | EU and common transit countries, including Ukraine | Wide network of TIR countries beyond the EU |
| Guarantee | Principal's financial guarantee | TIR system guarantee chain |
| When preferable | Routes within the EU and common transit area | Long routes through non-EU countries |
In practice, choosing a regime is not either/or but a calculation for the specific route and cargo. We select the scheme under which the procedure closes faster and with lower risk of delay.
Principal and financial guarantee
Compliance with transit conditions rests with the principal (the holder of the procedure) — the party in whose name T1 is filed. It is the principal who provides the financial guarantee for payment of duties in case the cargo is not delivered to the destination customs office. We take on this role and the guarantee so that the customer does not have to freeze their own funds for transit. More on the financial guarantees page.
Import clearance in Ukraine
After the transit is discharged, the cargo goes through import clearance: the commodity code is determined, duty, VAT and excise are calculated and paid, the customs declaration is filed, and the goods are released for free circulation. This part is handled by our customs broker; to estimate the payment burden in advance, see our guide to import customs payments.
Documents for clearance
T1 and import require a consistent set: invoice, packing list, CMR, foreign-trade contract, power of attorney, and for some goods — permits. A full breakdown is in the guide to documents for international road freight. We check the set before the truck departs, so no discrepancies arise at the border.
How we handle transit and import
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Document checkWe collect and check the invoice, packing list, CMR, contract and power of attorney; determine the commodity code.
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Guarantee calculationWe calculate the financial guarantee for the route and arrange the principal's coverage.
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Creating T1 in NCTSWe build the transit declaration, name the guarantor, and obtain the MRN.
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Sealing and movementThe cargo is sealed and travels the route under NCTS control to the destination customs office.
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Import clearanceIn Ukraine we file the import declaration, pay the charges and release the goods; T1 is discharged.
Frequently asked questions
Road cargo customs clearance with Trans-Hope
Trans-Hope runs T1 transit in NCTS and import clearance as a single process inside road freight from Europe. We take on the principal's role, provide the financial guarantee, file the declaration and bring the cargo through to release in Ukraine — with no delays over documents and no need for the customer to navigate two customs procedures alone. Send a request with the route and cargo type, and we will calculate the clearance scheme.
