BIRDS declarations must carry GBBEL004 code after CDS update

Traders using the Bulk Import Reduced Data Set must declare supervising office code GBBEL004 on every declarationGOV or face rejectionGOV, following the deployment of Customs Declaration Service Release 5.3GOV. HMRC's service-availability page states that while the underlying business rule is unchanged, traders must follow the guidance to avoid rejections, pointing to the BIRDS procedure-code instructions and the data-element 5/27 Supervising Customs Office completion notes. The Procedure Code mandates the code in all instancesGOV; a declaration with no supervising office code will be rejectedGOV.

BIRDS lets authorised traders declare multiple low-value imports under £135 on a single customs declaration with reduced data when importing into Great Britain, providing relief from customs duty. Authorisation requires establishment in the UK, a good customs compliance record, professional-standard declaration procedures with error identification and reporting, and procedures excluding prohibited or restricted goods; authorised businesses must keep complete records (six years for VAT), follow the authorisation letter, and tell HMRC of later changes, with withdrawal for non-compliance. BIRDS cannot be used for excise goods, banned or restricted goods, goods subject to licences, postal packets over £135, goods under transit when declared, or goods removed to Northern Ireland under the deemed-declaration process. VAT must be collected at point of sale by the seller or online marketplace and remitted to HMRC through a VAT return.

The same page update clears the expired planned-downtime notice for 7pm on Saturday 26 September to 8:30am on Sunday 27 September 2026GOV, when online access was unavailable, declarations were not to be submitted, and creating, updating or embarking a goods movement reference might have been affected. Planned downtime now reads 'None'GOV, and the only live service issue is the Release 5.3 deployment note.

For customs brokers and importers filing BIRDS declarations, the immediate step is to check declaration templates and software defaults before submission, so that every BIRDS declaration carries GBBEL004 in the supervising-office fieldGOV.

Source: HMRC guidance 'Customs Declaration Service: service availability and issues' (CDS Release 5.3 deployment note, pointing to the BIRDS procedure-code instructions and data element 5/27 Supervising Customs Office).