United Kingdom: post-Brexit, done right
Since Brexit, the EU-UK lane went from "drive a truck and turn up" to "drive a truck, file customs both sides, manage VAT, hope the paperwork is right." We rebuilt our UK service around the new reality. For our clients, the experience didn't change much. For the wider market, it's been a mess.
- London and South East — daily ferry from Zeebrugge / Calais
- Birmingham, Midlands — biggest UK distribution region, 2-3 day transit
- Manchester, North West — 3-4 days from Benelux
- Glasgow, Edinburgh, Scotland — 4-5 days
- Bristol, South West — 3-4 days
Most common lanes
| From | To | Transit (door-to-door) |
|---|---|---|
| Antwerp / Zeebrugge | London | 2-3 days |
| Rotterdam | Manchester | 3-4 days |
| Germany | UK | 4-5 days |
| Schiphol (air) | UK airports | 24-48h |
| UK auctions | EU mainland | 5-7 days |
Brexit paperwork — what you actually need
If you're shipping between the EU and UK, you need:
- EORI numbers on both sides — EU EORI and a separate UK GB-EORI
- Commercial invoice with correct HS codes, country of origin, incoterm
- Packing list matching the invoice
- Customs declaration on both sides — we file these for you
- Statement on Origin (if claiming 0% under the TCA)
For e-commerce B2C shipments under €150, IOSS / OSS makes life easier — happy to walk you through.
Full Brexit guide: EU → UK after Brexit — what you actually need.
Postponed VAT Accounting (PVA)
For UK importers, the equivalent of Dutch Article 23 is Postponed VAT Accounting (PVA). You don't pay 20% import VAT at the border — you reverse-charge it on your VAT return. It's the default for most UK importers since 2021.
To use PVA, you need a UK VAT registration and EORI. Already have these? Just tell us on the booking and we'll file accordingly.