NCTS phase 6
Here you will find information about NCTS Phase 6.
Update 08.08.25
Norway and several other countries will not meet the EU deadline for the production launch of NCTS phase 6 by 1 September 2025. Norway is now planning production launch no later than 26 November 2025, and will in the meantime take the necessary measures to support Phase 6. This mainly involves closing combined advance notification at entry (ENTRY) and transit. These must be sent in separate systems, ICS2 and NCTS respectively, as of 1 September 2025.
Why upgrade to NCTS phase 6?
As a contracting party to the Common Transit Convention (CTC), Norway is obligated to implement changes and updates determined by the EU's Directorate-General for Taxation and Customs Union (TAXUD).
Although Norway recently launched NCTS phase 5 on March 6, 2024, an upgrade to phase 6 is necessary due to the introduction of Import Control System 2 (ICS2) phase 3 for road and rail transport, which will become mandatory for businesses by September 1, 2025.
ICS2 will take over all prenotifications (with ENS data) from NCTS for imports of goods from third countries into the security zone.
For exports to third countries, Norway will continue to use NCTS as the primary system for processing prenotifications (with EXS-data), including combined declarations (EXS data + transit declaration).
Countries may choose to offer businesses the option to send combined pre-departure declarations and transit declarations through the NCTS system (so-called "opt-in" countries).
Each country decides whether to provide this option in NCTS phase 6.
Due to significant associated costs, countries also have the option not to implement this feature, thus becoming "opt-out" countries.
In such cases, NCTS will not accept incoming transit declarations combined with prenotifications with ENS-data (ENTRY); these must be submitted in separate systems, respectively in NCTS and ICS2.
Outgoing transit declarations can still be combined with prenotifications (with EXS-data) in NCTS as needed, for example, for exports under transit to the United Kingdom.
Norway as an opt-out country
Norway has chosen to be an opt-out country for NCTS phase 6.The main reasons are to reduce implementation risks and costs. Currently, there is minimal demand from the traders to send transit declarations combined with security data (ENS-data) upon import. Therefore, only minor changes are required to implement NCTS phase 6 for the customs authority and the businesses.
Implications for businesses (software providers and declarants)
NCTS phase 6 is a minor upgrade, mainly building upon the NCTS phase 5 software. The most significant change for businesses is that Norway will no longer accept transit declarations combined with prenotifications (ENS-data / ENTRY). These must be submitted in separate systems: NCTS and ICS2, respectively.
Outgoing transit declarations can still be combined with prenotifications (EXS-data / EXIT) in NCTS, for example, for exports to the United Kingdom.
Functional changes (for software providers)
Three new message types are planned in NCTS phase 6:
1. message on the common domain (between national customs administrations):
- IE119 – rejection crossing frontier
2. two messages on the external domain (customs + declarants/businesses), which Norway has currently chosen not to implement:
- IE117 – presentation notification at office of transit
- IE058 – rejection from office of transit
National project plan – external milestones (EM)
The following are the national milestones (external milestones) for NCTS phase 6 in Norway. Note! Regardless of a launchdate as late as November 26, 2025, the testing period is set for September 2025.
- EM-1: technical specifications, DDNTA v. 6.4.0 – February 18, 2025
- EM-2: trader support available – [email protected] established for direct support to software providers – September 1, 2024
- EM-3: test environment for traders available – September 1 to October 1, 2025
- EM-4c: end of the transition window for traders – November 26, 2025 at the latest
EM-1 technical specifications
NCTS phase 6 builds upon the technical platform developed for NCTS phase 5. The messages that will be changed are detailed in the technical document DDNTA version 6.4.0, which has previously been distributed to all software providers. An updated version of the DDNTA can be found at the following link:
Updated: 08/08/2025