Update to the Customs Declaration Service to Allow the Use of Special Text Characters in UK Import and Export licences – Notice to Exporters 2025/16

BY:

Gail Leeson
24 June 2025

SHARE:

Notice to Exporters 2025/16, published 17th June, advises that the Customs Declaration Service (CDS) has been updated to accept the use of special and diacritic characters when declaring UK import and export licences on CDS.

This change to CDS will also include a provision to exclude case sensitivity when declaring the licence details.


The changes were implemented with CDS release 4.8.0 in mid-June 2025.


The workaround in place since late 2024, announced in NTE 2024/31, will no longer be required going forward.


A link to NTE 2025/16 can be found below:

Notice to exporters 2025/16: updated use of special and diacritic characters on the customs declaration service (CDS) - GOV.UK


A link to the S&H article for NTE 2025/31 can be found below

NTE 2024/31: Use of special and diacritic characters on the Customs Declaration Service (CDS)

OneCall™ Email assistance as and when required; A one-call solution for all your import, export and customs enquiries. Export help. Import help. Customs help.

Stay informed about customs and international trade matters by subscribing to our OneCall™ service. This comprehensive offering includes a dedicated email helpline for support, timely practical updates direct to your inbox (Did You Know?), monthly UK Customs & Trade Briefings and access to an interactive members' area with an exclusive community for our subscribers.

Subscribe Today ➝

International Trade Updates & Spotlight Newsletter

Subscribe to our free information emails covering international trade topics...

Subscribe to our newsletter ➝

MORE INDUSTRY INSIGHTS...

Remember, remember the 5th of November! - Gunpowder, Guy Fawkes, and Government Controls.

by Niamh O'Connor • 5 November 2025
While November 5th is known for fireworks and the foiling of the Gunpowder Plot, it's a story that goes beyond mere historical events. It's a tale of smuggling, licensing violations, and the evasion of government controls. Guy Fawkes and his co-conspirators, often portrayed as terrorists, were more than that. They were

Release of CDS 4.9.1 – Update to Import Declarations

by Gail Leeson • 5 November 2025
CDS Update 4.9.1 will be released on the 5th November 2025. This will deliver live fixes for error messages received in the Customs Declaration Service.

The Haunted HS Code

by Sandra Strong • 29 October 2025
Halloween wasn’t just a marketing opportunity for this company, for Jasper & Veil Ltd.; it was peak season. Their custom ghoulish gift boxes were packed with ghost-shaped biscuits, spooky mugs, novelty sweets, and glow-in-the-dark clothing, and flew off the shelves faster than you could say “trick or treat.”
Show More