Notification Export Documentation

There are two possible causes:

• The terminal has not requested Portbase to forward the pre-notification. Contact the shipper or you contact person to solve this.
• The pre-notification was entered incorrectly. Here you can find out how to edit your data/submitted pre-notifications.

All changes to the pre-notification after the shipment has been successfully received at a terminal are made by the terminal. Portbase's Customer Service department cannot adjust or delete data. Would you like to know whether the shipment has been successfully received at the terminal? click here

Depending on the terminal, contact can be made directly or changes can be made via the shipping company. Click here for the terminal's contact details.

All changes to the pre-notification until the shipment has been successfully received at a terminal are made by the company that made the pre-notification. Would you like to know whether the shipment has been successfully received at the terminal? click here

Before a shipment has been successfully received at the terminal, the booking number can be changed by the company that made the pre-notification. In the main screen you can see the various pre-notifications. Select 'Document number' of the pre-notification you want to change. A new screen opens.

A booking number can be modified by deleting the line with the incorrect booking number. The new equipment number must be registered together with the booking at 'Add transport equipment'. Note: only select 'Save' after all adjustments. You can also delete the entire pre-notification at the bottom left by selecting 'Delete shipment'.

All changes to the pre-notification until the shipment has been successfully received at a terminal are made by the company that made the pre-notification. Would you like to know whether the shipment has been successfully received at the terminal? Click here

Before a shipment has been successfully received at the terminal, the equipment number can be changed by the company that made the pre-notification. In the main screen you can see the various pre-notifications. Select 'Document number' of the pre-notification you want to change. A new screen opens. An equipment number can be modified by deleting the line with the incorrect equipment number. The new equipment number must be registered together with the booking at 'Add transport equipment'.

Note: only select 'Save' after all adjustments. You can also delete the entire pre-notification at the bottom left by selecting 'Delete shipment'.

All changes to the pre-notification after the shipment has been successfully received at a terminal are made by the terminal. Portbase's Customer Service department cannot adjust or delete data. Would you like to know whether the shipment has been successfully received at the terminal? Click here

Depending on the terminal, contact can be made directly or changes can be made via the shipping company. Click here for the terminal's contact details.

In the service you can recognize that a shipment has arrived by hovering over the bullet in the main screen under 'Status' at a specific line/pre-notification. The status 'released by PCS' and 'Inspection by Customs' indicate that your shipment has been successfully received at the terminal.

After the equipment has been successfully received at the terminal, only the terminal can make adjustments. Provided the shipment is not on a manifest; the shipping company/shipbroker and terminal has this information.

If you have questions about a declaration, for example if a document/MRN has been refused on arrival at the terminal, you should contact Customs in the country where the declaration was made. If the declaration was made in the Netherlands, you can contact the National Customs Helpdesk.

See below for the contact details of Customs in the Netherlands and in the main countries of origin:

All changes to the pre-notification until the shipment has been successfully received at a terminal are made by the company that made the pre-notification. Would you like to know whether the shipment has been successfully received at the terminal? click here

Before a shipment has been successfully received at the terminal, the document number can be changed by the company that made the pre-notification. In the main screen you can see the various pre-notifications. Select 'Document number' of the pre-notification you want to change. A new screen opens. A document number can be edited in the top left. Note: only select 'Save' after all adjustments. You can also delete the entire pre-notification at the bottom left by selecting 'Delete shipment'.

*Note: If the equipment has arrived at the terminal and an arrival notification has been sent followed by a rejection from Customs, the submitter must always delete the pre-notification and then submit a new pre-notification. Portbase will then only send a new arrival notification to Customs.

Shipments for export (Customs regulations for export) are reported to Customs by the terminal upon arrival at the terminal. Based on a risk analysis, Customs may decide to subject a shipment to an inspection.

If an an equipment container is subjected to an inspection, a red stop sign will appear in the ‘Inspection/Release Notification’ field. If Customs mandates an inspection, this is usually communicated within 5 minutes after the 'arrival at exit' (in exceptional cases, this can also take place at a later time). During an inspection, the export shipment is blocked at the terminal until Customs has performed the inspection and sends a message of release.

The shipping line is responsible for submitting the shipment to Customs for inspection. They will also be informed by us of the inspection notification.

Once the shipment has been released, a green check mark will appear in the ‘Inspection/Release Notification’ field.

If the inspection has been performed but there is no green tick, you can contact the National Customs helpdesk via telephone number +31 (0)88-1566655. They can look up the status and send a release notification to Portbase.

If a shipment is not subjected to an inspection, the ‘Inspection/Release Notification’ field will always feature a grey dot.

For other documents, no arrival notification will be sent to Customs. Here too, the ‘Inspection/Release Notification’ field will always feature a grey dot.

Tip: you can also receive e-mail notifications if the status of documents you have pre-notified changes. Read the FAQ about e-mail notifications.

The Confirmation of Exit is normally sent by Customs provided that:

• An arrival notification has been sent for the document by the terminal to Customs and
• An export manifest from the shipping line has been sent to Customs and
• The ATD of vessel is registered with Customs

Should you have not received a Confirmation of Exit, then you will be notified by Customs after 30 and 125 days respectively that no Confirmation of Exit has yet been generated for the document in question. If you receive such a message, a screen print of our Track & Trace Export module will suffice to still obtain the Confirmation of Exit from Customs. Mail: Douane.drh.Maasvlakte.Nabewerking@belastingdienst.nl

If you do not respond within 150 days, the document will be deactivated and Customs will assume that the cargo listed in said document has never been exported. As a possible next step, the information may be used by the tax authorities to inquire what happened to the cargo during a VAT inspection. If you cannot provide a satisfactory answer, there is a change that the VAT is still recovered.

You can inquire with Customs whether there is a malfunction or an error in the aforementioned document. If this is not the case, then please contact the Customer Service.

No, in the current phase, the Portbase Secure Chain is only in place for the import flow of containers.

Depending on the terminal, contact can be made directly or via the shipping company/shipbroker.

The Customs Central Work Center (CWP) Customs supervises the customs formalities around the terminals administratively. For changes to documents/MRN received at the terminal, you can contact the CWP 0031 88 153 39 63 or via e-mail which is set up on the terminal.

If you have questions about a declaration, for example if a document/MRN has been refused on arrival at the terminal, you should contact Customs in the country where the declaration was made. If the declaration was made in the Netherlands, you can contact the National Customs Helpdesk.

See below for the contact details of Customs in the Netherlands and in the main countries of origin:

No. Empty containers and trailers don't require a document pre-notification. Make sure you indicate in the booking with your carrier / ferry-operator that you want to pick up empty equipment.

The carrier or ferry-operator informs the terminal and customs when equipments are empty and may be shipped without document pre-notification.

We recommend downloading the template again. You will find the template in the PCS screen where all the services you can use are listed. Under 'Downloads' you will find the latest template called 'Entry of export documents'.

Use the table below to find out what is wrong and what solution is possible. Click here for Customs contact details if you would like a further explanation.

To change the pre-notification, you need to go through a number of steps. This FAQ explains these steps.

A total overview of error codes that can occur on a message to Customs (Single Window) can be found here.

In some (urgent) cases, a terminal can pre-notify the document number on your behalf. If you then try to pre-notify the same document, you will receive this error message:

‘The export shipment for document … has already been registered by the terminal.’

You are unable to find the document in Track & Trace. If necessary, contact the terminal to check whether the correct data has been pre-notified.

If you receive the error message below, this means that the document number in question has already been entered in our system. This may have been done by your own company or by another party, such as the carrier, customs agent or terminal.

‘The export shipment for document... already exists.’

Check in Track & Trace whether the correct information has been pre-notified. Is the data incorrect? Read here how you can adjust the pre-notification.

This is a warning if:

1. the combination of transport equipment and booking number has previously been submitted in the Port Community System;
2. the document number has already been entered by another party;
3. the transport equipment contains multiple documents.

If the transport equipment does indeed contain multiple documents, you can click on OK and the prenotification will be saved.

In the case of 1 or 3, this will be followed by the error message: 'The export shipment for document 'x' already exists'. This means that the combination of document number and transport equipment number already exists in the PCS. This may have been done by you or by another party in the chain. If the prenotification was sent by a forwarder or haulier, you can see this in Track & Trace Export. If the document was prenotified by a terminal, you can contact Customer Service.

From the main screen, go to the 'Notification Export Documentation' service.
If your pre-notification is successful, the dot next to the 'booking number' will turn green. You are then ready to bring your shipment to the terminal.
Should you not be admitted, despite a green dot, please contact the ferry operator or terminal.

Always check that you enter the Customs document number correctly. This number will be verified with Customs upon arrival at the terminal.

In the main screen of Notification Export Documentation, you can track various status notifications.

Three status messages on the left-hand side:  

• The dots show the status from arrival at the terminal to the departure of the vessel. The dots eventually all turn green (in order from left to right) as the shipment moves through the terminal process.
• Arrival status: Status of arrival at the terminal and for certain documents also the customs status on arrival (export and transit documents).
• You can view the details of this status by clicking on the triangle at the end of the line. This takes you to the more extensive 'track and trace' section.
• Loadconf. (loading confirmation):
• Grey: The equipments belonging to the shipment have not (all) been loaded onto the vessel yet.
• Green: All equipments belonging to the shipment have been loaded onto the vessel.
• Manifest:
• Grey: Export shipment not yet reported to customs on a manifest.
• Orange: Export shipment partially reported to customs on a manifest.
• Red: Manifest rejected by customs. Export shipment not yet reported on a manifest.
• Green: Export shipment reported to customs on a manifest.

If the status is grey, this has not yet taken place. If you believe this status should be green, please contact the shipping company or ferry operator.

Status beside the booking number: 

• This status indicates whether the booking number matches the number that the terminal has forwarded to us.
• Green: The booking number is known at the terminal. Your document prenotification has been received by the terminal. You can drive to the terminal.
  Orange: Do not drive to the terminal. This booking number is not (yet) known at the terminal and this may prevent access to the terminal. Only drive to the terminal if a green check mark is shown here. Please contact the shipping company or ferry operator if you have any questions about the status or correctness of this booking number. For ferry operators, the booking number always begins with 4 letters. You can view an explanation here.

If you want to prenotify many documents at the same time, you can use the upload function. You can upload an Excel file to submit multiple prenotifications simultaneously. The upload function only works if you use our Excel template. Download the file ‘Entry of export documents’ under ‘My downloads’ on the PCS start screen.

A practical manual is available for the use of the correct document types in Notification Export Documentation. This features all you need to know about the pre-notification of export documents, ATA carnets and TIR carnets.

Yes, there must always be a pre-notification.

The document type depends on the route and the customs procedure chosen:

• Will your goods be shipped directly from the Netherlands to Ireland?
  Then you are transporting Union goods to another Union country. Then use document type ICT (union transaction).
• Will your goods be unloaded in the UK and then go to Ireland by truck?
  Your goods then go to a non-EU country. Consult with your customs agent about the customs regime under which you will have the goods transported.
  It is customary to have the goods transported under customs transit from the Netherlands to Ireland. In this case you use document type TT1 (Regulation external through Union transit).

For further explanation, please refer to the manual for use of document types for export.

If you prenotify the ferry operator in Notification Export Documentation, the first 4 positions (SCAC code) of the booking number make sure that the notification is sent to the correct ferry operator. If the first 4 positions are not entered correctly, you have not made a successful prenotification. In that case, an orange dot appears behind the booking number along with the text 'Booking number not (yet) known at terminal'. This means you will not be admitted to the ferry operator's premises.

For the booking numbers of the ferry operators, the first 4 positions are as follows:

If your prenotification is successful, the dot next to the 'booking number' will turn green. You are ready to present your shipment to the ferry operator. If you are not admitted even though the dot is green, please contact the ferry operator.

Through the service Notification Export Documentation, Transit documents (T-document) can be pre-notified. Use the correct document code so that the T-document is or is not discharged/reported to Customs on arrival at the terminal.

Should the T document be discharged/reported at terminal arrival?

• Yes, use document type RT1 or RT2. When using these document types, the T-document will be discharged/reported to Customs on arrival terminal. The cargo can only depart from the terminal via sea side.
• No, use document type TT1 or TT2. When using these document types, the T document will not be discharged/reported to Customs on terminal arrival. The T document can be used to further transport the Cargo in another EU country.

In box 53 of the T-document you will find the Office of destination (and country). Click here for the comprehensive guide to all the different document types.

Combined cargo T1 and T2: Do you transport goods under both T1 and T2 within one shipment; these should be registered as T1 goods (code RT1 or TT1).

With e-mail notifications you can stay informed about your shipments without having to be logged in. You can choose which notifications you want to receive.

In the main screen of PCS under 'My profile' select 'Notification settings'. In the section 'ECS Notification (for Forwarders)', you will find the available notifications for export shipments.

Customs can reject a document/MRN on arrival terminal. The shipment is blocked and will not be loaded. Portbase advises to subscribe to the following notifications so you will be informed by mail and you can contact Customs:

• Export shipment error message received from Customs
• Diversion reject notification received from Customs

Enter the mail address next to the message you wish to receive and select 'Save' at the bottom of the page.

You can pre-notify various types of equipment at ferry operators and at some terminals for breakbulk cargo.

Based on the booking number you provide, our system recognises whether you are able to specify other types of equipment than containers.

A booking number of a ferry operator can be recognised by the first 4 positions of the booking number:

• For CLdN, this is ‘CLVW’
• For DFDS, this is ‘DFDS’
• For Stena Line, this is ‘STNL’
• For P&O Ferries, this is ‘PONF’

PLEASE NOTE: You may have received a booking number from P&O Ferries that starts with EU, such as EU12345678 (example). If that is the case, you must place the letters PONF before the booking number when entering the booking number, so PONFEU12345678 (example).

After entering a booking number with one of these ferry operators, you are able to specify equipment numbers other than a container number.

In this respect, Portbase adheres to the rules as they are already being applied by the ferry operators:

• In the case of accompanied transport: the registration number of the towing unit (without hyphens, enter NL-AB-99 as NLAB99).
• For trailers (unaccompanied): the trailer number as specified on the trailer.
• For other vehicles: the chassis number (VIN number).

If you are uncertain as to how you should enter the equipment number in a specific case, please contact the ferry operator.

You can search for the prenotification to be modified or deleted by using the search filter. Enter the document number (usually the MRN) and the date the prenotification was generated. In the search result, click on the relevant document number or transport equipment number. The prenotification then opens in a new screen. You can now implement and save the changes. If you wish to delete the prenotification, you can do so at the bottom left.

Please note! Only the firm which generated the prenotification can modify or delete a prenotified export document. Moreover, this is only possible if the transport equipment has not yet been accepted at the terminal (it does not yet have ‘gate in’ status).