A comprehensive resource on the New Computerised Transit System, the Common Transit Convention, and how Georgian businesses can benefit from streamlined cross-border transit.
The New Computerised Transit System (NCTS) is the electronic platform used by customs authorities across 39 countries to manage, control, and track the movement of goods in transit. Developed under the auspices of the European Commission and progressively expanded beyond the European Union, NCTS replaced the paper-based transit procedures that had governed cross-border goods movement for decades. The system ensures that every transit operation — from the moment goods leave the office of departure to their arrival at the office of destination — is recorded, validated, and monitored electronically in real time.
At its core, NCTS operates through a series of standardised electronic messages exchanged between customs offices, principal holders (the parties responsible for the transit operation), and authorised economic operators such as licensed customs brokers. The most important of these messages is the IE015, formally known as the "Declaration Data" message. The IE015 contains all the information that customs authorities need to authorise a transit movement: details of the consignor and consignee, a description of the goods, their value and weight, the planned route, and the financial guarantee covering potential customs duties. Once the office of departure validates the IE015, it issues a Movement Reference Number (MRN) — a unique alphanumeric code that accompanies the shipment throughout its journey and can be used to track it across every border crossing.
Beyond the IE015, NCTS manages the entire lifecycle of a transit operation through additional message types. The IE028 confirms the MRN allocation, the IE029 is the release-for-transit notification, and the IE045 signals that goods have arrived at the destination office and the transit operation can be discharged. If discrepancies are found — for example, if seals are broken or goods are missing — the system generates enquiry and recovery messages that enable customs authorities to investigate without resorting to slow paper correspondence.
The practical effect for businesses is significant. Before NCTS, a truck crossing multiple borders required separate paper transit documents at each customs checkpoint, each of which had to be manually processed, stamped, and returned. With NCTS, a single electronic declaration covers the entire journey. Customs offices along the route receive advance notification of incoming shipments, allowing them to assess risk and plan inspections before the goods physically arrive. This reduces waiting times at borders, cuts administrative costs, and creates an auditable digital trail that deters fraud and smuggling.
Georgia officially acceded to the Common Transit Convention on 1 February 2025, becoming the 37th contracting party. This was a landmark event for Georgian trade: it connected the country's customs infrastructure to a unified electronic transit network that spans the entire European Union, the EFTA states, the United Kingdom, Turkey, and several other countries in the Western Balkans and Eastern Europe. For Georgian exporters, importers, and logistics providers, accession means that goods can now move under a single transit declaration from Georgia to any other member state — and vice versa — without the need for separate national transit procedures at each border.
NCTS became mandatory in Georgia in two stages: on 15 May 2025 for export, re-export and outward processing declarations, and on 1 July 2025 for transit. On 1 November 2025 Moldova and Montenegro acceded to the Convention, bringing the number of contracting parties to 39.
The Georgia Revenue Service (GRS) is the national authority responsible for operating the NCTS infrastructure within the country. To use the system, businesses must either hold their own authorised consignor/consignee status with the GRS or work through a licensed customs broker who has the necessary authorisation and financial guarantee. The financial guarantee is a critical requirement: it assures customs authorities that any duties and taxes that may become payable — for instance, if goods are diverted from transit and enter the domestic market — are covered. For most small and medium-sized businesses, working with an authorised broker is the most practical and cost-effective way to access NCTS.
Georgia's accession is particularly significant for the Turkey-Georgia corridor, one of the busiest land trade routes in the region. Before NCTS, transit shipments between the two countries required a complex web of national transit documents. Now, a single T1 declaration issued in Turkey can cover goods all the way to their final destination in the EU, transiting through Georgia under the same electronic procedure. Similarly, goods originating in EU member states can transit through Georgia to Turkey or onward destinations in Central Asia under a unified framework. This positions Georgia as a key transit hub connecting Europe and Asia.
The Common Transit Convention currently has 39 contracting parties, encompassing some of the world's largest trading economies.
EU Member States (27): Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden
EFTA (4): Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein
Other Members (8): United Kingdom, Serbia, North Macedonia, Turkey, Ukraine, Georgia, Moldova, Montenegro
A T1 transit declaration is the standard customs document used to move non-Union goods (goods that have not been released for free circulation) across the territories of Common Transit Convention member states. It is issued electronically through NCTS and serves as proof that the goods are in transit and that a financial guarantee covers the potential customs duties. The T1 accompanies the shipment from the office of departure to the office of destination, and its Movement Reference Number (MRN) is the primary identifier used to track the consignment.
A T1 declaration is required whenever non-Union goods are transported across the territory of one or more Common Transit Convention member states without being released for free circulation. Typical scenarios include goods arriving at a Georgian port or border crossing point that are destined for an EU member state, or goods transiting through Georgia from Turkey to a destination in Europe. Without a valid T1, goods cannot move under the common transit procedure and would be subject to full customs formalities at every border crossing.
The T1 declaration is prepared by submitting an IE015 electronic message to the NCTS system at the office of departure. This message contains detailed information about the goods, the route, the parties involved, and the guarantee reference. Once customs validates the data, the system issues a Movement Reference Number (MRN) and an accompanying transit document with a barcode. The MRN must be presented at every subsequent customs checkpoint along the route and at the office of destination to discharge the transit operation.
Access to the NCTS system requires authorisation from the national customs authority — in Georgia, the Revenue Service — along with a registered financial guarantee. Licensed customs brokers like Meko Transit already hold these credentials, which means you do not need to go through the lengthy authorisation process yourself. A broker also brings expertise in tariff classification, route optimisation, and regulatory compliance, reducing the risk of errors that could lead to delays, fines, or seizure of goods.
A single electronic declaration replaces multiple paper documents, eliminating redundant paperwork at every border crossing across 39 countries. This streamlines the entire transit process and reduces the administrative burden on businesses.
By minimising physical inspections, eliminating paper handling, and reducing border waiting times, NCTS significantly lowers the overall cost of moving goods across international borders. Fewer delays also mean lower storage and demurrage charges.
Electronic pre-arrival notifications allow customs offices to assess risk and prepare for incoming shipments before they physically arrive. This dramatically reduces processing times at border checkpoints and keeps supply chains moving.
Every step of the transit operation is recorded in the NCTS system, creating a complete digital audit trail. This transparency deters fraud, simplifies post-clearance audits, and provides all parties with a reliable record of the shipment's history.
Instead of posting separate financial guarantees in each country through which goods transit, a single comprehensive guarantee can cover the entire journey across all 39 member states. This frees up capital and simplifies financial planning.
The MRN assigned to each transit operation enables real-time tracking across all participating customs offices. Businesses and their logistics partners can monitor the exact status of a shipment at any point in its journey, improving planning and customer communication.
Let our licensed customs brokers handle your NCTS transit declarations so you can focus on your business.
Submit Application