Crossing between the UK and France is becoming more “data-first” than ever. If you move accompanied freight on a ferry or through the Channel Tunnel shuttle, or you handle unaccompanied trailers moving via Ro-Ro, two systems now matter for smooth crossings:
- ICS2 (Import Control System 2) – the EU safety and security system where the ENS (Entry Summary Declaration) is lodged.
- ELO (Enveloppe Logistique Obligatoire) – the “digital wallet” used on the France–UK smart border (SI Brexit), which bundles your customs references into a single barcode presented at check-in.
France’s customs guidance makes one thing clear: even if ELO becomes formally mandatory in spring 2026, operators already on ICS2 must be able to use ELO to avoid disruption. In other words, treat ELO as operationally essential now.
Below is a practical guide to what you need to do, what to enter in the ENS, and how to avoid the most common border-stopping mistakes.
France has ended its transition period, which means ICS2 rules for ENS are fully in force for relevant UK–France movements.
Even if your ENS is lodged in ICS2 via another EU Member State, the SI Brexit smart border still expects specific fields to be completed in a particular way for truck-on-ferry and truck-on-shuttle movements.
Your ENS produces an MRN (Movement Reference Number). For SI Brexit, the ENS MRN (or MRNs) must be integrated into ELO, then turned into an ELO barcode that is scanned at check-in
Step-by-step: what hauliers and forwarders should do
Step 1: Confirm who is lodging the ENS (and that it’s in ICS2)
In practice the ENS is usually lodged by the carrier (often for Ro-Ro and maritime flows), or a logistics provider/forwarder acting on behalf of the carrier, depending on contractual setup.
What matters operationally is that:
- the ENS is lodged correctly in ICS2, and
- you receive the ENS MRN early enough to insert it into ELO.
If you’re the haulier, you may not file the ENS yourself but you still need to know who does, and when you’ll get the MRN.
Step 2: Lodge the ENS early (earlier than the legal minimum in many cases)
This is the biggest practical shift. Because the smart border process requires the ELO barcode at check-in, you need time for:
- ENS lodged in ICS2
- ENS MRN returned
- MRN inserted into ELO
- ELO barcode generated
- barcode presented at ferry/tunnel check-in (“pairing”)
If ENS is filed too late, the driver can arrive “ready to board” but still be stuck waiting for the MRN/ELO chain to complete.
Step 3: Build the ELO and include all ENS MRNs
ELO is essentially the “envelope” that groups all relevant references for the crossing. France’s guidance explicitly ties ELO to ICS2 by requiring ENS MRN(s) to be integrated into the ELO.
Once your ELO is created, you generate a barcode. That barcode becomes your operational passport at check-in.
Step 4: Present the ELO barcode at check-in
At the ferry terminal or the Channel Tunnel terminal, the barcode is scanned and “paired” with the crossing. SI Brexit then determines routing (for example, whether the vehicle is directed to proceed or to customs controls).
The ENS fields that matter most for UK–France smart border crossings
This is where many avoidable errors happen — especially around mode of transport and the means of transport at the border.
1) Mode of transport at the border: use the right code
For combined transport (truck carried on ferry or shuttle):
- Ferry / maritime: code 1
- Channel Tunnel shuttle (truck carried): code 3 (road) – yes “road”, not “rail”, even though the truck is on a train.
Do not use rail code 2 for SI Brexit smart border flows.
2) Active means of transport at the border: what to enter
This is a mandatory part of the ENS dataset for these movements.
Channel Tunnel shuttle: enter the front number plate of the truck.
Ferry
Enter a ship IMO number but with a very important operational nuance:
- Ferry operators may not know the exact vessel at the time the ENS must be filed.
- France allows using an IMO from an official route list as a practical solution.
- Once the IMO is entered, it must not be modified.
This is designed to keep traffic moving and allow risk analysis in ICS2 without forcing last-minute changes every time vessel allocation shifts.
3) Passive means of transport at the border: always the truck plate
You must provide the truck registration plate in the “passive means of transport” field — including when the truck is being carried.
Do you still need to file “presentation” in ANTES?
For goods using the SI Brexit smart border, France’s guidance indicates that SI Brexit handles the presentation to customs and communicates with ICS2. As a result, operators do not need to file separate presentation/temporary storage formalities in ANTES for those smart-border flows.
Special case: Northern Ireland direct flows
If goods arrive directly from Northern Ireland, they are exempt from submitting an ENS (in this specific context described by French Customs). If you run NI–France routes, it’s still worth double-checking whether your specific movement qualifies as “direct” under your routing and documentation — but the exemption is clearly signposted.
