Key takeaways
- From 15 September 2026, notification and goods information for imports into Norway must be submitted digitally.
- Customs Support Group says only 25–30% of daily road arrivals are currently registered with Digitoll.
- For road transport, responsibility for the transport notification sits with the driver, although a customs representative can submit it on their behalf.
- From 1 March 2027, customs declarations will also have to be submitted no later than the border crossing.
Norway will make digital notification and disclosure requirements mandatory from 15 September 2026, marking the next major stage in the rollout of its Digitoll customs system. Under the new model, information about the transport, its expected arrival and the goods being carried must be submitted digitally to Norwegian Customs before, or at the latest when, the shipment reaches the border.
One of the most significant aspects is where responsibility lies: Norwegian Customs states that vehicles carrying goods subject to customs clearance must submit a transport notification before crossing the border, and that the vehicle driver is responsible for submitting it. A customs representative, such as a freight forwarder or customs agent, may submit the notification on the driver’s behalf.
That distinction is also being highlighted by Customs Support Group, which warns that businesses may still underestimate the consequences of the change. According to the customs services provider, only 25–30% of daily road arrivals are currently registered with Digitoll, while adoption in air, sea and rail transport is even lower. The company says the low level of readiness raises the risk of queues and delays as the new requirements take effect.
Keiron Myall, managing director for the UK and Ireland at Customs Support Group, said the introduction of Digitoll would fundamentally alter the process for companies moving goods into Norway. He particularly pointed to the shift in responsibility towards the transporter, arguing that many importers have not yet recognised how the new division of duties will work.
Why CSG is calling it a ‘mini-Brexit’
Customs Support Group has compared the transition to a “mini-Brexit” because businesses will have to rebuild established cross-border processes within a relatively short period. Knut Espen Johansen, managing director of Customs Support Group Norway, said exporters and logistics companies across Europe would need to ensure that the required information is available earlier in the transport process. He compared the risk with the disruption seen after Brexit, when companies found that workflows designed around the previous customs regime no longer worked once new border formalities took effect.
The comparison is CSG’s own characterisation rather than terminology used by Norwegian Customs. The authorities present Digitoll as a way of allowing customs to process information and carry out risk assessments before vehicles arrive, with the aim of making border crossings more automated where possible.
For compliant road movements, the process centres on linking the vehicle with the consignments it carries. Once a transport notification has been submitted, Norwegian Customs issues an MRN reference number, which must then be passed to the party submitting the goods information so that the consignment can be connected to the correct vehicle. A transport notification is not considered valid until it has been linked to a submitted consignment.
September is only the first deadline
The 15 September change does not yet mean that every customs declaration must be completed before arrival. From that date, the mandatory requirement concerns the digital notification and disclosure of information. Businesses can still use certain existing arrangements during the transition period.
The bigger change follows on 1 March 2027. From then, the customs declaration itself must be submitted no later than the time the goods cross the Norwegian border, and Norway’s current direct transport arrangement will be discontinued. Norwegian Customs says that, until then, goods can still be presented by providing the relevant reference number.
There is also a separate change taking effect in September that can easily be confused with the March deadline. Norway’s direct customs clearance arrangement is being abolished on 15 September 2026, while the direct transport arrangement will remain in place until 1 March 2027. Norwegian Customs has explicitly warned businesses not to confuse the two.
Once the full Digitoll model is in force, the intention is for authorities to have the relevant transport, goods and customs information before a shipment enters the country. Norwegian Customs says that when all required information has been submitted digitally before or at the border, goods can in most cases be released into the selected customs procedure without the vehicle having to stop.
