Sending humanitarian aid to help Ukraine

BY:

Niamh O'Connor
9 June 2022

SHARE:

Did you know that there is a simplified customs process for taking humanitarian goods outside of Great Britain to help Ukraine? 

HMRC introduced a temporary customs easement on 10 March to make it easier to move aid and donations to the people of Ukraine, which will be in place until 19 June 2023.

 

This means if you’re moving eligible goods designated as humanitarian aid through GB ports, you can do so without the need to complete electronic customs declarations.


Instead, you (or the driver moving the goods) will only need to make an oral or by conduct declaration and will not be required to supply any customs documentation. Some larger vehicles (such as Heavy Goods Vehicles) will still be required to use the Goods Vehicle Movement Service to move goods between Great Britain and the EU, although this will be waived for most smaller vehicles (those under 3.5 tonnes).
 

It is important to note that all controlled goods and dual use goods are excluded from this easement.

 
UK Government advice remains that organisations and people who would like to help should donate cash through trusted charities and aid organisations, rather than donating goods. Cash can be transferred quickly to areas where it is needed, and individuals and aid organisations can use it to buy what is most needed.

 

You can find more information about the easement, including what goods are eligible, on GOV.UK: Taking humanitarian aid out of Great Britain to support Ukraine


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...

by Gail Leeson 28 May 2026
HMRC have released final details of the scheduled NCTS downtime needed to support the deployment of NCTS6. The brief 2-hour period of NCTS downtime will impact both the Great Britain (GB) and Northern Ireland (NI) NCTS services.
by Gail Leeson 19 May 2026
The Export Control Joint Unit has published Notice to Exporters 2026/13, dated 13th May 2026, confirming the importance of including export licence data in the Customs Declaration.
by Gail Leeson 19 May 2026
There will be a short period of NCTS downtime on 1st June 2026, affecting both the Great Britain (GB) and Northern Ireland (XI) NCTS services . The NCTS services are planned to be unavailable as follows: Monday, 1 st June 2026: From 07:00 to 09.00 HMRC have confirmed both services are expected to be fully restored by 09:00 on 1 st June
Show More