From January 1, 2026, Ireland will no longer be exempt from the ICS2 (Import Control System 2) regime, and shipments must therefore be declared in advance to customs authorities upon entry into the EU customs territory.
Below, we explain how shipments to Ireland are handled, why this change affects this particular route, and what obligations this entails for shippers.
How do we transport shipments to Ireland and why is the ICS2 regime applied?
Shipments to Ireland are normally transported by road via the United Kingdom in cooperation with the DHL network. This method of transport has long been:
● faster than direct ferry transport;
● less dependent on weather conditions;
● more stable in terms of delivery times.
As shipments pass through the United Kingdom, they lose their status as goods in free circulation in the EU and re-enter the customs territory of the European Union upon entry into Ireland. For this reason, they are subject to the security and customs requirements of the ICS2 regime.
Transitional period
During a transitional period until March 31, 2026, an alternative ferry route from the Netherlands to Ireland has been introduced, allowing shipments to be transported even if not all data required by the ICS2 regime is available yet.
● Shipments with complete data are transported via the standard road route.
● Shipments without complete data are temporarily routed to the ferry route.
Impact on shipping times and prices: During the transition period, shipping times for some shipments may be slightly longer.
However, customers will not be charged any additional costs related to the change in shipping route.
Obligation to submit an advance customs declaration (ENS)
From January 1, 2026, all shipments entering the EU via Ireland must be pre-declared via the Entry Summary Declaration (ENS). Compliance with this obligation is necessary in order to use the standard land transport route via the United Kingdom.
Only shipments with complete and correct information can be transported via this route without restrictions.
The ENS is used for security and risk analysis of goods. Currently provided by DHL in cooperation with PPL. The declaration is submitted based on the shipment details we receive from the sender. However, in order to comply with these obligations, it is now necessary to provide an extended set of shipment details, beyond the information normally required to date.
What data must be provided (ICS2 data)?
The sender is obliged to ensure that correct, complete, and accurate information about the shipment is provided, including details of each individual item in the shipment.
Mandatory information includes, in particular:
● A detailed and specific description of the goods in English (EN)
● 6-digit HS code
● Weight of the goods
● Value of the goods
⚠️ General, vague, or abbreviated descriptions of goods are not accepted under the ICS2 regime.
The sender is responsible for the accuracy and completeness of the information provided. Failure to provide this information or providing incorrect information may result in the shipment being delayed, refused, returned to the sender, or additional costs being incurred for the necessary corrections.
PPL system readiness
In accordance with the new ICS2 requirements, we have modified our internal systems so that they are capable of collecting all mandatory data during February 2026.
According to the updated PPL Product Terms and Conditions, effective March 1, 2026, the provision of extended ICS2 data becomes part of the terms and conditions for shipping parcels to Ireland.
However, for operational reasons, the mandatory collection of this data in PPL customer applications will only apply from the end of March 2026, taking into account the availability of an alternative ferry transport route, which will continue to allow shipments to be transported without complete data during the transition period.
This transitional arrangement gives customers time to adjust their internal systems and processes so that they are fully prepared for the mandatory collection of ICS2 data.
Recommended tools and materials
✅ Rules for describing goods
● Guidance on acceptable and unacceptable terms for the description of goods: guidance-acceptable-goods-description
● List of stop words: ics2-list-of-stop-words-2026
➡️ These documents help ensure that the description of goods meets the requirements of the ICS2 regime and will not be rejected during security checks.
✅ HS codes and goods description – An Post tool
To determine the correct HS code, we recommend using the official Irish Post (An Post) tool: https://www.anpost.com/Commerce/SME/InternationalSending/Find-a-TARIC-Commodity-code
What we recommend now
We recommend that you start collecting and submitting the mandatory ICS2 data as soon as possible so that shipments to Ireland can be transported without restrictions from April 1, 2026.
If the required data is not available, it will not be possible to transport shipments to Ireland.
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