Apply for the use of special closures

Source: BUS Rheinland-Pfalz

As an authorized consignor, you must always additionally secure goods that you want to transport using the transit procedure with special seals.

Your goods can be

under a space seal, for example a container, or
under a package seal, i.e. a transport container that must be physically secured,

to be physically secured. A special seal is, for example, a seal that is attached to the container or package.

The special seals are intended to guarantee identification in the shipping procedure. They are therefore intended to ensure that the shipped goods arrive unchanged at the customs office of destination. Damage to and removal of the special seals can have consequences under customs law.

The responsible customs office decides whether a special seal is required for your specific consignment when you declare the shipment. It may waive the sealing requirement if the description of the goods in the declaration data is so precise that the identity of the goods can be easily determined. For example, in the case of motor vehicles transported under the transit procedure, by stating the engine and chassis number.

Authorization for use

As an authorized consignor, you can affix special, officially approved seals yourself. However, as an authorized consignor, you require a permit to use the special seals. You must apply for this authorization in writing to your responsible main customs office.

If the responsible main customs office approves the use of special closures in writing, all special closures that you are permitted to use are listed in the notification.
You can also apply for the use of various special closures with an application for authorization.

You can find a "List of special closures used" on the website of the Directorate General of Customs. All of the closures listed there have already been approved once within the Union. As a rule, the authorities assume their suitability without further examination.
You can also apply for the use of any other closure. However, before the customs authorities can authorize its use, it must be tested and approved.

An individual code is also assigned to you as an authorized consignor in the authorization. It consists of the country code "DE" and a 4-digit number. You must inform the supplier of your closure of this code when ordering. It must be affixed to each individual closure.

You must apply for authorization to use special closures in writing:

Download the form "Application for authorization to use special seals" (form 0353) from the website of the Directorate General of Customs.
If you are not an "Authorized Economic Operator (AEO)", please also download parts I to III and V of the customs authorization questionnaire from the website of the Directorate General of Customs.
If you are applying for the use of a closure that has not yet been approved, please also download the form "Supplementary sheet to the application for authorization to use special closures" (form 035301) from the website of the Directorate General of Customs.
Complete the form or forms and, if applicable, the questionnaires in full.
Send the completed documents by post to the main customs office in whose district your main accounts for customs purposes are kept or are accessible.
The main customs office will check your application.
You will receive a written notification with an approval or rejection.
With a written authorization for the use of special seals, you will receive an authorization number.

The main customs office from whose district you operate your company is responsible or, if you do not operate a company, in whose district you have your place of residence. If your company is operated from a location outside Germany or if you do not have a place of residence in Germany, the main customs office in whose district you first appear for tax purposes is responsible.

You must be an "authorized consignor" to obtain authorization to use special closures.
The personal requirements are identical to those you also need for authorization as an authorized consignor:
- resident in the customs territory of the Union
- Regular use of the transit procedure
- no serious or repeated violations of customs or tax regulations
- no serious criminal offenses in the context of economic activity
- evidence of an increased level of control of activities and movements of goods through systematic business records and, where applicable, transport documents allowing appropriate customs controls
- Proof of practical or professional competence
The main customs office will only approve the application for the use of special seals if the monitoring and control of the procedure is guaranteed without disproportionately high administrative costs.

The processing time varies from case to case and depends, for example, on whether the requested closure still has to be approved.

After receiving your application, the customs authorities must decide within 30 days whether to accept your application. If they accept your application, the customs authorities have 120 days to reach a decision - approval or rejection.

The maximum processing time is therefore 150 days.

Apply for the use of special closures

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Requirements

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Processing duration

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