What happened?

On 26 October 2026, the European Commission confirmed the rollout of Phase 6 of the New Computerised Transit System (NCTS) across 41 participating countries, comprising the 27 EU Member States and Common Transit Convention countries. The announcement records deployment; it does not mean every country began on that date.

Key details

Under opt-in, operators can include a complete Entry Summary Declaration (ENS) with the transit declaration through NCTS Phase 6, which connects to Import Control System 2 (ICS2). Under opt-out, ENS data are excluded from the transit declaration and filed directly in ICS2. Only complete ENS declarations qualify for combined submission. Countries may move to opt-in later.

Who is affected?

Transit operators, freight forwarders, carriers and customs representatives managing relevant European supply chains should review their filing model. GCC exporters should confirm arrangements with the party handling transit and pre-arrival security data.

Effective date / timing

The source is a deployment announcement dated 26 October 2026. It does not establish a new universal compliance deadline. National choices and subsequent changes require separate checks.

Why it matters

T&M analysis: a single internal workflow cannot assume that every transit declaration also satisfies ENS obligations. Map each route to the responsible customs administration and its filing option before relying on combined submission.