Air freight and Digitoll: roles and responsibilities
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Air freight and Digitoll: roles and responsibilities for digital notification and disclosure of information
When goods are imported by air, the airline is formally responsible for fulfilling the notification and disclosure of information obligation. In practice, however, several parties hold different pieces of information required to submit complete digital notification and disclosure information to Norwegian Customs.
Ground handling agents (GHAs) normally have information about flight arrivals and the associated Air Waybill (AWB) numbers, which are used as references for the goods on board. Freight forwarders and owners of goods often hold more detailed information about the master consignments and house consignments. To fulfil the notification and disclosure requirements, this information – submitted through the three different messages – must be linked together.
Role of the Ground Handling Agent
The GHA receives the FFM from the airline. The information is mapped to the transport message for the flight arrival, which is then submitted to Norwegian Customs.
The transport message includes, among other things:
- flight number (Conveyance Reference Number)
- carrier (airline)
- expected arrival time
- references to transport documents
- references to all relevant Air Waybills (AWBs)
- references to master consignments with underlying house consignments
- references to direct consignments
Role of the Freight Forwarder and Owner of Goods
Freight forwarders and owners of goods submitting information to Digitoll often have access to more detailed information about the consignments than is available from traditional air freight documents.
These parties submit:
- master consignment
- house consignment
- reference to the customs declaration or another relevant customs procedure
The information is submitted continuously as new bookings and consignments are registered. This makes it possible to link the transport message to the individual consignments.
It is important that the correct Air Waybill reference – both the Master Air Waybill and Air Waybill – is used consistently across the messages that are to be linked together.
A house consignment can be linked directly to the transport message without a master consignment, although it is common to have a master level.
When submitting information, you therefore need to know whether it concerns a house consignment/direct AWB, or a master consignment with underlying house consignments. In the latter case, both levels must be submitted.
Correct use of Air Waybill number type
For the messages to be linked correctly in Digitoll, the correct Air Waybill number type must be used.
Air Waybill number type 741 must be used for a Master Air Waybill.
The customs representative must register the same reference as the Master Air Waybill number on the relevant Master Consignment in order for the Master Consignment to be linked to the transport in Digitoll.
Air Waybill number type 740 must be used for an Air Waybill.
The customs representative registers this reference as the Air Waybill number on the relevant House Consignment/direct consignment.
The AWB number and the correct Air Waybill number type are key to ensuring that the transport message and consignment information are linked correctly.
Frequently asked question
When you submit the different messages, you will receive an MRN as confirmation that the message has been submitted. However, receiving an MRN does not in itself mean that the three messages have been linked together.
To see whether a message has been linked to the transport, the system you use must support displaying this information through Norwegian Customs' query API. Check with your system provider whether this functionality is supported and how the status is displayed in your system.
A consignment message that is not linked to a transport will automatically be deleted after 30 days. An import declaration submitted to the declaration processing unit for Digitoll will also be deleted after 30 days if the goods have not been presented.
Through Norwegian Customs' Movement Routing API, business operators involved in submitting messages relating to a consignment can request a list of routing decisions for the consignments in which they are involved.
- The party that submitted the transport message or is identified as the customs representative for the transport can receive routing information for all consignments reported on that transport. The person in charge of the means of transport – in practice, the carrier – remains legally responsible.
- The party that submitted the master consignment or is identified as the customs representative for the master consignment can receive routing information for all consignments reported under that master consignment.
- The party that submitted the house consignment, is identified as its customs representative, or has digitally presented the house consignment can receive routing information for that consignment.
The Movement Routing API provides routing information for consignments reported on transports that have arrived in the customs territory and are either being processed or have completed processing by Norwegian Customs.
The organisation number of the business operator determines which routing information is made available. The operator must be authenticated through Maskinporten.
Special situations in air freight
Find information on how specific situations are handled in air freight and in relation to the digital notification and disclosure of information requirement.
When a consignment arrives in several parts – a split consignment – the declaration must reflect the goods that have actually arrived as part of the relevant shipment.
This can be handled by:
- submitting an ordinary declaration covering the goods that have actually arrived; or
- submitting an amendment if the declaration does not correspond to the goods that have actually arrived.
Norwegian Customs is working on solutions that will eventually make it possible to link the different parts of a split consignment. We will update the information as soon as this functionality is available.
We recommend that GHAs continue their current procedures of releasing goods only upon documentation confirming that the goods have been released by Customs. Any necessary follow-up actions and messages must be completed to ensure that the flow of goods is handled correctly.
When goods are unloaded from one means of transport and subsequently transported out of Norway using another means of transport, this is considered direct transit.
As a general rule, such goods must be placed under a customs procedure upon arrival unless an explicit exemption applies. In addition, the digital notification and disclosure of information requirements must be fulfilled, as well as advance notification requirements if the goods arrive from an area outside the security area.
The reference provided in the digital messages must correspond to the customs procedure used, for example:
- MRN for transit
- goods number during the transitional period
- declaration ID for customs clearance
If placement in a customs warehouse is used as the procedure, the necessary declaration must also be submitted when the goods are subsequently removed from the customs warehouse for export.
Air freight transported by road refers to air freight that is transported by road and identified by Air Waybills.
For such transports, the GHA does not submit the transport message. Responsibility lies with the person in charge of the means of transport, although the transport company or a customs representative may submit the message on their behalf.
A standard FFM message does not contain all the information required for road transport. Among other things, it does not include:
- vehicle registration number
- driver information
This information must therefore be added by the business operator submitting the transport message.
Goods may be transported under transit to the GHA. The notification and disclosure of information obligation can be fulfilled by the transport company or a customs representative, while the GHA can complete the transit procedure upon arrival.
Until 1 March 2027, transitional rules allow the transit procedure to be completed by placing the goods in a customs warehouse using a goods number. From 1 March 2027, a declaration for placement in a customs warehouse will be required in addition to the goods number.
Individuals carrying goods must report to the customs counter to have their goods declared. These customs clearances are registered by Norwegian Customs on behalf of the individual in TVINN. It is therefore not possible for private individuals using this form of self-declaration to have the goods declared before they arrive at the customs office.
Hand-carried goods are exempt from the notification and disclosure of information obligation.
If a private individual uses a customs representative to clear the goods on their behalf, the declaration can be submitted in advance and processed in the normal way by the declaration processing unit for Digitoll.
The following requirements apply when fulfilling the digital notification and disclosure of information obligation for UPU postal items.
All messages forming part of the notification and disclosure of information obligation – transport, master and house – include a flag called "isPostal".
- If a transport carries only UPU postal items, setting isPostal=true in the transport message is sufficient. In these situations, there is no requirement to submit master or house messages.
- If messages are also submitted at master and house level, isPostal=true must be set in all three messages.
- Information about goods on board that are not postal items must be submitted in the normal way.
Posten Bring will fulfil the relevant obligations for UPU postal consignments. However, as a minimum, the transport message must be marked isPostal=true.
Updated: 02/09/2026