Digitoll for sea transport of fish

Table of contents

Requirements and obligations

Digital notification and disclosure of information obligation

Notification and disclosure of information must be submitted digitally to the Norwegian Customs. This includes information relating to, among other things, the means of transport, the operator, time of arrival, cargo, and relevant references to the customs procedure.

For maritime transport, information may be submitted through SafeSeaNet Norway (SSNN) or Norwegian Customs' maritime API. The consignment notification must include a reference to the selected customs procedure, for example a declaration ID or a transit reference where relevant.

From 1 March 2027: New declaration requirements

From 1 March 2027, goods that are to be placed in a customs warehouse must be declared unless the goods are exempt from the declaration requirement. This means that, as a general rule, goods can no longer be declared after crossing the border.

At the same time, the direct transport arrangement (direktekjøringsordningen) will be discontinued.

For maritime transport, the border crossing is generally linked to the port where the goods are to be unloaded. If a vessel calls at several ports in Norway, the declaration requirement for part of the cargo may therefore arise at a later port where the goods are unloaded.

Who do the special rules apply to?

The special rules do not apply to all fish shipments or all vessels.

It is important to distinguish between:

• Norwegian fishing vessels, which may be covered by special rules and exemptions
• foreign fishing vessels, which must comply with the ordinary requirements

Foreign fishing vessels are not covered by the special rules that apply to Norwegian fishing vessels. They must therefore, as a general rule, comply with the ordinary requirements relating to pre-arrival notification, the notification and disclosure of information obligation, and customs declaration.

When are fish and catch exempt from pre-arrival notification?

Products from sea fishing and other products taken from the sea outside the customs territory are exempt from pre-arrival notification when they are caught by fishing vessels from Norway, the EU, Switzerland, or Liechtenstein.

The ordinary rules on pre-arrival notification apply to fishing vessels from other countries.

Please note that this exemption only applies to pre-arrival notification. The rules relating to the notification and disclosure of information obligation and customs declaration must be assessed separately.

When are Norwegian fishing vessels exempt from the notification and disclosure of information obligation?

The operator of a Norwegian vessel carrying goods from fishing and harvesting activities is exempt from the notification and disclosure of information obligation upon arrival if both of the following conditions are met:

• the vessel is not carrying other goods that have not been released for free circulation
• the vessel has not called at a port outside the customs territory

If one of these conditions is not met, the ordinary notification and disclosure of information obligation applies.

This may, for example, be the case if the vessel has called at a foreign port or carries non-cleared stores or other non-cleared cargo.

When are fish and catch exempt from the declaration requirement?

Goods from fishing and harvesting activities are exempt from the declaration requirement if all of the following conditions are met:

• the goods originate from a Norwegian vessel
• the goods have been taken from the sea outside the customs territory
• the goods are imported directly from the fishing or harvesting grounds

If one of these conditions is not met, the ordinary declaration requirement applies.

What does this mean for Norwegian fishing vessels?

Norwegian fishing vessels may be exempt from pre-arrival notification, the notification and disclosure of information obligation and the declaration requirement.

The exemptions only apply if the relevant conditions are met.

Before importation, it should therefore be assessed whether:

• the vessel is Norwegian
• the goods are in fact goods from fishing or harvesting activities
• the goods were taken outside the customs territory
• the goods are imported directly from the fishing or harvesting grounds
• the vessel has called at a port outside the customs territory
• the vessel carries other goods that have not been released for free circulation

Unloading and further handling of goods

A general authorisation to unload has been introduced for vessels upon arrival. Unloading must take place at the destination port. The goods may not be processed or otherwise handled before they are placed under a customs procedure that permits such processing or handling.

For goods that are not covered by the exemptions and are subject to the notification and disclosure of information obligation and the declaration requirement, the necessary information and declarations must be submitted no later than upon arrival.

If this has not been done, the following restrictions apply:

• the goods must not be moved from the place of unloading until their customs status has been clarified
• customs status must be clarified as soon as possible and no later than three calendar days after unloading
• the vessel operator remains responsible for the goods until customs processing has been completed