Where can I get one?
On this article from the UK government, you will need to read through a number of pre-requisites before you apply for one. Once you have a UKIMS number, you'll want to ensure it's entered in your companies Tax Numbers page along with your EORI number, if it isn't already.
Below, I will list the the shipping restrictions you will face when shipping with Royal Mail. If you have come across this guide but do not ship with Royal Mail, I'd recommend talking to our support team to get a better understanding of what you will need for your respective courier.
You have a UKIMS Number (Green Lane Shipments)
Your shipments will be subject to the normal EU shipping requirements. You are also specifically required to provide a country of manufacture, failure to provide one will result in an error.
You do not have a UKIMS number (Red Lane Shipments)
Your B2B shipments will be subjected to tighter restrictions alongside the normal EU shipping requirements, such as:
- Product commodity codes must be set
- Product country of manufacture must be set
- Shipments are restricted to a value of 135
- A Senders EORI is required
- The recipient address must contain a company name & address line 1
If your shipment fails to pass any of these restrictions, your shipment will fail.