Dear Customers,
With mention to our erstwhile newsletter No. 098/2025 regarding the implementation of ICS2, we would like to further inform our valued customers about the latest developments.
According to the information received from the Hungarian Customs Authority (NAV), the ICS2 strategy (phase 3) for rail transport officially entered into force on 18 February 2026. However, following consultations with the authorities in order to let adequate preparation time for economical operators, the mandatory live application has been postponed to 1 March 2026.
As previously communicated, the ICS2 (Import Control strategy 2) — established by the European Commission — introduces enhanced safety and safety hazard analysis requirements, meaning that additional shipment data must be submitted before the goods enter the European Union.
Scope of Application
This work primarily affects:
- Our rail services from Türkiye and Serbia
- Shipments moving from EU ports via Serbia
- All consignments where the commercial invoice indicates an EU-based consignee
Required Data
For ENS filing within ICS2, the following details of the EU-based consignee indicated on the commercial invoice must be registered in the system:
- Tax number
- EU VAT number
- EORI number
Please note that after 1 March 2026, we will only be able to accept shipments for transport if the above-mentioned data is provided completely and in due time.
In order to guarantee smooth operational readiness and appropriate strategy preparation, we kindly ask our valued customers to already begin collecting and forwarding these details to us for their current and upcoming transport orders.
Your cooperation is essential to avoid delays or border interruptions erstwhile the strategy becomes full mandatory.
Should you have any questions, our squad remains at your disposal.
METRANS Team
