Northern Ireland Retail Movement Scheme: how the scheme will work
The Windsor Framework establishes a new way to move prepacked retail goods from Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales) into Northern Ireland.
Businesses moving prepacked retail goods will be able to benefit from the new ‘green lane’ arrangements provided in the Windsor Framework by registering for the new Northern Ireland Retail Movement Scheme (NIRMS).
The NIRMS scheme replaced the existing Scheme for Temporary Agrifood Movements into Northern Ireland (STAMNI) from 1 October 2023 and is available for businesses to register on GOV.UK.
Moving goods under the NIRMS means businesses will:
- avoid extensive and costly certification and assurance processes
- be able to move products that meet UK public health, organics and fisheries rules
In the Windsor Framework, arrangements covered by the NIRMS scheme, goods will be moved on the basis of a single General Certificate for eligible consignments, supported by a packing list.
There will be no need for an official veterinary or plant health inspector to approve the documentation. Instead, goods will move based on a trader declaration under the authority of the UK competent authority.
Eligible categories include Great Britain origin products, Northern Ireland products processed in Great Britain, and EU origin products.
GB and NI businesses must register by providing business details, establishment information, and a UK Food Business Operator registration number. Common Health Entry Document Operator Portal (CHOP) and TRACES NT registrations are also essential.
The Common Health Entry Document Operator Portal (CHOP) is a DAERA bespoke database designed specifically for the benefit of NI traders to ease the movement of Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) goods between GB and NI
Traders pre-notify DAERA through TRACES NT at least 4 hours before goods arrive in NI, using the Common Health Entry Document (CHED).
The owner or responsible person for all establishments dispatching or receiving NIRMS consignments will need to register for the scheme.
Northern Ireland Retail Movement Scheme (NIRMS) – Movement Requirements
- All consignments must be sealed with a uniquely numbered seal that is compliant with UK official standards at the point of departure. The seal number must be recorded on the CHED and General Certificate.
- A seal integrity check on all NIRMS consignments will take place at the GB port of departure, verifying and reconciling seal details with records submitted on CHED and the General Certificate.
The GB supplier will create the General Certificate on the existing Export Health Certificate Online (EHCO) portal and will provide this to the NI receiver together with the packing list for the consignment.
At least 4 hours in advance of moving eligible goods into NI under NIRMS arrangements, NI traders must create a Common Health Entry Document for Products of Animal Origin (CHED-P) on TRACES NT. This will pre-notify the relevant DAERA SPS Inspection Facilities of the arrival of the consignment.
As under the Scheme for Temporary Agri-food Movements to Northern Ireland (STAMNI) scheme, within the NIRMS scheme there will be a requirement for the NI consignee to confirm receipt of the goods within 48 hours to the NI Competent Authority.
The packing list will need to be uploaded as part of the General Certificate application, which needs to be submitted before raising the CHED. The CHED must be submitted at least 4 hours prior to the goods arriving in NI. The General Certificate (including the packing list) will also need to be uploaded by the NI recipient during the CHED application in TRACES NT.
- Mixed loads can include NIRMS and non-scheme consignments.
- The lorry as a whole doesn't benefit from full scheme facilitations, but compliant goods move under a General Certificate.
- Non-scheme consignments in the load meet the EU Official Controls Regulation (OCR) inspection requirements.
Yes. In line with other movements, to move grouped consignments under the NIRMS, both the business listing the Establishment of Departure (the ‘consignor’) and the business listing the Establishment of Destination (the ‘consignee’) must be registered
For further information, please refer to the Northern Ireland Retail Movement Scheme Checklist.