France: ELO mandatory for trucks travelling to the United Kingdom from April

From April 20, 2026, France will introduce a mandatory ELO system for trucks crossing the border with the United Kingdom. A single barcode will contain all the data required for clearance at the so-called smart border.

Information about the introduction of the mandatory ELO system (Obligatory Logistics Envelope) for the transport of goods between the European Union and the United Kingdom via the so-called smart border in France has been published on the website of the French customs administration Direction générale des douanes et droits indirects, available at douane.gouv.fr. The solution mainly concerns road transport handled through the ports of Calais and Dunkirk and through the Channel Tunnel, which are used by the majority of trucks travelling between the continent and the United Kingdom.

The ELO system was launched in spring 2025 as part of the French Smart Border system introduced after Brexit to speed up truck clearance. Its purpose is to simplify border procedures by collecting all required information and declarations in a single barcode. This code contains data related to the transport and customs documents that are scanned when crossing the border.

According to information from the French customs administration, the use of the ELO system will become mandatory from April 20, 2026. This means that all trucks – both loaded and empty – will have to present a single ELO barcode when crossing the so-called smart border between France and the United Kingdom. The requirement will apply to import, export and transit operations.

Access to the ELO application is available via an individual account on the douane.gouv.fr portal. After logging in, the user can search for the application in the system and create an ELO document that generates the barcode required during the clearance process. The French customs administration also recommends regularly checking the website providing information about the status of digital services, where announcements about potential technical issues with online systems are published. In the event of irregularities, operators should first contact the transport carrier – depending on the case, the ferry or rail operator handling the transport.

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