On October 1, 2022, Ukraine took an important step towards European integration - it joined the Convention on the Common Transit Procedure and the Convention on the Simplification of Formalities in Trade in Goods. It was then that the international application of the New Computerized Transit System (NCTS), which was called "customs visa-free" in society, began. Thanks to this system, transit barriers with EU countries are actually abolished, as goods are moved under a single transit declaration - from the customs office of departure to the customs office of destination.
Over three years of operation, the system has proven its effectiveness. During its application, more than 231 thousand declarations were issued under the common transit procedure, with steady growth observed: in 2022 - more than 700 declarations, in 2023 - more than 41 thousand declarations, in 2024 - more than 94 thousand declarations, and in 3 quarters of 2025 - more than 95 thousand, which has already exceeded the total number of declarations for the past year. In 2024, Ukraine successfully transitioned to the use of NCTS Phase 5 - the latest version of the system operating in EU countries.
Most often, Ukraine acted as the customs office of departure: more than 173 thousand movements were successfully completed in the countries-participants of the Convention, and more than 58 thousand - in Ukraine. An equally important element of the NCTS is the guarantee management system. Since October 1, 2022, 224 general guarantees worth 625.6 million euros and almost 28 thousand individual guarantees worth 1.4 billion euros have been registered in the electronic transit system of the State Customs Service. Ukrainian general guarantees are also actively used outside the country - they have been used in more than 300 thousand transit declarations in EU countries, most of all in Poland and Lithuania. Thus, “customs visa-free”, in addition to a step towards European integration, has become a tool that helps entrepreneurs deliver goods faster, save money and strengthen the trust of international partners in themselves and Ukraine. Even more opportunities lie ahead: using the NCTS system, you are already working according to the standards in force in the countries of the European Union and gaining valuable experience that will become the basis for confident and transparent work on the European market.