Pre-Boarding Notification (PBN): How to Create One and Check Your Customs Channel

3 days ago

4 min read

A pre-boarding notification (PBN) is the record Revenue needs for every commercial vehicle or trailer on a RoRo ferry between Great Britain and Ireland, even an empty one. You create it at revenue.ie/roro, add the MRN of every customs declaration for the goods on board, and give the PBN ID to the driver. The vehicle can only check in once the PBN shows "Good to proceed to Check-in". About 30 minutes before the ferry docks in Ireland, Revenue gives the vehicle a customs channel, which tells the driver to exit the port or call to Customs. [1][2][3]

Who creates the PBN?

The carrier: the haulier or logistics company responsible for the vehicle [2]. The haulier can hand the job to a supply-chain partner such as the declarant, the importer or exporter, or a clearance agent [1]. Using the service needs no pre-authorisation from Revenue [4]. Each vehicle or trailer gets one PBN, which can hold as many MRNs as it needs [2].

What do you need before you create it?

The MRNs of every pre-lodged declaration for the goods on board. Coming into Ireland, that's at least the ENS and the import declarations, plus any transit declaration [2]
Up to two mobile numbers and an email address to receive the channel [3]
Any SPS pre-notification the goods need, already done [1]

The declarations must be lodged before the goods leave for the ferry terminal [1], and the PBN must be completed before the vehicle checks in at the port of departure [2].

How to create a PBN, step by step

Go to revenue.ie/roro and choose Create PBN [2].
Pick the movement direction: In to Ireland or Out of Ireland [2].
Type each MRN and click +Add, and repeat for every declaration on the vehicle. For an empty vehicle, use My Vehicle is empty instead [2].
Create the PBN, adding the mobile numbers and email address for the channel [2][3].
Give the PBN ID to the driver [1].
Before the vehicle leaves for the ferry terminal, check that the status reads Good to proceed to Check-in. Without it, the vehicle won't be allowed to board and will be told to leave the port area [1].

To correct a mistake, use Edit PBN details on the same page [2].

How do you check a PBN?

There are two checks, at two different times:

Before check-in at the port of departure: use Check PBN Status with the PBN ID to confirm it reads Good to proceed to Check-in [1][2].
Before arrival in Ireland: use Customs Channel Look-up with the PBN ID. The channel shows from 30 minutes before the vessel arrives, and Revenue also sends it to the contacts on the PBN. Keep checking until you dock, because the status can change [3].

What do the customs channels mean?

Channel	What the driver does
Exit the Port	Follow the signs straight out of the port
Call to Customs	Follow the signs to the customs terminal, check in on the RoRo service, and follow the confirmation message
Call to Customs - Transit	Follow the signs to the customs terminal
Call to Customs - Seal	Follow the signs to the seal check lanes
Live animals BCP	Follow the signs to the live animals terminal

Leaving the port without customs clearance is a criminal offence, with a fine of up to €5,000, up to 12 months in prison, or both [3].

What happens after a Call to Customs?

Park in the customs terminal first. Then check in on the RoRo service with the PBN ID, the parking bay number, the vehicle type and a mobile number. Without the PBN ID, the vehicle or trailer registration, the arrival date and the ship will do [5]. The confirmation tells the driver whether to go to the Customs office or wait in the cab for a text. If the goods need a physical check, a text says when an examination bay is free [5].

What changed at Rosslare in October 2026?

From 29 October 2026, Rosslare Europort reads the number plates of accompanied vehicles coming off GB ferries. The system finds the PBN and its channel, and shows any Call to Customs or Live Animal BCP vehicle on screens at the customs booths. Unaccompanied trailers will follow in a later phase [6]. Drivers should still check the channel and get the Exit Port confirmation from the Channel Look-up, or from the text if a mobile number was given [6].

Frequently asked questions

Does an empty truck need a PBN? Yes. Revenue requires a PBN for every commercial vehicle or trailer, even when it's empty [2].

Is a PBN the same as a GMR? No. The PBN is Revenue's, for the Irish side of the crossing. The GMR is HMRC's, for the GB port. Our guide to GB-Ireland truck paperwork covers how they fit together.

Can a customs agent create the PBN for me? Yes. The haulier can delegate the PBN to a clearance agent or another supply-chain partner [1].

Do passengers need a PBN? No. Vehicles in the passenger channel don't need one, but goods over the allowances, and prohibited or restricted goods, must be declared to Customs at the port [7].

Need a PBN done?

Our team creates PBNs together with the ENS, import and export declarations behind them, for hauliers and UK brokers sailing to and from Dublin and Rosslare. Send the run details on WhatsApp (086 846 1240) and we'll come back to you the same working day. See our GB-Ireland RoRo customs service. C&L Declarations are customs clearance agents in Ireland for imports, exports and vehicles.