Guidance: Excise movement and control system: service availability and issues

If you’re trying to create, sign in or reset your sign in details, check for known problems with HMRC online services.

Due to scheduled maintenance, you will be unable to access our online service from 5pm to 10pm on Wednesday 30 September 2026.

For consignments due for dispatch during this time, submit the movement details to EMCS before the downtime where possible.

If you cannot use EMCS, follow the fallback procedures in Section 3 of Excise Notice 197.

We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause.

We are aware that the EMCS is not currently accepting the option ‘Guarantor not required for qualifying UK to UK movements’ in Box 11a of the electronic Administrative Document (eAD). This is not being accepted where a UK warehousekeeper is dispatching excise duty suspended goods (with an excise product code other than B000, W200 or W300) to another UK warehouse.

As a temporary fix, the ‘Guarantor not required for qualifying UK to UK movements’ option should not be used at this time. You should select the ‘Consignor’ option in Box 11a of the eAD. You will have the option to enter your approval number in Box 12a. If you leave Box 12a blank, then you should complete the name and address fields in Boxes 12c to 12f.

We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause.

We are aware that following an update to French EMCS, some movements consigned from France are operating under fallback procedures.

This may include movements from France to Northern Ireland consignees.

Any expected movements should be received and processed as normal until a corresponding French Administrative Reference Code (ARC) has been raised.

We are aware there is an issue with some traders receiving historic messages the first time they call for messages on the new EMCS service. This issue should only occur on the first attempt.

If you continue to experience this issue, contact the helpdesk.

If you need help with anything not listed here, contact Excise Movement and Control System: general enquiries.