Applying for an AEO authorisation
An application for an AEO authorisation consists of:
- an AEO authorisation application form, on the EU Customs Trader Portal
- a self-assessment questionnaire (only available in Dutch)
- a management statement together with the AEO authorisation application (only available in Dutch)
Use the 'AEO Toelichting op de vragenlijst voor de AEO-zelfbeoordeling' (only available in Dutch) when completing the questionnaire.
Send in your application together with the fully completed questionnaire and the signed management statement. Your application will be delayed if you only include 1 of the documents, or if they are not complete.
You can only send 1 Appendix. Ensure you put the two documents in a zip file.
Make a digital application for your AEO status
You can apply for an AEO status via the online portal 'EU Customs Trader Portal'. You will need eHerkenning (eRecognition) to log in. For more information on eHerkenning, go to the page 'Log in with eRecognition'.
Complete your application in full
We will only handle your application if it has been completed in full and all appendices have been submitted. If your application is not complete, we will send you a request for submission of the lacking details within 30 days of receiving your application.
- The application form must be signed by an authorised director. If a director is jointly authorised, all directors will need to sign, or a signed power of attorney must be submitted.
- You are requested to state the capacity of the signatory/signatories.
Please note!
Apply for your authorisation via the EU Customs Trader Portal as well as sending any later requests for alteration, suspension or withdrawal thereof.
Any requests for information from Customs are presented as a ‘task’ in the portal. You may receive notifications of new tasks and the status of a task via e-mail. Are you logging in the first time into the EU Customs Trader Portal or have you not given notification of your email address? Please provide the email address on which you wish to receive the notifications. Log into the portal and go to account details to provide your email address.
Terms for our decision
Once we have received the full application the following terms will apply:
- We will notify the authorities in other EU member states of your application within 7 days.
- We will decide whether or not to issue the authorisation within 120 days. If we are unable to keep to this term, we may extend the term by 60 days. You will always be duly informed.
- If we require more information we may extend the issue term by 30 days.
If you need to make adjustments during the AEO verification in order to comply with the AEO criteria, the days required for this do not count towards the period within which we have to take a decision.
Organisations with branches in different EU member states
Does your organisation have branches in different member states? In that case the country where you must apply for the authorisation depends on your legal status. Is the branch a separate legal person? In this case, you must apply for the authorisation in the member state where it has its registered office. Is the branch a permanent establishment? A permanent establishment falls under a legal person. In this case, you must file the application in the member state where this legal person has its registered office.
You can find more information about multinational organisations with branches in different EU member states on the website 'Authorised Economic Operator (AEO)' of the EU.
