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Short & Sweet no. 9
Part 1: Using Temporary Admission
– the Supporting Document

Added 2021 – Updated March 2024

  • What is the Supporting Document, and how do you use it?
  • Will an operator need to file any customs paperwork?
  • Is the Supporting Document always valid for a six-month period?
Here, we will dive a bit deeper into the use of the Supporting Document (SD) when used to endorse the crossing of the outer EU border.
Other Short & Sweet articles about arriving in the EU using the TA procedure.

Short & Sweet mail no. 6 Flying with EU-resident persons onboard when using TA
Short & Sweet mail no. 11 Part 2: What do customs look for during a ramp check, and why?
Short & Sweet mail no. 14 Part 3: In which scenarios will an operator need help or guidance?
Short & Sweet mail no. 21 Part 4: How do you prepare to handle a customs ramp check?

The customs aspect of flying within the EU
Any aircraft flying into the EU will operate under customs control using either the Temporary Admission procedure (TA) or full importation. There are no other options. If the aircraft is not already fully imported, the aircraft will automatically be considered as flying under the TA procedure even though the owner or operator has not themselves taken any action to activate this procedure or realized that their aircraft is flying under TA. The TA procedure is thus always required when flying to the EU, even for a flight with only one stop within the EU. Here, non-compliance with TA will most likely activate a direct payment of the VAT (ranging from 17-27%) and customs duty (2.7%) for the owner or operator. The TA procedure can only be used by EU outsiders where the aircraft is owned (including any UBOs), operated, registered, and based outside the EU, leaving EU insiders only one option: full importation. EU outsiders can, of course, choose to use full importation instead of TA if they find it beneficial. However, both options can be used commercially or privately if applied correctly.

How does Temporary Admission work?
The use of TA is designed to be a paperless process with a voluntary option to document entries and exits using a Supporting Document, meaning that a qualifying aircraft can enter the EU without any customs contact or paper declarations. It is the EU Commission’s opinion that the bare act of crossing the outer EU border counts as a customs declaration. Help with documenting or clarifying TA compliance might not be needed if the aircraft only has flights that start or end outside the EU (no internal EU trips), does not carry any EU-resident crew or passengers, and the crew and operator understand the practical usage of the TA procedure as these types of flights typically do not trigger customs ramp checks. However, we will always recommend that operators check and document full TA compliance before flying to the EU, as other factors than those mentioned might also influence compliance.

Temporary Admission is supposed to be paperless, so why is documentation needed?
Unfortunately, the paperless entry and exit procedure has created a common misunderstanding that an operator is not required to present relevant documentation to prove TA compliance upon request from customs. Only the entry and exit are supposed to be paperless, but the operator must continuously live up to the preconditions of TA, handle the limitations correctly, and be able to document these at any time, even if flights are just in and out of the EU with only one visited destination. Correct documentation proving TA compliance is a make-or-break issue during customs ramp checks, and the so-called Supporting Document (if used upon entry) does not prove TA compliance alone. The lack of relevant documentation has stopped or grounded several aircraft over the years.

What is a Supporting Document?
The SD is a one-page PDF document with a duplicate page produced by the EU Commission. The SD should be seen as a voluntary tool to endorse an EU entry and subsequent exit. The operator must fill out the top part, leaving the bottom to be stamped or endorsed by an EU customs agency when the aircraft arrives and exits the EU.

What if an operator wants to use the Supporting Document when arriving within the EU?
Essentially, the crew can use the SD themselves when arriving at the first airport within the EU. We will be glad to prepare the SD with the specific aircraft data so that the crew can ask local customs at the arriving airport to endorse the SD.

What is the Supporting Document meant to endorse?
The SD only acknowledges that an aircraft has arrived within or exited the EU – nothing else. No customs procedure can endorse an entry that has not yet happened. Therefore, it is a common and illogical misunderstanding that any future entries into the EU can be endorsed in advance by using the SD.

Is the Supporting Document always valid for a six-month period?
No – unless the aircraft stays within the EU till the end of the six-month period, then it is valid throughout the six months. Also, the SD is not meant to endorse several entries. It only acknowledges that an aircraft has arrived in the EU and eventually exited again.

What is the validity of the Supporting Document?
The SD is only valid if the aircraft has not left the EU and for a maximum of six months. A new SD must be processed upon the next entry even though the six months mentioned in the field “period for discharge” have not yet passed. The six months mentioned here is the maximum stay of the specific entry whereupon the form is stamped (in customs terms; period for discharge). If the aircraft has been flying outside the EU after the first entry, it is a common misunderstanding that any future entries into the EU within the first six months will be endorsed in advance by using this form – it will not.

Will the Supporting Document protect against missing compliance?
The answer is no. The SD cannot endorse TA compliance even though the SD is processed correctly by an EU customs agency. The operator is still obliged to comply with the TA procedure continuously when flying within the EU, and the SD does not grant the aircraft free circulation or a fly freely status for a six-month period, which is a common misunderstanding when using the TA procedure. No operator should fly to the EU unprepared and unable to explain and document why they are eligible to use the TA procedure, and the SD does not have this function. 

Is the use of the Supporting Document beneficial?
Yes, having the SD ready in the aircraft or actively using the SD indicates that the operator understands TA, which is a good start if approached by customs. Yet, the SD must never be considered the only relevant documentation when using TA.

Correct documentation is a make-or-break issue
Operators should always consider how to document TA compliance as well as handle and secure the known grey zone areas when using TA. The relevant documentation can be conditioned without help from OPMAS, but we will be happy to help and have years of experience with this process. We offer different TA solutions depending on the risk profile and typical flight pattern. Please inquire for more details.

The Temporary Admission procedure has become a very well-defined customs procedure
Please note that TA can be used to fly privatelycorporately, and commercially within the EU without any problems and with EU-resident persons onboard if applied correctly. Since 2014, the TA procedure has become a very well-defined customs procedure, especially for corporate and commercial aviation. This is thanks to the huge effort from, e.g., the EU Commission and NBAA.

Legal background for Temporary Admission
The Istanbul convention from 1990, regulating the worldwide usage of TA, is not very precise, and the EU Commission has been and is continuously publishing various working papers and guidelines to clarify the correct understanding of TA and its usage in the EU. The 2014 working paper from the Union Customs Code Committee (available in English, French, and German) is especially important. Operators should always be aware that these documents are not binding for EU member states, which is why different interpretations exist between member states, thus also why it is important to have a competent customs agency outlining the correct use and understanding based on the specific setup. The problem with local interpretations is often related to flights within France, Spain, Portugal, Italy, and Greece. 

Click here to see a list of the known grey zone areas where different interpretations of the TA procedure exist and where operators often need guidance to use TA safely. None of the grey zone areas create problems against using TA if correctly handled and documented.

How can we help?
If you have questions about the above, please do not hesitate to contact us.

List of all OPMAS
Short & Sweet mails:

No. 21 – Part 4: Using Temporary Admission – how to prepare for a customs ramp check
Jan 2024 TA


No. 20 – Buying or selling aircraft within, to, or from the EU
Nov 2023 TA FI


No. 19 – The real differences between full importation and Temporary Admission
Sep 2023 - Updated 2024 TA FI


No. 18 – Exporting an aircraft from the EU
Jun 2023 - Updated 2024 FI


No. 17 – What is the correct use of a corporate aircraft?
Mar 2023 - Updated 2024 FI


No. 16 – Which customs procedures can be used for parking an aircraft within the EU?
Jan 2023 - Updated 2024 TA FI


No. 15 – Liability and risk elements associated with EU importation and admission
Oct 2022 - Updated 2024 TA FI


No. 14 – Part 3: Using Temporary Admission – when does an operator need help?
Aug 2022 – Updated 2024 TA


No. 13 – Importation impacts when traveling the world in corporate aircraft
Jun 2022 - Updated 2024 FI


No. 12 – How to get the 0% airline VAT exemption meant for commercial operators
May 2022 - Updated 2024 FI


No. 11 – Part 2: Using Temporary Admission
– what do customs look for during a ramp check, and why?

Mar 2022 – Updated 2024 TA


No. 10 – How to handle aircraft maintenance correct in a customs context​
Feb 2022 - Updated 2024 TA FI


No. 9 – Part 1: Using Temporary Admission – the Supporting Document
Dec 2021 – Updated 2024 TA


No. 8 – Do not fall into the operator trap when flying within the EU and UK
Oct 2021 - Updated 2024 TA FI


No. 7 – Which offshore aircraft registrations can be used with Temporary Admissions when flying within the EU and UK?
Sep 2021 - Updated 2024 TA


No. 6 – Flying with EU-resident persons onboard when using Temporary Admission
Aug 2021 - Updated 2024 TA


No. 5 – What about private use
of corporate aircraft?

May 2021 - Updated 2024 TA FI


No. 4 – What does ‘VAT paid’ mean?
Mar 2021 - Updated 2024 FI


No. 3 – Is a full importation needed
in both the UK and the EU27?

Mar 2021 - Updated 2024 FI


No. 2 – Flying commercially
within the EU

Feb 2021 - Updated 2024 TA FI


No. 1 – Flying with the
CEO

Nov 2020 - Updated 2024 TA FI

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