Businesses that move goods into Norway should prepare for Digitoll well before the mandatory deadlines. The transition affects not only customs declarations, but also transport data, document handling, internal routines, and coordination across the supply chain.
This guide explains what businesses should map, who is responsible for what, and how to reduce the risk of delays when Digitoll becomes the main process.
[Image placeholder: A supply-chain diagram showing goods owner, customs representative, carrier, and Norwegian Customs exchanging information before border crossing.]
Key Digitoll deadlines#
There are two important dates to plan around:
- 15 September 2026: requirements for digital fulfilment of the duty to notify and provide information apply
- 1 March 2027: declarations must be submitted before or at the latest when crossing the border, and the direct transport scheme ends
Businesses that still rely on manual routines or delayed information flow should act quickly.
Start with a business-wide mapping exercise#
Before using Digitoll, the business should map:
- what goods and transport data is available in its systems today
- what additional data Digitoll requires
- where missing information must come from
- which system changes are needed
- who in the business is responsible for each part of the transition
This mapping should cover both internal systems and information that comes from suppliers, freight forwarders, carriers, or warehouses.
Understand what must be submitted and when#
In Digitoll, all required information must be submitted digitally before, or at the latest when, the goods cross the border. Norwegian Customs recommends sending notification, disclosure, and declaration data as early as possible so customs handling can be completed before arrival.
The practical consequence is that businesses must stop treating customs data as something that can be finalized after the truck reaches the border.
Decide how your business will submit Digitoll information#
There are two main ways to submit the required information through Norwegian Customs’ API for notification and information.
Use a system supplier#
If the business uses a software provider for customs or transport processes, it should contact that provider early and ask:
- Is the solution already adapted for Digitoll?
- If not, when will it be adapted?
- What must our business do to start using it?
- When can we begin testing or operating with Digitoll?
Build your own solution#
If the business plans to develop its own integration, Norwegian Customs recommends:
- starting early
- creating a concrete development plan
- assigning clear internal responsibilities
Useful link:
- Technical guidance and APIs: https://toll.github.io/
Clarify roles in the value chain#
Digitoll affects different actors in different ways. Businesses should be clear about who is responsible for goods data, declaration data, transport data, and driver information.
Goods owner#
The goods owner should make sure the necessary information about the goods is available before border crossing. If a customs representative is used, the goods owner must provide the representative with the documents and information needed to declare the shipment.
This can be done as early as five days before crossing, and no later than at the time of crossing.
Customs representative#
The customs representative, often a freight forwarder, may be responsible for both declaration and submission of notification and information data on behalf of customers.
That means the representative needs:
- shipment information early
- clear routines for creating transport and shipment notifications
- staff who know what to send and when
- readiness to respond to document checks from Norwegian Customs
Carrier#
The carrier must ensure that information about the driver and the means of transport is available for submission. In many cases the freight forwarder sends the data onward, but the driver has the final legal responsibility in many situations.
Carriers should also know what happens at the specific customs offices they use. The procedure may differ from one crossing to another.
Examples include:
- Svinesund and Ørje use light signals
- some customs offices use tablets
- at smaller customs offices, the driver may need to notify the expedition directly that the transport is using Digitoll
Review your document flow before the first shipment#
Businesses should not wait until a shipment is approaching the border to collect key documents.
For example, the customs representative should receive the commercial invoice before the goods arrive in Norway, preferably as early as possible, so the declaration can be prepared when the declaration window opens.
That means businesses should review:
- when commercial invoices are available
- who receives them first
- how they are passed to the customs representative
- whether supporting documents are stored in a way that is easy to retrieve during document control
Train the people who actually send or update the information#
Digitoll readiness is not only a technical task. The people involved in purchasing, logistics, customs clearance, and transport operations need to understand:
- what information they are responsible for
- when that information must be available
- who depends on it downstream
- what happens if it is wrong or delayed
Even a well-configured system will not solve the problem if the business has unclear internal ownership of the data.
Plan for changes while goods are already in transit#
One practical challenge is that an extra consignment is added to a truck shortly before border crossing. A declaration is sent about 30 minutes before arrival at Svinesund, but the truck receives a red signal because the declared value is wrong.
This example shows why businesses need procedures for:
- last-minute shipment changes
- updating declarations quickly
- communicating with the driver during transit
- correcting data before the goods are allowed to enter Norway
Without these routines, a single error can stop the whole vehicle at the border.
[Image placeholder: A border-crossing example where a truck receives a red signal because declaration data must be corrected before entry.]
A practical readiness checklist for Digitoll#
Before your business starts using Digitoll, work through the following checklist:
- map what goods and transport data is available today
- identify what information is missing for Digitoll
- decide whether to use a software supplier or build your own integration
- contact your software provider early if they handle customs or transport data
- assign internal responsibility for implementation
- agree with freight forwarders and customs representatives on who sends what
- make sure carriers can provide driver and vehicle information in time
- set routines for collecting commercial invoices and other documents early
- train operational staff on what must happen before border crossing
- prepare for corrections if information changes during transport
Useful resources#
- All about Digitoll: https://www.toll.no/no/bedrift/digitoll
- Get started with Digitoll: https://www.toll.no/no/bedrift/digitoll/kom-i-gang
- Information letters and resources: https://www.toll.no/no/bedrift/digitoll/ressurser-og-tips
- Maskinporten integration guidance: https://toll.github.io/api/maskinporten/index-maskinporten-integration.html
- Digdir guidance on business certificates: https://docs.digdir.no/docs/Maskinporten/maskinporten_virksomhetssertifikat
- Norwegian Customs newsletter: https://www.toll.no/no/bedrift/nyhetsbrev/
Summary#
Preparing for Digitoll means more than turning on a new interface. Businesses need working routines for data collection, declarations, transport information, document handling, and value-chain coordination before the goods reach the border. With the first mandatory date on 15 September 2026 and the broader transition on 1 March 2027, businesses that prepare early will be in a much stronger position to avoid border delays and disruption.
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