French Customs (the DGDDI: Direction Générale des Douanes et Droits Indirects) has announced that the ELO (Enveloppe Logistique Obligatoire) will become mandatory for Channel crossings as of 20 April 2026.
The ELO gathers all the required information for goods—such as customs formalities and ICS2 ENS data, depending on the flow—into a single reference. This reference is issued as a PDF that includes a barcode to support straightforward identification and processing.
- The ELO barcode must be presented at Pit stop in both France and the UK, just as with the GMR, unless a Border Pass has been created
- An ELO reference contains 19 characters, preceded by EI for imports and EE for exports
- One ELO is required per truck
- An ELO is mandatory for empty trucks
More information is available on the French Customs website
NB: If a driver is unable to present an ELO it, there will be a showdown and the vehicle will be rejected until an ELO is provided.
