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Waste: export and import

This page provides an overview of the controls that apply if you transport waste into or out of Scotland. Waste exports and imports are called waste shipments. 

The information was updated in November 2025 to remove some older documents which were not in an accessible format. The page was previously titled 'Transfrontier shipment of waste'. 

Waste shipment controls

If you are involved in the import or export of waste between Scotland and another country (except England, Wales and Northern Ireland), you need to be aware that shipments of waste are subject to a range of regulatory controls. This applies to transport by road, rail, air and sea. 

We oversee the controls in Scotland, in line with UK and international legislation, and some of the links on this page will take you to information and tools available on the GOV.UK website.

The controls ensure that:

• hazardous and non-hazardous waste is transported and processed in an environmentally sound manner
• waste producers, exporters, importers, carriers, and receiving facilities comply with notification, consent, and documentation requirements

When waste shipment controls apply

Controls apply from the point the waste is loaded until the waste is processed at the destination facility.

Rules for importing and exporting waste apply in:

• the country where the shipment starts
• the country where the shipment ends
• any country the waste passes through

You need to check the rules for all transit countries. Some waste shipments are prohibited (not allowed).

If your waste shipment is not prohibited, it must comply with either:

• Notification controls:  Also known as 'amber list' controls, under the retained Waste Shipments Regulation, these require consent from all the environmental authorities - known as competent authorities - involved before you can ship
• Article 18 controls: Also known as 'green list' controls, these are simplified controls for most non-hazardous waste, under Article 18 of the retained Waste Shipments Regulation

To help you determine which level of control applies to exports, you can use the waste exports control tool on the GOV.UK website. The tool is a guide only. You should check the controls with the competent authorities, government departments or customs inspectorates in destination and transit countries before shipping.

Moving waste under notification controls - amber list

For notified exports, you should use the online system for International Waste Shipments, IWS Online. After registering as a user you can:

• apply for export notifications
• view the progress of your applications
• generate pre-notifications
• record shipment data

If you are exporting from or importing to Scotland, your application will be reviewed by SEPA.

View our fees for the Transfrontier Shipment of Waste (MS Word, 198 kB).

Documentation for notified shipments

For waste moving under notification controls, you must submit:

• a completed notification document (Annex IA )
• a copy of the movement document (Annex IB)
• waste characterisation, together with descriptions of the process of generation and treatment
• a signed Article 5 Waste Shipments Regulation contract between the companies involved
• a financial guarantee
• proof of liability and haulage insurance
• notifier’s valid broker registration
• carriers’ registration documents
• a route plan and map
• contract between the notifier and the importer
• recovery or disposal operation permit(s) translated into English
• breakdown of the percentages and values of outputs of the waste treatment
• proof of payment

You will be required to complete movement documents (Annex 1Bs) prior to shipment and on receipt, and on completion of the recovery or disposal of the waste.

You must send copies of those documents to all the relevant competent authorities and to the person/company who sent the waste. In all cases you will need to keep copies of the documents relating to the waste shipment for at least three years.

Please contact us if you have a query about documentation. 

Timescales for notifications

The dispatch authority (the competent authority in the country of export) has three days to transmit the notification, once it is deemed to be complete. All authorities involved in a notification generally have 30 days to provide a decision, or 60 days in the case of a shipment to a non-OECD country.

At SEPA we are committed to:

• processing valid and complete notifications in a timely manner
• Communicating clearly and professionally
• providing guidance to help you meet regulatory requirements
• operating transparently and consistently

However, we are not able to fast-track applications due to lack of planning or urgency on the part of the notifier.

Moving waste under Article 18 controls - green list

Green list waste is non-hazardous waste considered low risk. If you are moving green list waste under these controls you must:

• complete and sign an Annex VII form and ensure it accompanies your waste
• email the form to Transfrontier@sepa.org.uk. You can also use the National Packaging Waste Database (NPWD) to upload information from the form. Please email us to request access
• complete an Article 18 contract for the recovery of the waste between the person sending the waste and the person receiving the waste
• comply with all local controls in the destination country
• ensure the waste is dealt with in an environmentally sound manner throughout its movement and recovery

The person receiving the waste must sign the document that accompanies the waste on receipt and retain it for 3 years.

Waste shipment regulations

Waste controls are set out in the retained Waste Shipments Regulation EC No 1013/2006 as amended by:

• The International Waste Shipments (Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019
• The International Waste Shipments (Amendment of Regulation (EC) No 1013/2006) Regulations 2020
• The International Waste Shipments (Amendment of Regulation (EC) No. 1013/2006 and 1418/2007) Regulations 2021

How to contact us about importing and exporting waste

For further assistance you can email our Producer Compliance and Waste Shipment team at Transfrontier@sepa.org.uk

You may also like to read information for waste carriers, brokers and professional collectors and transporters of waste.