Master Reference Number (MRN)
Here you can find out about current developments and important changes related to the Master Reference Number (MRN), formerly the Movement Reference Number.
Important Changes to Shipping Procedures – NCTS Phase 5
As of January 20, 2025, the new NCTS Phase 5 is in effect across the EU. This introduces updated shipping standards that enable improved traceability and customs control. These changes also help our network determine the optimal route for each shipment – whether or not NCTS is used.
What’s new:
- No more consolidation: Each shipment must be declared individually.
- Multi-Piece Shipments (MPS) still require a separate export accompanying document (EAD) for each package.
- Export references can now only be made at the shipment level, not at the item level.
- AWB directive: It is no longer permitted to issue a single EAD for multiple Air Waybills (AWBs), or to issue multiple EADs for one AWB.
Important note for customers:
Please ensure that exactly one EAD is created per Air Waybill – and vice versa. This is essential to ensure smooth processing.
Exception: The FedEx International Priority DirectDistribution® (IPD) service may still include multiple EADs. For more information, please contact your account representative.
Important change: Specify the MRN when shipping via fedex.com or using FedEx automation tools, Web Services, APIs, FedEx Ship Manager (FSM) Server and FedEx Ship Manager® (Software)
If you ship via FedEx Ship Manager at fedex.com, the MRN must be specified from 19th of February 2024 when creating the air waybill (AWB) for shipments from Germany to non-EU countries.
As a consignor, you must declare a shipment to the customs authorities for export if:
- the destination is outside the EU
- and the value of the goods exceeds EUR 1,000 and/or the weight exceeds 1,000 kg
You will receive the export accompanying document (EAD) containing the MRN as proof.
For shipments with a value of up to EUR 1,000 and a weight of up to 1,000 kg, the export declaration at customs is not compulsory. However, if such a shipment has been registered for export, the MRN must be provided at the time of creating the AWB via FedEx Ship Manager at fedex.com in order to facilitate smooth export.
For registering shipments using FedEx automation tools, Web Services, APIs and FedEx Ship Manager (FSM) Server, providing the MRN is optional but recommended. The fully digitalised process reduces the risk of delays at customs and improves regulatory compliance.
To transmit the MRN to FedEx when registering a shipment via FedEx Ship Manager at fedex.com, the appropriate MRN field must be completed. For multi package shipments, only one MRN can be recorded for the entire shipment. The EAD should still be attached to the shipment – preferably by uploading it on fedex.com when creating the AWB for your shipment in FedEx Ship Manager.
Our new process introduces an optional field to our Web Services, APIs and FSM Server that lets you share your MRN with us electronically when completing the export clearance steps. If you register shipments through FedEx Web Services or APIs, you can enter your MRN in the ExportComplianceStatement field. If you are using FSM Server, you can use transaction field 1358 to send the MRNs to FedEx.
In the case of a multi package shipment, only one export MRN is required for the entire shipment. Please provide just one export MRN for the multi package shipment, together with the entire shipment.
You can already send us the MRN number electronically in FedEx Ship Manager® (Software). Simply use one of the following fields:
- Shipper_tax_total
- Consignee_tax number
- Shipment reference
- Department reference
- Invoice reference
- Purchase_Order
- Sender_Address2
- Consignee_address2
For multi-parcel shipments, only one export MRN is required for the entire shipment. Please provide us with only one export MRN for the multi-parcel shipment together with the complete shipment.
From 2025, there will be a separate field for the EAD MRN.
The abbreviation MRN stands for Master Reference Number and denotes an 18-digit registration number consisting of letters and digits issued for each export declaration submitted to the customs authorities. MRNs enable shipments to be identified and processed in the customs system.
The first two characters represent the year in which the goods are shipped, e.g. ‘24’ for 2024. The following two letters are the country code of the country in which the MRN is created at customs. If you are shipping from Germany, the country code is ‘DE’. The last 14 characters are an alphanumeric code automatically generated by the customs authorities. Every MRN is unique. No two shipments can have the same MRN.
You will receive the MRN for your shipment from customs together with the export accompanying document (EAD) when you declare your goods for export. For shipments leaving the EU, the MRN is needed to complete the export procedure with the customs authorities. Without a valid MRN, no proof of export can be established.