When do you need a TFS notification, and how long does it take?

When do you need a TFS notification?

Shipping waste from one country to another is regulated by the EU Waste Shipment Regulation, known in Dutch as EVOA. Since 21 May 2026, the new Regulation (EU) 2024/1157 applies, replacing Regulation 1013/2006. The basic principle stays the same: the more risk a waste stream carries, the stricter the procedure.

A notification with prior written consent, often called a TFS notification (Transfrontier Shipment), is required in three situations. First, when you ship waste for disposal, such as landfill or incineration without energy recovery. Second, when you ship waste for recovery that is not on the green list, including hazardous waste and mixed or unlisted streams. Third, when the authorities explicitly require it for a specific stream.

Many streams in our sector fall into that second category. Mixed commercial and industrial waste, sorting residues and most refuse derived fuels are not green-listed, so a notification is needed before they can cross a border.

For green-listed waste that goes to recovery, the procedure is lighter. No prior consent is needed, but the shipment must be accompanied by the Annex VII information document, and there must be a contract between the person arranging the shipment and the receiving facility.

Whether a notification applies is decided per waste stream, not per company. The same company can ship one stream under the green-list procedure and need a notification for another. The rules also apply to imports and exports outside the EU, where extra restrictions apply. Exports of waste for disposal outside the EU are largely prohibited, and from 21 May 2027 stricter rules for exports outside the EU take effect.

In short: check the classification of your waste first. That one step decides which procedure applies, and getting it wrong is the most common reason a shipment is stopped.

What you need for a notification

A notification is a complete dossier that allows the authorities to assess where your waste comes from, what it is and where it ends up. The notifier, usually the waste producer or a registered dealer or broker, submits it to the competent authority in the country of dispatch.

The dossier contains at least the following:

• A notification document and a movement document, using the standard forms.
• A clear description of the waste, with its waste code, composition and, where relevant, a recent analysis.
• The estimated quantity and the period in which the shipments will take place.
• The route, the carriers and any transit countries.
• Details of the receiving facility, its permit and the recovery or disposal operation (R or D code).
• A contract between the notifier and the consignee covering the recovery or disposal of the waste.
• A financial guarantee or equivalent insurance, which covers the costs if the shipment cannot be completed as planned.

Pay special attention to the receiving facility. The authorities want to see that its permit covers exactly this waste code and this operation. If the permit and the notification do not match, expect questions, and expect delays.

Since 21 May 2026, notifications and the related documents are exchanged electronically through the EU’s central system, DIWASS, or through national systems connected to it. Paper procedures are being phased out.

Once consent has been given, the work is not finished. Before each individual shipment, the authorities must be informed, and every load travels with its movement document. After delivery, the facility confirms receipt and, later, the completion of recovery or disposal. A single notification can cover several shipments over a set period, which makes recurring flows much easier to manage.

How long does a TFS notification take?

The honest answer is: it depends on the countries involved and on how complete your dossier is. The procedure runs through the authority of dispatch, the authority of destination and the authorities of any transit countries, and each of them must agree.

In the Netherlands, the Human Environment and Transport Inspectorate (ILT) reports that an application usually takes three to four months from start to finish. Once a dossier is complete, all authorities involved decide within 30 days. The key word is complete: the clock does not really start until all information is in place, and every request for additional information adds time.

There is one important exception. When waste is shipped to a pre-consented recovery facility, the decision period in the Netherlands is just seven working days. Choosing such a facility can therefore save you months.

Other countries work at their own pace, and some are noticeably faster or slower than others. Transit countries add an extra step. That is why experience with the specific route matters as much as knowledge of the rules.

Keep in mind that consent is only the start. After it has been granted, carriers need to be arranged and the first shipment has to be announced to the authorities. For recurring flows, it helps that one notification can cover multiple shipments over a set period, so you only go through the full procedure once for that period.

Our advice is simple. If your current outlet is ending, or you want to ship to a new destination, start the notification as early as possible, ideally at least four months before the first shipment. In the meantime, check whether a pre-consented facility is an option, and make sure your waste analysis and contract are ready before you submit anything.

What often goes wrong with notifications

Most delays and problems with waste shipments do not come from the rules themselves, but from small mistakes in preparation. These are the ones we see most often.

Wrong classification. A stream that is assumed to be green-listed turns out not to be, for example because it is mixed or contaminated. Without a notification, the shipment is then illegal. Authorities can stop it, and the costs of taking the waste back or treating it elsewhere fall on the notifier.

An incomplete dossier. A missing analysis, an unclear waste code or a contract that does not match the notification leads to questions from the authorities. Each round of questions pushes back the moment the decision period starts.

Starting too late. Many companies only start the procedure when their current contract is about to end. With a lead time of several months, that often leaves a gap in which the waste has nowhere to go.

Changes that are not reported. If the quantity, the route, the carrier or the receiving facility changes, the consent may no longer cover the shipment. Significant changes must be reported, and sometimes require a new notification.

Expired consent. A notification is valid for a limited period. Shipments made after it has expired are not covered.

Missing confirmations. After delivery, the receiving facility must confirm receipt and, later, completion of the treatment. When these certificates are late or missing, the file cannot be closed, and the financial guarantee may not be released.

With over 4,000 notifications to more than 26 countries, we know these pitfalls from experience. We handle the documentation, advise on permits and plan the logistics, so your waste keeps moving.

Most delays don’t come from the authorities but from an incomplete dossier. Get the analysis and contract right, and the procedure becomes predictable.

Logistics specialist, N+P