Harmonization Frontier Controls Convention

The International Convention on the Harmonization of Frontier Controls of Goods was agreed in Geneva on 21 October 1982 and entered into force on 15 October 1985. It has been amended twice in 2008 and in 2011. The Text of the convention is on the UNECE website in six languages. The convention is administered by the UNECE Working Party 30.

The Convention has currently 56 contracting parties. Detailed information is available on Status and contracting parties.

The Convention applies to all goods being imported or exported or in transit, when they are moved across one or more maritime, air or inland frontier. Its objective is to reduce barriers to international trade and facilitate the movement of goods by reducing the requirements for completing formalities as well as the number and duration of controls, in particular by national and international coordination of control procedures and of their methods of application.

Leaflet on the benefits of the Harmonization Convention, including its relation with the Agreement on Trade Facilitation of the World Trade Organization.

Pages that cite the Convention:

Coordinated Intervention
Cross-border management and Customs
Cross-border management
International Transit
Joint border controls
Process related measures