KC3 VALIDATION PREPARATION · Aero Support Group FZCO · Updated 23 October 2026
What is KC3 in aviation?
KC3 means Known Consignor validated for the EU from a third country. It is a shipper outside the EU that originates cargo for its own account and applies security controls at its own premises, so the consignment is already secured when it leaves the site.
The legal basis is Regulation (EC) No 300/2008 and point 6.8 of the Annex to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2015/1998. A KC3 hands secured cargo to an ACC3 or to an RA3, which protects it until loading. The status suits manufacturers and exporters with regular, predictable shipments to the EU.
Designation and validity
- Who designates: the appropriate authority of the EU Member State responsible for the ACC3 designation at the airport concerned, or the authority that approved the validator where no ACC3 is designated there (6.8.4.2).
- Union database: the KC3 is entered in the Union database on supply chain security with a unique identifier.
- Validity: up to three years from entry in the database (6.8.4.6). Revalidation is required at intervals not exceeding three years.
The two validation routes
Point 6.8.5.1 offers the same two routes as for an RA3:
- Through the ACC3’s validation. The shipper is covered in the ACC3’s programme and validation, and its status applies only to cargo delivered to that ACC3.
- Standalone EU validation. An EU aviation security validator, approved under point 11.6, assesses the site using the checklist in Attachment 6-C4. The resulting status can serve more than one ACC3.
What the validator checks at a KC3
- A security programme that describes the site, the cargo produced and how it is secured.
- A named person responsible for cargo security, with defined authority.
- Recruitment checks and security training for staff who have access to identifiable air cargo.
- Physical security and access control of production, packing and storage areas.
- Protection of identifiable air cargo from unauthorised interference from the point it becomes identifiable as air cargo until handover.
- Secure transport to the ACC3 or RA3, including haulier declarations, seals and documentation.
Where KC3 validations run into difficulty
- The point at which goods become identifiable air cargo is not defined, so protection starts too late.
- Packing and storage areas are shared with general logistics and lack access control.
- Haulier arrangements are informal, with no declarations, seals or records.
- Training covers permanent staff but not warehouse temporaries or contractors.
- The security programme was written for another site and does not match the floor plan.
How ASG prepares KC3 applicants
- Applicability review: whether KC3 is the right model for your shipping pattern, which ACC3s you use and the responsible Member State.
- Security programme written around your premises, products and shipping flow.
- Pre-validation gap analysis against Attachment 6-C4, with corrective actions before the validator’s visit.
- Training material and records for staff with access to identifiable air cargo.
- Haulier and handover arrangements with the ACC3 or RA3.
- Revalidation planning so the designation does not lapse.
ASG prepares organisations for validation. The validation itself is carried out by an independent EU aviation security validator.
Conclusion
KC3 status lets a shipper outside the EU send cargo that is already secured, which saves time and screening cost downstream. It holds only if protection is continuous from the moment goods become identifiable air cargo until handover. ASG helps shippers set that up and prove it to the validator.
Frequently asked questions
KC3 means Known Consignor validated for the EU from a third country: a shipper outside the EU whose premises and processes secure its own cargo under point 6.8 of Regulation (EU) 2015/1998.
Up to three years from entry in the Union database, with revalidation at intervals not exceeding three years.
Attachment 6-C4 to the Annex of Implementing Regulation (EU) 2015/1998.
Normally not. A KC3 secures cargo by controlling production, packing, storage and transport. If that protection breaks, the cargo must be screened downstream.
A KC3 secures its own cargo at its own premises. An RA3 is an agent that secures and usually screens cargo from various shippers.
Key takeaways
- KC3 = shipper outside the EU validated under point 6.8 of Regulation (EU) 2015/1998
- Designation lasts up to three years
- Standalone validation uses checklist 6-C4
- Protection must start when goods become identifiable air cargo
- Haulier and handover controls are a common weak point
Considering KC3 status?
Tell us about your site and shipping pattern. ASG will confirm whether KC3 fits and prepare you for validation.