Free-sale certificate

Do you export products to non-EU/non-EEA countries? You may need a free-sale certificate (FSC).

What is a free-sale certificate?

A free-sale certificate states that the concerned products are marketable without any restrictions within the EU and comply with European law. You often need this export declaration to gain market access in a non-EU/non-EEA country.

When is an FSC mandatory?

An FSC is mandatory for exporting:

• food
• non-food products
• animal feed
• medical devices
• pharmaceutical products
• crop protection agents
• biocides

You can check the EU's Access2Markets database to find out if you need a free-sale certificate for export outside the EU.

Applying for an FSC

You can apply for an FSC to the following organisations.

Animal feed, food products and non-food products

You can apply for a free-sale certificate for animal feed (in Dutch) to the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (Nederlandse Voedsel en Warenautoriteit, NVWA). The NVWA can also issue an export certificate for food and non-food products (in Dutch).

Pharmaceutical products, medical devices, and animal medication

Farmatec issues export Certificates for Pharmaceutical Products (CPPs, in Dutch). This certificate states you have the required permits for your pharmaceutical products. Farmatec also issues free-sale certificates for medical devices. You must include a number of documents with your application. The Dutch Medicines Evaluation Board (CBG) issues export certificates (CPPs) for animal medication.

Crop protection products and biocides

If you want to export a biocide, The Board for the Authorisation of Plant Protection Products and Biocides (College voor de toelating van gewasbeschermingsmiddelen en biociden, CTGB) can issue an export certificate. These export declarations demonstrate that the product is registered or approved for the specified application(s). You do not need an export declaration if the biocidal product is exported to another EU or EEA country or countries.