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Phytosanitary and veterinary export certificate

Published by:
Netherlands Enterprise Agency, RVO

Do you plan to export agricultural goods from the Netherlands to non-EU countries? You will need a veterinary or phytosanitary export certificate.

What is an export certificate?

The export certificate is a document issued by the Dutch government. It states that the shipment meets the requirements of the importing country. The type of product you export determines which inspection service will issue the export certificate.

There are 2 kinds of export certificates:

Applying for an export certificate

You need an export certificate for products such as:

  • animal feed
  • fruit and vegetables
  • fertiliser
  • seed potatoes
  • cut flowers and pot plants
  • meat and meat products
  • agricultural seeds
  • dairy products

You can use the automated e-Cert system to apply for an export certificate. In order to use e-CertNL, you need access to eHerkenning (the Dutch electronic authentication and authorisation system), or contact the Netherlands Enterprise Agency. You can authorise another company to use the e-CertNL system to submit applications on your behalf.

You can check if you need an export certificate using the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority’s (NVWA) Export Assistant for plants, vegetables, fruit, and plant products and the Export Assistant for animals, animal products, and animal feed (in Dutch). You can consult the NVWA's checklist (pdf, in Dutch) to make sure the phytosanitary certificate is completed properly.

ePhyto for plant exports

In some cases, you can use electronic phytosanitary certificates, also known as ePhytos (in Dutch), for the export of plants and plant materials. Not all countries issue ePhytos yet, and not all countries accept ePhytos. E-CertNL automatically generates a paper phytosanitary certificate if an ePhyto is not an option for your shipment.

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