Apply for an Export Health Certificate
You can use this service to apply for an Export Health Certificate (EHC).
Important
Welcome to DAERA Export Certificate System (DECS)
The new DAERA Export Certificate System, known as DECS, has now replaced DECOL, with effect from Thursday 5th June 2025
This is now the system exporters will use to apply for official certification for exports to all third countries, GB, within NI, and some exports to EU, as applicable.
Applications made on the EU Traces NT system for exports from NI to EU remain unaffected.
DECS is similar to other public facing government systems with which you may be familiar and should make the export application process easier.
A guide, which includes screen shots of the application process, will be available on the DAERA Internet, to assist you. Please consult this guidance in the first instance. However, if you have persistent issues with accessing the new system or submitting applications, please contact your local DAERA or Council office, as applicable, in the first instance.
All existing DECOL applications made prior to the launch of DECS will be processed in DECOL.
Please note : Important information about existing DECOL applications
After 1 pm on 5th June the normal method of submitting additional information using the OSL link in the confirmation email received on application and /or in RFI requests will no longer be available for existing DECOL applications. Any further information relevant to existing DECOL applications which you need to provide will have to be submitted to your local DAERA office via Outlook. When doing so you must make sure you quote the DECOL EHC number, in all correspondence.
Similarly, if DAERA staff issue an RFI to request further information for existing DECOL applications, there will no longer be an active link in the RFI email and you will have to respond using Outlook, quoting the DECOL EHC number in the title of the email.
Please note:Submitting EHC templates to DECS
When completing EHC templates from Defra Form Finder or DAERA website you MUST use dedicated pdf editor software to do so.
If you use other editing software it could render your EHC application template incompatible and you may not be able to successfully complete your application
For information: Any information you provide in your DECS application is handled in accordance with the requirements of the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR 2016) and the Data Protection Act 2018.
The DAERA Privacy Statement Document is available at the link below:
EXPORTER NOTICES - Important messages about the DECS service and export requirements are hosted on this page. Please read this information carefully as it may affect your export consignment.
MOVEMENT OF CONSIGNMENTS FROM NI WITHOUT OFFICIAL CERTIFICATION
- It is the exporter’s responsibility to ensure that an EHC has been issued by DAERA, Local Authority Certifier or nominated aPVP before your consignment is dispatched from NI.
- Submission of an application is no guarantee that an export health certificate, whether for an original or a replacement certificate, will be issued.
- DAERA takes no responsibility for consignments exported without certification in place prior to departure.
- Official certification will not be issued retrospectively once your consignment has left NI.
FMD IN GERMANY AND RE-EXPORT TO CANADA - 30th January 2025
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has written to Defra to ask that certain products susceptible to Foot and Mouth disease (FMD) are not re-exported from the UK to Canada after import from Germany. This applies to all raw or unprocessed, edible or inedible animal products or by-products from FMD-susceptible species of German origin, slaughtered or collected on or after the 12th of December 2024.
This includes any products derived from live animals imported from Germany to NI/ IE/ other Member State since 12 December 2024.
Please consider this new condition in preparation of consignments for export to Canada, application on DECOL and subsequent certification of EHCs for export to Canada. We will keep you updated as this situation develops.
ADDITIONAL SCHEDULES UPDATED- 21st November 2024
Please be aware - the additional schedules available at the below DAERA Website link have been updated.
Exporters are advised to ensure that if these schedules are being used in support of an export application, the versions at the below link must be used.
Outdated versions retained locally must be disregarded.
DAERA INTRODUCE NEW BACKGROUND CERTIFICATE: 8796 - FOR IMMEDIATE USE - 12 September 2024
A new Background Certificate (BC 8796) is now available for application through the DECOL system.
This certificate is to facilitate movement of animal products from NI to GB or EU, including Ireland (IE), where the receiving business requires assurance of matters over and above EU compliance to allow onward certification from GB / EU to a final third country destination.
The certificate and associated guidance can be found on the DAERA Website.
Stakeholder Industry Bulletin 5/24, issued on 12 September, contains full details, including the circumstances under which this new certificate must be used.
DAERA DAIRY CERTIFICATES 0001 AND 0015 - CLASSIFICATION CHANGE: EHC TO BACKGROUND CERTIFICATE
Dairy Exporters should note that the above noted EHC 0001 and EHC 0015 have been re-classified to Background Certificates.
Revised documents are now available on the DAERA Website, for use with immediate effect.
Forthcoming communications will outline the minor naming convention changes across the certificates and associated Notes for Guidance.
Any changes to 'in process' DECOL applications, using previous versions of these certificates, will be identified and advised by relevant DAERA Processing Offices.
EXPORT OF PIG MEAT TO CHINA (EHC 7006 NI): CHANGE TO EHC REQUIREMENTS - 17 June 2024
Exporters of Pig Meat to China, using EHC 7006 NI, should note that Notes for Guidance have been updated in response to a recent issue relating to how names and addresses of approved establishments are entered on the EHC.
Further information can be found on the EHC 7006 NI webpage.
7006 NFG: Part 5 Annex 2 has been amended to provide advice on how establishment names and address should be recorded on EHCs.
In addition, the table within Annex 2 has been updated to show each establishment’s listing in the format to be used.
Relevant exporters are advised to familiarise themselves with this revised guidance and ensure compliance within DECOL applications.
DAERA Trade Programme has also communicated full details to relevant export user groups and certifying office teams.
STAKEHOLDER BULLETIN 01/24 - EXPORT CERTIFICATION OF THIRD COUNTRY EHCS REQUIRING ACTION BY APVPS AND DAERA OFFICIAL VETERINARIAN - 1 MAR 24
Some third countries require that certain official certificates for animal products are certified and issued by an Official Veterinarian employed by DAERA. In these cases, it is necessary to adopt a two-stage approach whereby an authorised Private Veterinary Practitioner (aPVP) carries out an initial product inspection and provides an internal support certificate to facilitate the issue of the final Export Health Certificate (EHC) by a DAERA Official Veterinarian (OV).
Stakeholder Bulletin 01/24 outlines the process of applying and processing such certificates and the responsibilities of Exporter, aPVPs and DAERA Official Veterinarians,
You can read the Bulletin on the DAERA Website.
HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THIS SYSTEM?
When accessing the DAERA Export Certificate System (DECS), exporter users may encounter issues with the functions available.
Examples could range from being unable to upload a document or successfully apply for an EHC to not receiving a confirmation email.
In these instances, exporters are asked to provide full details of the problem (including the system name, screenshots and any error messages) to DAERA at the following email address:
DAERATradeExports@daera-ni.gov.uk
EHC STRIKETHROUGHS AND DECOL (26 January 2023)
EHC strikethroughs are often applied by Certifying Officers to indicate the health or disease status of export consignments.
The competent authority in Brazil (MAPA) recently informed DEFRA that Export Health Certificates with manual strikethroughs will not be accepted.
Exporter Information Notice 01/2023 provides further details and outlines actions exporters should take when making a relevant DECOL application.
The notice is available to read on the DAERA Website.
Crown Gold Paper Removal- Participating Third Countries
Trade Exports Bulletin 06/21 confirmed the commencement of a phased roll-out of new digital security measures (on white paper) for Export Health Certificates for Products of Animal Origin and Live Animals being exported to Third Countries.
For full details of all participating third countries, please view the Crown Gold Paper Removal- Participating Third Countries and other guidance document which can be found at the below link:
NOTE: When a third country adopts/accepts these new security features, any previous white paper easements that were in place due to the Covid emergency will be superseded by the new white paper with security feature arrangements. For information on which third countries still have the previous white paper easements only in place, please view the Third Country EHC Easement Table document which can also be found at the link below.
www.daera-ni.gov.uk/publications/northern-ireland-third-country-exports-information
You can visit this page at any time to get up-to-date information - it is recommended that you save it to your browser favourites as there will be no further updates on a phase by phase basis.
Who can use this service
This service is for people or organisations that export animals and animal products from Northern Ireland that require an Export Health Certificate.
Before you start
Please have your EHC pdf export application form downloaded from DEFRA EHC Form Finder or DAERA Website, completed and ready to upload before you proceed.
You will also need to provide the following information:
- Details about what you are exporting
- Email address
- Supporting documents