Food export health certificate
Export Health Certificates – DEFRA/APHA
Businesses wishing to export their food products may need to obtain an Export Health Certificate (EHC).
West Oxfordshire District Council has appointed staff within the Food/Health and Safety team to act as Food Competent Certifying Officers who are able to certify the EHC enabling local businesses to export their food products across the world.
The business must be registered with the local authority. With respect to products of animal origin the business may need approval before exporting.
West Oxfordshire District Council can issue EHCs for:
- Fish
- Fishery products
- Live bivalve molluscs
- Honey
- Products not of animal origin (high risk)
- Composite products containing fish or egg products
An authorised vet will be able to certify and issue EHCs for:
- Livestock
- Meat
- Dairy
A list of certifiers can be found on the government website: Professionals who can certify export health certificates
To apply for an EHC you must use EHC Online. You will need to create a Government Gateway account and a Defra account if you do not already have one
To enable the certificate to be signed and certified by an authorised officer from the council, a payment of £135 is required.
To pay please ring Customer Services Tel: 01993 861000 and give them the following:
Cost Code:REG016
Product Code: R9308B01-005 – Food Export Certificates
You will be given a receipt number.
Local Authority Health Certificate
Local Authority Export Health Certificates are sometimes required by the government of the importing country. They are often requested by the import agent or the importer.
Application are made direct to the council with a payment of £70 (including first hour of officer time). Officer hourly rate after first hour is £49.
Please complete the following form and organise payment:
Request a Food Export Certificate 2024 to 2025 Form - Word - docx - 114 Kb
Request a Food Export Certificate 2024 to 2025 Form - PDF - pdf - 68 Kb
Return the form by email to ers.foodsafety@publicagroup.uk or post it to Public Protection, West Oxfordshire District Council, Woodgreen, Witney, OX28 1NB
It is your responsibility to get the required wording for the certificate which can vary between countries. You may need to contact the country's embassy if your customer cannot supply this information.
Information about issuing food health certificate
- We will always try and add the wording on your form, but we cannot say that we guarantee the safety of any individual consignment of food. Wording will normally state that your foodstuffs are produced and stored in premises subject to our jurisdiction as a food authority and have passed the inspection programme
- We reserve the right to not issue certificate if we are dissatisfied with hygiene standards and practices on your premises
- We cannot certify an individual manufacturing process.
- If you have not received a food hygiene inspection within the required due date (according to our database) then we will need to come and inspect before we can issue a certificate. We make every effort to inspect by the due date.
- The application and consultation process will generally take up to five working days. You will receive your certificate through the post unless you ask to collect it from the council.
- If you have any difficulties with the documentary requirements of importing countries, visit and contact the Food Standards Agency website