Export or move food, drink and agricultural products

This guidance applies to businesses in Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales) exporting or moving food, drink and agricultural products to, or through:

The Northern Ireland Retail Movement Scheme (NIRMS) allows traders to move eligible goods from Great Britain to Northern Ireland under ‘green lane’ customs arrangements. Find out more about NIRMS.   

You need an export health certificate (EHC) or other certificate to export or move:

POAO means animal products for human consumption such as:

Some countries require another type of export certificate for certain products.

If your product was made in Great Britain, check with the food safety team in the local authority where your product was manufactured.

You can check each country’s rules by talking to your importer or getting help researching your export market.

You need an EHC to export or move most processed food or drink products that contain POAO to:

You do not usually need an EHC if your processed food or drink product does not contain POAO.

Examples of processed foods containing POAO include: 

You may also need a certificate of free sale to export processed food or drink to non-EU countries. The food authority in the country you’re exporting to will tell you if you need one.

If you export soft drinks with added sugar, you may need to register for the Soft Drinks Industry Levy. If you pay the levy on the drinks you export, you may be able to claim a levy credit.

Export or move food or drink that contains POAO to the EU or Northern Ireland

You need an EHC for food or drink that contains POAO to: