Export document
Export health certificate
An export health certificate is issued by the competent authority in the exporting country and travels with the consignment. It attests that the product meets the public health requirements of the destination. For fishery products into the European Union it accompanies the catch certificate rather than replacing it.
The essentials.
- Who issues it
- The competent authority of the exporting country, in Indonesia's case the authority responsible for fishery product safety.1
- What it attests
- That the consignment meets the public health requirements of the destination market.1
- What it rests on
- The HACCP system running at the approved establishment. The certificate is the visible end of that system.1
Who asks for it.
This travels with the goods wherever they go. Either Indonesia requires it on the way out, or it is an ordinary trade document that any buyer, bank and carrier expects to see.
What it does not cover.
It is not a legality document
Public health and legal catch are separate questions with separate paperwork. A health certificate says the fish is safe to eat and says nothing about whether the vessel was entitled to catch it.
It is not a quality certificate
Grade, colour, fat content, glazing and cut are commercial terms. They belong in the contract and in the pre-shipment inspection, not on a health certificate.
Questions buyers ask.
Can it be issued after the container leaves?
It is issued against a specific consignment and the checks behind it happen before departure. Chasing one after the fact is a bad sign about how the shipment was prepared.
Does every market use the same form?
No. The model certificate is set by the destination, so the same consignment prepared for the EU and for Japan is covered by different forms with different attestations on them.
Sources
- 1Entering the European market for fresh tuna. CBI, Netherlands Enterprise Agency. Checked 3 August 2026.
Need this document for a real shipment?
Tell us the product and the destination port. We come back with the full document set for that route, who issues each one, and how long it takes.