Summary of 31 Jan SPS BTOM common errors   

General Errors

Common Error: Low risk consignments with no accompanying commercial documents  

Guidance: Low BTOM risk category consignments must come with relevant commercial documents from the supplier. 

You do not need to provide a health certificate. 

Low risk consignments will not be subject to routine documentary, identity and physical checks. However, from 30 April 2024 checks may still be undertaken where intelligence indicates a specific risk. 

Guidance on what a commercial document accompanying a low risk should contain is available here for animal products for human consumption.  

Common Error: Composites being incorrectly categorised 

Guidance: Goods are being incorrectly identified as composite products, and therefore classified as low risk when this is not the case. Ensure your exporter has confirmed that product is a composite following the process set out here.  

Common Error: Multiple health certificates attached to a single pre-notification.

Guidance: Generally, each health certificate should be attached to a single import notification. This means a mixed load containing multiple medium risk goods should have multiple import notifications.  

‘Compound’ products (a single product containing medium risk POAO which does not meet the definition of a composite) would be treated differently. Further guidance on ‘compound’ products is forthcoming.  

Import notification Errors  

Common Error: EU address being provided for the operator responsible for the consignment instead of a UK address.  

Guidance: The operator responsible for the consignment is the person responsible for completing and submitting the CHED in IPAFFS, they may be the importer or a person acting on the importer’s behalf. Importers and EU/EFTA-based producers and exporters, who are responsible for the end to end import process, for example Delivery Duty Paid, must establish a registered UK business premises or office or appoint a representative who is based in the UK, such as a customs clearing agent, if they do not have a physical presence in the UK.

Common Error: Not completing the establishment field in the CHED 

Guidance: The establishment of origin should be included the import notification.

Common Error: IUU documents are being uploaded to IPAFFS when they should be notifying the entry BCP directly.  

Guidance: As per the Gov.uk  guidance it currently remains a requirement to send IUU notifications direct to PHAs. 

From April 30th the process will change, and the importer should attach the IUU notification to the IPAFFs notification. Importing or moving fish to Great Britain from 30 April 2024 

To import or move fish to Great Britain from 30 April, you will need to: 

• continue to follow existing import requirements 
• upload your IUU documents (if applicable) to IPAFFS (instead of providing them to the port health authority) 
• input required information from your IUU documents into IPAFFS 
• ensure your goods enter Great Britain through a point of entry with a border control post (BCP) that is designated to check your commodity 

If a port health authority identifies a problem with your documentation, they will be able to carry out physical checks for both IUU and SPS purposes. This will apply for all consignments, including those in the low risk category. 

Export Health Certificate Errors  

Common Error: Attestation incorrectly deleted 

Guidance: Check attestations are completed in accordance with the model certificate 'notes for completion' and all non-applicable attestations are correctly deleted or omitted from the certificate.  

Deletions carried out by hand must be initialled and stamped. 

If completed electronically as a verifiable PDF the signature and stamp per page is sufficient. 

Common Error: Incorrect model certificate provided  

Guidance: Competent authorities in EU countries must provide a health certificate to exporters of animals and animal products to Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales), the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man. 

The model health certificates cover all of the import requirements for animals and animal products in Great Britain, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man. 

You must not directly copy the model health certificates provided on GOV.UK. Competent authorities should create their own official documents for use by exporters. These should include all the information from the model certificates. Certain consignments have been imported using certificates bearing the ‘model certificate only’ watermark that have been downloaded from Gov.uk. 

If your product is medium risk and no EHC is provided for it on Gov.uk, you may need an import license or authorisation. More detail is available on Gov.uk 

If your product is medium risk and an EHC is provided for it on Gov.uk but you are unable to obtain an EHC from an EU competent authority, you should contact imports@APHA.gov.uk  

Common Error: Signature errors   

Guidance: If a paper certificate is used it must bear the signature and stamp of the certifying officer.  

Verifiable PDF certificates must bear a valid digital signature.  

Common Error: Pages not numbered or numbered incorrectly 

Guidance: All pages of the certificate must be sequentially numbered.  

Common Error: No regionalisation code provided  

Guidance: If a product is subject to regionalisation measures, you must include the correct regionalisation code as selected from the list on Gov.uk 

Kind regards,

Trader Engagement & Readiness Team
Biosecurity, Borders and Trade Programme
Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs

*Defra Personal Information Charter: here