Application Process for Export Certificates for Food

You will need your SingPass or CorpPass to log into the GoBusiness portal to apply for a certificate.

If you do not have a SingPass account, register for one on the SingPass website. 

If you do not have a CorpPass account, refer to the CorpPass Guide for setup instructions.

The documents required for the application depend on whether the food product is locally manufactured or imported, as detailed in the table below.

Log into the GoBusiness portal and submit your application for a Free Sale Certificate. Ensure your application is complete and in order.

Applications are considered complete and in order when:

• required information such as the product description, quantity, ingredient list, and unit packing are provided

• supporting documents, such as import permits and sales invoices are attached

Please refer to the user guide below for information on the steps for application of export certificates. 

• New application user guide
• Common modules user guide

Complete applications will be reviewed by SFA within 3 working days. Applicants will be notified of the application outcome via the GoBusiness portal.

Fees for the certificate and true copies will be automatically deducted from your bank account via GIRO.

You will need your SingPass or CorpPass to log into the GoBusiness portal to apply for a certificate.

If you do not have a SingPass account, register for one on the SingPass website. 

If you do not have a CorpPass account, refer to the CorpPass Guide for setup instructions.

To obtain Export Health Certificates for meat, seafood, dairy, and processed food products, the SFA-licensed establishments must ensure that the following requirements are met:

• A monitoring system is in place to confirm that the requirements of importing countries/regions are met.
• Sampling and testing procedures are established and maintained, including chain of custody of samples meant for testing.
• A traceability and recall plan is in place in the event of rejected consignments.

SFA will conduct audit checks on the establishment’s food safety monitoring systems, facilities, and sanitation conditions.

All establishments applying for Export Health Certificates are required to appoint a Qualified Person (QP) who must fulfil all the following criteria:

• The QP must be a full-time employed staff member of the company.
• The QP must have passed WSQ Food Safety Course (FSC) Level 3.
• The QP must have attended SFA’s training on export processes (e.g. sampling and chain of custody of samples, and checking of import requirements). You can contact SFA for details on this training.

Responsibilities of QP

The QP is responsible for the following:

• examining processes and products related to the export consignments to ensure that products are manufactured, labelled, and stored in accordance with the destination country/region’s requirements
• establishing and maintaining procedures for the sampling plan, sampling procedures, and product safety monitoring of different products for export to different countries/regions
• establishing and maintaining procedures on the chain of custody of samples, commencing from sampling from the exporter’s establishment to SFA’s recognised laboratories for testing
• declaring compliance with the requirements of the destination countries/regions for each export consignment that requires export certification from SFA
• managing the sampling process, collecting samples, and arranging for the samples to be sent to SFA’s recognised laboratories for testing when testing is required by the destination country/region

Duties of QP for each consignment of goods

Before applying for an Export Health Certificate, the QP must ensure the following:

• The establishment which manufactures, processes, or packs the food consignments is licensed by SFA. For more information on licensing of food establishments, see Businesses that need Licence/Registration for Food Manufacturing & Storage.
• The food consignments comply with the Meat and Fish Act, the Sale of Food Act (Cap 283), and the Food Regulations. 
• The establishment and the food consignments comply with the standards and regulations of the intended destination country/region.

Before applying, your QP should do the following:

• Fill in the declaration form stating that the product meets the importing country/region’s requirements.
• Gather the required supporting documents (e.g. health certificates of the raw materials used in the production, process flow chart and photos of consignment).

Log into the GoBusiness portal and submit your application along with the declaration form and supporting documents.

A new option "Export of food products (Veterinarian) [EXPORTVET]" is now available under "Health Certificate Type" when applying for Export Health Certificate via GoBusiness. Choose this option if your certificate requires veterinarian endorsement. You may refer to the published circular for more information.

Please refer to the user guide below for information on the steps for application of export certificates. 

• New application user guide
• Common modules user guide

SFA takes 3 working days to process applications for consignments that fully comply with the destination country/region’s requirements. Applicants will be notified of the application outcome via the GoBusiness portal.

Fees for the certificate and true copies will be automatically deducted from your bank account via GIRO.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 


You must ensure:

• imported food products have been issued with an SFA import permit
• imported food products are accompanied by official documentation issued by Competent Authorities of the country/region of origin, to ensure the safety and traceability of the imported food consignment to its foreign producer/ processor
• the original packaging and labelling of the imported food products remains intact/unchanged
• the imported food products are stored in SFA-licensed food establishments/cold stores (for meat/seafood products) or registered food storage warehouses (for processed food products), and checks are in place to prevent the risk of contamination and temperature abuse of the imported food products
• a monitoring system is in place to ensure compliance with import requirements of the country/region of destination
• a traceability system is in place to ensure identification of goods with their official documentation and for inventory monitoring, as well as a recall plan for response in the event of export incidents/rejections

Your products will need to undergo SFA’s inspection if you are:

• a first-time exporter
• exporting a new product
• exporting to a new country/region

Please contact SFA to arrange for an inspection least 1 week before the departure date of the intended consignment of imported food products.

Appoint a designated staff member to be the point of contact with SFA to:

• ensure imported food products are labelled and stored according to the requirements of the destination country/region
• establish and maintain procedures for product safety monitoring for products to be exported
• confirm that the re-export health certificate format is acceptable to the Competent Authority of the destination country/region
• declare compliance with the destination country/region for each consignment that requires export certification from SFA

You will need your SingPass or CorpPass to log into the GoBusiness portal to apply for a certificate.

If you do not have a SingPass account, register for one on the SingPass website. 

If you do not have a CorpPass account, refer to the CorpPass Guide for setup instructions.

Before applying, applicants should:

• Fill in the declaration form stating that the product meets the importing country/region’s requirements.
• Gather the required supporting documents such as:
  • documents showing that the re-export template is accepted by the country/region of destination for customs clearance
  • storage location of the imported products
  • documents showing that the quantity of export is less than or equal to the quantity imported into Singapore
  • photos of the consignment (with legible information e.g. production and expiry dates)

Log into the GoBusiness portal and submit your application by selecting ‘Export Health Certificate’. Choose ‘Re-export of Imported Food Products’.

Fill in the required information and attach the supporting documents you gathered in Step 6.

Please refer to the user guide below for information on the steps for application of export certificates. 

• New application user guide
• Common modules user guide

SFA will issue the Export Health Certificate within 3 working days if the submitted documents are in order and comply with the requirements of the destination country/region.

Fees for the certificate and true copies will be automatically deducted from your bank account via GIRO. The export certificate will be sent by registered mail if you do not have a compatible watermark printer.