01Purpose and legal basis
Animal health / hygiene certificate for animal products under EU Reg 2017/625 and import rules of the destination country.
The document is typically sent alongside the commercial invoice, packing list and, where relevant, origin / preference documents. For cross-border traffic, customs and security authorities require prior electronic data transmission (e.g. ICS2).
02Mandatory contents
Common required fields are shipper, consignee, goods description, value, Incoterm, HS code and country of origin. In document-based payment (L/C), formal discrepancies are the most frequent reason for refusal.
03Issuance and handling
Issuer: Official veterinarian. Most documents are produced electronically in practice (EDI, eAWB, eB/L pilots such as BIMCO and DCSA). For high-value shipments the original still matters, particularly in banking-channel transactions.