Application Process for Export Certificates for Food

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Overview

Export certificates are documents that provide assurance to the destination country/region that the product is safe, wholesome, and meets the requirements of the destination country/region.

SFA issues the following types of export certificates:

Type of certificate	Short description	Cost
Free Sale Certificate (Food)	Certifies that the product complies with Singapore’s food laws and regulations and can be freely sold in Singapore	$17.11 per certificate
Export Health Certificate	Certifies that the product meets the requirements of the destination country/region	$20 per certificate
Export Health Certificate for Re-export of Imported Food Products	Certifies that the produce was imported into Singapore and re-exported without being further processed, repacked, or re-labelled in Singapore	$20 per certificate

Type of certificate

Short description

Cost

Free Sale Certificate (Food)

Certifies that the product complies with Singapore’s food laws and regulations and can be freely sold in Singapore

$17.11 per certificate

Export Health Certificate

Certifies that the product meets the requirements of the destination country/region

$20 per certificate

Export Health Certificate for Re-export of Imported Food Products

Certifies that the produce was imported into Singapore and re-exported without being further processed, repacked, or re-labelled in Singapore

$20 per certificate

Free Sale Certificate (Food)

Contents in this page

What are Free Sale Certificates (Food)?

Free Sale Certificates attest that the imported or locally manufactured food products for export comply with the standards set out in the Sale of Food Act (Food Regulations) and/or the Wholesome Meat & Fish Act for sale and export from Singapore.

Who can apply for Free Sale Certificates (Food)?

Businesses can apply for Free Sale Certificates for their exports including meat, fish, dairy, egg products, and processed food products.

When are Free Sale Certificates (Food) needed?

The destination country/region may require Free Sale Certificates (Food) for the product you are exporting.

You should check with the destination country/region whether this certificate is required, as import requirements vary.

How to apply for Free Sale Certificates (Food)?

Follow the steps below to apply for a Free Sale Certificate for each consignment.

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Step 1: Have your CorpPass or SingPass ready

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.

Step 2: Gather the required documents

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

Documentation	Imported food products	Locally manufactured food products at own establishment	Locally manufactured food products purchased from another establishment
Cargo Clearance Permit (CCP)	✔
Sales Invoice	✔		✔
A copy of SFA licence		✔	✔
Ingredient List		✔	✔

Step 3: Submit your application

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.

Step 4: SFA reviews your application

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

Step 5: Pay and print your Free Sale Certificate

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

Type of document	Fees and charges
Free Sale Certificate	$17.11 per certificate
Certified True Copies	$9.45 per copy

Once you have made the payment, you can retrieve the Free Sale Certificate and print it using a compatible watermark printer.

With effect from 14 April 2025, exporters are required to install the new Digital Document Reader (“DDR”) software to preview the watermarked certificates for printing.

For detailed instructions on installation and usage of DDR, refer to the user guide available below.

Technical support for installation issues or usage queries, please contact:

licences-helpdesk@crimsonlogic.com.sg.

See the following list for more information on printing:

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Step 1: Have your CorpPass or SingPass ready

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.

Step 2: Ensure there is a food monitoring system in place (if applicable)

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.

Step 3: Appoint a Qualified Person (QP)

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.

Step 4: Prepare your declaration form and supporting documents

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).

Step 5: Submit your application

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.

Step 6: SFA reviews your application

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.

Step 7: Pay and print your Export Health Certificate

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

Type of document	Fees and charges
Export Health Certificate	$20 per document
Certified True Copies	$9.45 per copy

For certificates issued in the watermark format, you can retrieve the certificate from the GoBusiness portal and print it using a compatible watermark printer.

With effect from 14 April 2025, exporters are required to install the new Digital Document Reader (“DDR”) software to preview the watermarked certificates for printing.

For detailed instructions on installation and usage of DDR, refer to the user guide available below.

Technical support for installation issues or usage queries, please contact:

licences-helpdesk@crimsonlogic.com.sg.

See the following list for more information on printing:

For export certificates issued in SFA’s letterhead format, the document will be sent to the companies by registered mail

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Step 1: Ensure destination country/region’s acceptance of the certificate

Before applying for the certificate to re-export imported products from Singapore, ensure the destination country/region accepts the certificate and refer to the template for Export Health Certificate (for Re-export of Imported Food Products).

Step 2: Comply with the application criteria

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

To ensure that checks are in place to prevent the risk of contamination and temperature abuse of imported food products, SFA requires imported products to be stored in SFA-licensed food establishments/cold stores (for meat/seafood products) and registered food storage warehouses (for processed food products).

For more information, go to Responsibilities of Food Establishment Operators.

Step 3: Arrange for inspection (if required)

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.

Step 4: Assign responsibilities to designated staff

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

Step 5: Have your CorpPass or SingPass ready

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.

Step 6: Gather the information required

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)

Step 7: Submit your application via the GoBusiness portal

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.

Step 8: SFA reviews your application

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.

Step 9: Pay and print your certificate

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.

Type of document	Fees and charges
Export Health Certificates for Re-export of Imported Food Products	$20 per document
Certified True Copies	$9.45 per copy

With effect from 14 April 2025, exporters are required to install the new Digital Document Reader (“DDR”) software to preview the watermarked certificates for printing.

For detailed instructions on installation and usage of DDR, refer to the user guide available below.

Technical support for installation issues or usage queries, please contact: licences-helpdesk@crimsonlogic.com.sg.

See the following list for more information on printing:

Application Process for Export Certificates for Food

Overview

Singapore Food Agency

Free Sale Certificate (Food)

What are Free Sale Certificates (Food)?

Who can apply for Free Sale Certificates (Food)?

When are Free Sale Certificates (Food) needed?

How to apply for Free Sale Certificates (Food)?

Export Health Certificates

What are Export Health Certificates?

Who can apply for Export Health Certificates?

When are Export Health Certificates needed?

Export Health Certificate (for Re-export of Imported Food Products)

What are Export Health Certificates for Re-export of Imported Food Products?

Who can apply for Export Health Certificates for Re-export of Imported Food Products?

When are Export Health Certificates for Re-export of Imported Food Products needed?

Last Updated 28 July 2026

How to apply for Export Health Certificates?

How to apply for Export Health Certificates for Re-export of Imported Food Products?