2. OVs must refer to the specific Notes for Guidance that accompany each export health certificate for guidance.

3. Upon receipt of the Official Veterinarian Claim Form for Supervision of Meat/Meat Products/Game Meat for Export to the United States of America (ET90), the Finance Team and Business Support Team must:

• process the payment through the OV claims system
• invoice the exporter to cost recover the amount paid to the OV.

Guidance for Export Health Certificates (EHCs) of Products of Animal Origin (POAO) to the USA that require an original certificate certified by an APHA Veterinarian

1. Consignments of Products of Animal Origin (POAO) exported to the USA must be accompanied by an original Export Health Certificate (EHC), certified by a full-time salaried APHA Veterinarian based on supporting documentation provided by the exporter and a pre-certificate signed by an OV. Pre-certificates and associated documentation must be completed fully and accurately, following the Notes for Guidance (NFG) and, if applicable, the requirements of an import permit.

2. Before submitting any application to APHA, Exporters and OVs are strongly advised to check:

• Quick Reference Guide for Exporters and Certifiers for EHCs signed by an APHA Veterinarian (ET248)
• Official Veterinarian - USA Certificates Checklist (ET249).

Support Health Attestation Templates

1. Template Support Health Attestation (SHA) documents are available for use by veterinarians to support the export of animal products to other countries.

2. These are not official documents or export certificates.

3. The use of these documents is not compulsory for products to move between establishments in Great Britain.

4. Slaughterhouse SHAs are designed to be certified by veterinarians in slaughterhouses to support the export certification of products to the EU and to support movement of products to Northern Ireland:

• Slaughterhouse Veterinary Support Health Attestation for the Movement within Great Britain of Domestic Bovine Meat Intended for Export to the EU SPS area (ET218)
• Slaughterhouse Veterinary Support Health Attestation for the Movement within Great Britain of Domestic Ovine and Caprine Meat Intended for Export to the EU SPS area (ET219)
• Slaughterhouse Veterinary Support Health Attestation for the Movement within Great Britain of Domestic Porcine Meat intended for export to the EU SPS area (ET220)
• Slaughterhouse Veterinary Support Health Attestation for the Movement within Great Britain of Poultry Meat Intended for Export to the EU SPS area (ET221)
• Slaughterhouse Veterinary Support Health Attestation for the Movement within Great Britain of Domestic Bovine Meat and Animal By-Products Intended for Export to the EU SPS area (ET241)

5. A generic Support Health Attestation (SHA) Document and Guidance Template (ET199) is also available. This is designed to be modified as needed to provide supporting evidence for non-EU exports, or for EU exports where the slaughterhouse SHAs above are not applicable.

6. These SHAs are designed to be issued by a registered veterinarian (Member or Fellow of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (MRCVS/FRCVS)) who must have relevant, knowledge of, and familiarity with, the processes carried out in the establishment from which it is issued, or be in possession of veterinary declarations attesting to the facts required in order to sign the attestation.

7. Additional guidance for veterinarians when relying on information attested by someone else for the purpose of export certification is available on the:

• APHA Vet Gateway Exports Professional Conduct page and
• RCVS website.

Establishment Veterinary Visitation Attestation Template

1. Animal Health Regulations require the establishment of origin of the kept animals, or the establishment of origin of the kept animals from which the germinal products or products of animal origin were obtained.

2. The establishment must receive regular animal health visits from a veterinarian for the purpose of the detection of, and information on, signs indicative of the occurrence of diseases, including those listed diseases referred to in Annex I relevant for the particular species and category of animal, germinal product or product of animal origin and emerging diseases.

3. Such animal health visits are expected to take place at frequencies that are proportionate to the risks posed by the establishment concerned.

4. A template has been provided for Establishment Veterinary Visitation Attestation (ET242) for use by veterinarians. The attestation is not an official document. The use of the template is not compulsory.