1. All official Export Health Certificates (EHCs) and any accompanying schedules must bear the personal official stamp of the certifying OV.
2. APHA issue OVs on appointment with a personal OV stamp bearing the words 'Official Veterinarian United Kingdom' and their personal SP number, as illustrated below. When Veterinary Officers sign an export certificate in their capacity as an OV, they should also use their personal 'Official Veterinarian' stamp, to achieve consistency with the title and stamps used by OVs.
3. Stamp certificates using ink of a colour other than black.
4. Do not use the OV stamp on certificates or documents other than official Defra export health certificates.
5. You must only use your own personal OV stamp.
1. Any additional documents associated with a certificate e.g. schedules or supplementary certificates, must be stapled and 'fan stamped' together with the EHC to make a tamper proof composite document.
2. The pages of the certificate and associated documents must be 'fanned' to overlap each page by approximately 2cm at the foot and the overlying edges stamped several times with the OV stamp in a colour other than black to authenticate each page.
3. Alternatively, the bottom right hand corners of the pages can be folded over progressively to create overlapping edges which are then stamped. The top left hand corner of the documents must be folded down, then stapled and the OV stamp applied over the join.