Using TRACES NT
Information, support and resources for businesses exporting from GB to NI, Switzerland, EU or EEA countries
On this page
On this page
TRACES Certificate of Inspection (COI) Requirements
All exports to the EU, EEA and Switzerland, and some exports to Northern Ireland must be issued with a Certificate of Inspection (COI) issued by the exporters' certification body prior to the consignment leaving GB.
These are issued on the EU digital platform TRACES NT.
To issue a TRACES COI the product must have been produced or processed in GB, (re-packing or re-labelling are not considered processed).
You must ensure that you have a licensed organic importer in the EU/EEA/NI and an organic licensed 1st consignee. They will both be detailed on the COI.
If you do not have the COI endorsed by your certification body before your consignment leaves GB, your organic goods may lose status in the EU/EEA/NI, or will have to be returned to GB.
Registering consignments on TRACES NT Portal
To use the TRACES NT portal you must first register. Please see our step by step guide on how to register on TRACES NT. If you are in the process of applying for certification, you can set up your TRACES account alongside this.
Creating a Certificate of inspection (COI)
A COI needs to be created on the TRACES NT portal for each consignment.
Follow our step by step guidance on how to create a COI and requirements for endorsement.
Once complete, our COI team will be able to view and endorse, provided all the information is correct and the products you are wanting to export are listed on your trading schedule.
EU guidance for TRACES NT
The EU have some additional guidance
Cost for issuing COIs
To cover the administration costs of endorsing export certificates, there will be a charge per certificate. You will need to pre-purchase credits via our payment portal prior to submitting your COI via the TRACES NT portal. If you don't, our team will not be able to complete the endorsement process.
Customs ID
All businesses trading with the EU who are VAT registered will be enrolled into the Economic Operator Registration and Identification (EORI) by HMRC. If you are not VAT registered, you will need to register for an EORI number.