Certificates of Origin
The Chambers in South Yorkshire are an issuing authority authorised by Her Majesty's Department of Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform under E.C. Regulation 2454/93 for granting and certifying official Certificates of Origin, under the guidance and conditions of the British Chambers of Commerce.
It is a mandatory requirement that all first time users complete a Formal Undertaking in order to use the service. The company must then update this on annual basis and read the Standard Rules to comply with regulations.
European Certificates
Exporters are often asked to supply a Certificate of Origin. There is a variety of reasons for this, for example; to certify the origin of goods, for commercial reasons such as a Letter of Credit, to satisfy overseas Customs procedures or simply because it is a requirement of the importing country's government. You can obtain blank copies by contacting your Chamber.
European Certificates are used for all countries other than those belonging to the Arab League of Countries.
These documents can also be processed using the e-Cert system. e-Cert saves time and money and is available over the internet any time of the day.
Arab Certificates
Arrangements can be made for the Certification and Legalisation of Certificates of Origin for the following Arab League of Countries:
Algeria, Bahrain, Djibouti, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, Yemen
It is essential to present the correct documentation when exporting to an Arab League Country. Errors can be costly and can delay clearance of goods at Customs. Please consult the ‘How to complete' guide for more information.
For advice please contact your local Export Documentation Advisor.
A-cert is the online system of receiving Arab-British Certificates electronically, saving a number of days. Please access a-Cert in the same way as e-Cert.
Legalisation
Documents are sometimes required to be legalised, either through the Arab-British Chamber of Commerce (ABCC) and relevant Embassies or the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. A daily courier service to the ABCC ensures the quickest turnaround. In addition, Chambers can certify and legalise documents for most countries as well as process documents through the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.