Create a UK processing statement
Use this service to create a UK processing statement for fish and shellfish that have been imported or landed directly into the UK for processing, ready for export.
A UK processing statement is required for fish and shellfish that have been processed in the UK and are now ready for export. A processing statement must detail each product and each species within a product, linking them to the relevant catch certificate(s).
A processing statement is not required for any instances of processing that have occurred onboard the UK catching vessel prior to landing. Please see the guidance below for more information.
The processing statement, together with catch certificates, allows you to export fishery products to the EU, Iceland, Ivory Coast, Kuwait, Madagascar, Norway, Thailand, Tunisia and Ukraine. It also allows you to export to any other country if all or part of the product will return to the UK or go to the EU.
Please note: The requirement of a UK Catch Certificate and a UK Processing Statement for domestic processing only applies when fish has been landed and processed in the UK and is being exported or re-exported to the EU.
Exemptions
Some fish and shellfish are excluded from the definition of ‘fishery products’ and do not need a UK processing statement.
Catch from a UK vessel
Consignments of fish that has been caught by a UK vessel and processed in approved establishments in the UK after landing, will require both:
- a UK Catch Certificate for the landed, unprocessed weight being exported, and
- a UK Processing Statement referencing that catch certificate.
Non-UK vessel
Consignments of fish that have not been caught by a UK vessel and processed in approved establishments in the UK will require:
- a non-UK Catch Certificate i.e. issued by the flag state of the vessel, and
- a UK Processing Statement referencing that catch certificate.
If fisheries products were processed outside the UK and then again in the UK, a UK processing statement must be created to account for the processing that occurred within the UK. This UK processing statement will need to accompany the catch certificate and processing statement that came from the country outside the UK where the fish was processed.
Weight on the Processing Statement
The UK Catch Certificate must reflect the unprocessed weight, state, and presentation of the fish being exported that was landed by the vessel. This does not need to be the total landed weight if only part of that landing is being exported.
The accompanying processing statement must reference the relevant catch certificate and include:
- Weight on catch certificate (kg) This should match the quantity shown in Box 3 of the corresponding catch certificate, even if not all the fish referred to in Box 3 has been used in the processing. This will show as ‘Total landed weight (kg)’ on the final document.
- Export weight before processing (kg) This is the actual weight of fish that has been processed. It may be the full or partial amount of the catch certificate weight declared above. This will show as ‘Catch processed (kg)’ on the final document.
- Export weight after processing (kg) This refers to the net weight of fish contained in the final product, excluding any added ingredients such as oil, brine, salt, or vegetables. This will show as ‘Processed fishery product (kg)’ on the final document.
The net weight of the final product including other ingredients is not required in the processing statement application
If you use more than one processing plant for your export, you’ll need a separate processing statement for each plant.
Definition of processing
Processing operations requiring a processing statement include cutting, filleting, canning, smoking, salting, cooking, pickling, drying, or preparing fish for market in any other manner. Fishery products subject only to freezing, washing and/or packing will not require a processing statement.
What you need
To create a processing statement, you’ll need:
- a Government Gateway user ID and password
- the company name and address of the exporter
- to say what is in the consignment (and include the EU tariff commodity codes) uktradeinfo.com/find-commodity-data/
- a health certificate number for the export
- the species, catch certificate number(s) and total weight from each catch being used in the consignment
- the before and after processing weights of the export
- the name, address and plant approval number of the processing plant used (and the name of the person responsible for the consignment)
If you have registered your business for another Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) service, you can register for the Fish Export Service by signing into your service. Go to your ‘manage account’ screen and register on the Fish Export Service by using the ‘register for more services’ button.
Before starting registration, decide who is the responsible person to register your business.
You can use an existing Government Gateway account or create a new one. Each person must have a Government Gateway account that is personal to them. Do not share Gateway accounts.
If you’re the first person to register the business, you automatically become the administrator for that business. You’ll then have permission to invite and remove other team members. Make sure that you allocate at least one other team member to an administrator account role so you can share the account management.
Find out how to register a business for the Fish Export Service.
Updates to this page
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Tuesday 15 April 2025 update.
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Tuesday 15 April 2025 update.
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Video added
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First published.