To approve requests for permit (RFPs) under the Export Control Act and associated Rules, you must be registered as an automated export permit issuer (AEPI) with the Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment.
This applies to exporters of:
When approved, an AEPI is provided with an automated export permit issuer number (AQA), which is used as an individual identifier when authorising an export permit.
Export permits are:
- generated by our Export Documentation System (EXDOC)
- required for any products prescribed under legislation that are exported from Australia.
If you or your company does not have and does not wish to register as an AEPI you will need to email to the documentation team in your regional office for authorisation of your export permit.
Apply for automated export permit issuer status
To be eligible for approval as an AEPI you must either be:
- an exporter who is registered as an EDI user
- linked to a registered EDI user, by being employed or engaged by:
- the occupier of a registered export establishment and is to be designated in the company’s approved arrangement as an AEPI (upon approval)
- an exporter.
You do not need to be in management and control of the establishment. You will need to be listed in the company’s approved arrangement as an AEPI.
To become an AEPI you must:
- Complete the export permit issuers declaration of understanding
- Submit your own export eligibility checklist which has been customised for your business needs (an example checklist has been provided at the end of the Export permit issuers declaration of understanding.)
- Sign and submit all documents to the Dairy, Eggs and Fish Export program by email: dairyeggsfish@awe.gov.au
As part of the approval and ongoing verification of your application, the department will review your/the company’s supporting procedures and documents to ensure accuracy and ongoing compliance.
Once approved, your export permit issuer ID will be provided to you and you will be ready to review and approve requests for permit.
Declaration of understanding
The declaration of understanding confirms that you understand:
- requirements for export
- importing country requirements
- export eligibility criteria
- your company’s documented system which must outline:
- how to ensure export eligibility
- how to raise export documentation
- use of ID numbers provided to individual staff members
- what to do if an AEPI is unavailable
- forms
- records
- checklists.
Assessing requests for permit
As an automated export permit issuer, you can assess and approve most requests for permit, unless the request involves:
- products being exported to European Union member states
- products on the department’s list of prohibited exports.
Under these conditions, export permits can be raised by clients but can only be authorised by us.
Confirm product eligibility
It is your legal responsibility to ensure you are aware of and meet all requirements for your product to be eligible for export.
At a minimum you must ensure you have documented evidence to support that:
- Declarations of compliance have been received for all products being exported.
- Applicable product test results (including National Association of Testing Authorities (NATA) results, where required) have been reviewed and confirmed as meeting export, importing country and company release criteria.
- All specific importing country requirements have been identified and confirmed as being met.
- The product has remained within the approved export chain (for example from ingredients receipt, to production, to storage and then loaded for export).
- The export permit has been issued before the goods are being shipped from Australia.
- The product description and batch details in the export permit application matches the:
- trade description applied to the goods being exported
- information in the laboratory test results (NATA approved laboratory if required)
- information in the declarations of compliance and transfer documentation
- container and seal number applied to the shipment.
- Where applicable, all arrangements for maintaining and monitoring cold chain requirements (including up to final destination) have been put in place.
This list is not comprehensive. There may be more requirements for you to meet depending on the importing country and the product you are exporting.
If you find you cannot confirm that a product is eligible for export you should email the Dairy, eggs and fish export program for further guidance.
Make a declaration of eligibility
When you submit your export eligibility checklist, it will be assessed to make sure you have included all of the minimum export requirements for your company’s products. The export checklist must be used (as well as any importing country requirements) to verify the product on the export documentation is export eligible.
An example checklist has been provided at the end of the Export permit issuer declaration of understanding.
When you sign an export permit you are declaring:
- the product listed meets all export legislation, any applicable importing country requirements and all conditions or restrictions in your approved arrangement; and
- all of the information you have provided is true and correct.
A false declaration could result in significant penalties including financial and possible imprisonment.
Request a health certificate
If you require a health certificate for your product to gain entry into the overseas market then you will need to send the Request for Permit to the documentation team in your regional office to generate a health certificate. If you have a remote print agreement, then for many countries these certificates can be printed in your office.
Fees and charges
There is a fee for service charged for the time it takes us to review and approve your:
- Export permit issuers declaration of understanding
- Export eligibility checklist.
For more information about fees and charges, please see our charging guidelines.
Requesting permit authorisation
Exporters who are not registered as an approved export permit issuer and do not want to register can request authorisation of their permit application through our regional documentation teams.
Send your request to foodexports@agriculture.gov.au.
Please ensure your email subject title contains the following information:
- Transport type (Air / Sea)
- Request type (Authorisation / Amendment /Collection)
- Date of departure
- Request for Permit (RFP) number
- Commodity (Dairy / Fish / Eggs)
- Destination country
- Exporter name
- Location (department office for collection if required)
Failure to use these subject title methods may delay the email being actioned.