Guide

Documents for food shipments from Türkiye: what the buyer should receive

Lotvela · Gaziantep · Checked 26 October 2026

A buyer of food from Türkiye should receive a commercial invoice, a packing list and a transport document: a bill of lading by sea, a CMR consignment note by road. On top of these come the origin, health and laboratory documents the destination requires. For the EU, that means a EUR.1 or an A.TR depending on the product, and, for dried figs and pistachios, an official certificate with laboratory results.

Customs and certificate rules change, so confirm the list with your customs broker and the producer before each shipment. For the wider sourcing process, see sourcing food from Türkiye.

Commercial and transport documents

Commercial invoice. Issued by the exporter, usually the producer. It states the goods, quantities, prices and terms. Saudi Arabia, for example, expects it to show quantities, expiry dates and batch numbers.
Packing list. Also the exporter's document. It should match the invoice line by line: packages, net and gross weights, lot numbers.
Bill of lading. Issued by the shipping line or its agent once the goods are loaded. Saudi clearance, for one, requires a copy.
CMR consignment note. Used for road freight under the CMR Convention. It is made out in three originals and signed by the sender and the carrier.

Origin documents

Certificate of origin. Proves non-preferential origin. Chambers of commerce and industry in the TOBB network sell and approve it, through the MEDOS electronic system. Türkiye does not require it for export. Ask for it when your customs, bank or letter of credit does.
A.TR movement certificate. Under the EU–Türkiye customs union it covers industrial products and processed agricultural products in free circulation. It shows customs status, not origin. The exporter or its customs broker prepares it, an authorised chamber approves it and Turkish customs endorses it.
EUR.1 or origin declaration. Agricultural products listed in Annex I to the Treaty on the Functioning of the EU fall outside the customs union, under a separate preferential regime (Decision No 1/98). Origin is proved with a EUR.1 (prepared by the exporter, checked by a chamber, endorsed by Turkish customs) or an origin declaration by the exporter on the invoice or another commercial document.

The HS code decides. Edible fruit and nuts (chapter 8) and their preparations (chapter 20) are on the Annex I list, so dried figs, hazelnuts, pistachios, roasted nuts and pistachio paste need a EUR.1 or origin declaration, not an A.TR. Chocolate, biscuits and sugar confectionery are not on that list and travel on an A.TR.

From 2026, Türkiye applies the revised pan-Euro-Mediterranean origin rules with the EU for agricultural products and with the EFTA states. Both use the same two proofs.

The UK–Türkiye agreement uses neither A.TR nor EUR.1. The exporter makes a declaration on origin on the invoice or another commercial document, but not on the bill of lading. It is valid for 24 months for imports into the UK.

Health and plant health certificates

The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry issues health certificates for exports of plant-origin food through its provincial directorates. Ask the producer which certificate your market needs and who will apply for it.

A phytosanitary certificate is issued by the Ministry's plant health service after an official inspection. The goods must leave within 14 days of issue, or they are inspected again. It is needed only where the importing country requires one. In the EU, Part A of Annex XI to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/2072 lists those goods; Saudi Arabia asks for one for grains, agricultural crops and fresh fruit and vegetables.

Laboratory results and EU increased controls

Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/1793 sets extra EU border checks for listed foods from listed countries. Annex I raises the frequency of checks. Annex II adds special conditions: each consignment must carry

an official certificate from the exporting country's competent authority, issued before the goods leave its control;
the results of sampling and analysis, from a laboratory accredited to ISO/IEC 17025.

Both carry the consignment's identification code, which also goes on each bag or package. The certificate is valid for up to four months from issue, and no longer than six months from the date of the laboratory results.

Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/1206 replaced the annexes from 30 June 2026. The status for Türkiye is:

Dried figs, including fig paste, mixtures and fig flour: Annex II for aflatoxins and ochratoxin A, with 30% identity and physical checks.
Pistachios, in shell, shelled and prepared: Annex II for aflatoxins, with 50% checks. See our Antep pistachio guide.
Hazelnuts: not listed in Annex I or II. EU maximum levels for aflatoxins still apply, so ask for recent results as a contract term.

In Türkiye, the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry's control officers take the samples, a laboratory on the Ministry's accredited list analyses them, and an authorised provincial directorate issues the certificate.

Destination requirements

EU. For goods under increased controls, the importer or its agent pre-notifies each consignment by completing Part I of a CHED-D in TRACES. Customs release the goods only against a finalised CHED.
UK. High-risk food not of animal origin must be pre-notified on IPAFFS and enter through a border control post designated for it. In England, dried figs and pistachios from Türkiye are in Annex II of the assimilated Regulation 2019/1793, so they also need an official certificate and laboratory results. The GB list differs from the EU list.
US. FDA Prior Notice must be submitted and confirmed before arrival: at least eight hours ahead by sea and four by air. Facilities that make, pack or hold the food must be registered with FDA and renew every other year. A foreign facility must name a US agent.
Gulf. Saudi Arabia's food authority (SFDA) asks for a certificate of origin, commercial invoice and bill of lading, submitted through the Fasah platform. It also asks for health, phytosanitary and halal certificates where its conditions require them. Check other Gulf states with your broker.

Halal certificates

A halal certificate comes from a halal certification body, not a ministry. In Türkiye, the Halal Accreditation Agency (HAK) accredits these bodies; it does not issue certificates itself. Saudi Arabia asks for one where its product conditions require it, and whenever the label carries a halal logo. Check that your market accepts the certifying body before the producer books an audit.

Who issues what, and when

Document	Issued by	When	Needed for
Commercial invoice	Exporter	At shipment	Customs at both ends; payment
Packing list	Exporter	At loading	Customs checks; receiving
Bill of lading	Shipping line or its agent	After loading	Sea freight; customs clearance
CMR consignment note	Sender and road carrier	At loading	Road freight
Certificate of origin	Chamber of commerce or industry (TOBB network)	Before export	Non-preferential origin, when requested
A.TR	Exporter or broker; chamber approves, Turkish customs endorses	At export	EU: industrial and processed agricultural goods
EUR.1 or origin declaration	EUR.1: chamber checks, Turkish customs endorses. Declaration: exporter	At export	EU agricultural products; EFTA
Declaration on origin (UK)	Exporter	On the invoice	UK preferential tariff
Health certificate	Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, provincial directorate	Before shipment	Where the destination requires it
Laboratory results	Accredited laboratory; samples taken by Ministry officers	Before the official certificate	EU and England Annex II goods
Official certificate (EU model)	Authorised provincial directorate of the Ministry	Before goods leave Turkish control	EU Annex II goods
Phytosanitary certificate	Ministry plant health service	After inspection; ship within 14 days	Where plant health rules require it
Halal certificate	Halal certification body	Before shipment	Markets or labels that require it
CHED-D	EU importer or agent, in TRACES	Before arrival	EU goods under increased controls
IPAFFS pre-notification	UK importer or agent	Before arrival	GB high-risk food
FDA Prior Notice	Importer or broker	Before arrival	Food imported into the US
FDA facility registration	Producing facility, with a US agent	Before shipping; renewed every other year	US

Sending a brief to Lotvela

Lotvela is a sourcing intermediary in Gaziantep. Send a brief naming your product, market and the documents it needs. Lotvela approaches producers that fit, checks product fit, a free production window, export record and documents, and sends a dated shortlist with every claim marked confirmed or not confirmed. It is free for buyers; the producer invoices, exports and provides the documents, and money never passes through Lotvela.