Producer help
The free sale document
Your country result will tell you if you need this document. It is for Zone 2 (Annex XVII) and Zone 3 (Annex XVIII) entries.
If your country result said that no health certificate is needed, this page does not apply to your entry.
Start early once your route is confirmed
You obtain this from the authority in your cheese's country of origin. World Cheese Awards cannot issue it, and the process can take time.
What you need
Choose either of the accepted options below.
- A recognised Certificate of Free Sale from your country
- A signed and stamped declaration from the competent authority in your country confirming that your cheese is freely marketed
Which authority issues this varies from country to country. The steps below show how to find yours and what to ask.
This is separate from the health certificate. Your veterinarian may work for the same authority, but the two documents do different jobs.
The note published by Spain's Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (MAPA) does not provide a template. Follow the format and application process used by the authority in your country. Whatever its format, the document must name your registered company exactly as you enter it on the form: a different spelling or a brand name can be refused at the border.
See the Spanish Ministry's exact wording and source
Spain's Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (MAPA) publishes this requirement:
… each sample or consignment of samples shall be accompanied by a certificate of free sale or a declaration from the competent authority of the country of origin indicating that it is freely marketed in the country of origin.What to do
- Contact the authority responsible for food exports, or the authority that oversees your dairy.
- Send the request below and ask which of the two accepted documents it issues.
- Follow that authority's application process. Do not create or sign the declaration yourself.
- The original final document issued by the authority must travel with the cheese, together with the rest of the required paperwork.
Place the original documents required for your shipment in an envelope securely attached to the outside of the box, so they can be checked without opening it. Keep your My Guild delivery label clearly visible.
Optional spare set
If possible, put a second set of original documents in the same envelope. Your consolidation point can keep the spare set separately as a backup.
A request to send to your authority
This is a producer enquiry, not an official declaration or certificate template.
Dear Sir or Madam, Company: [registered company name] Registered address: [address] Registration or approval number, if any: [number] Contact: [name, email, telephone] Document needed by: [date] I am a cheese producer preparing to send samples to Spain for the World Cheese Awards 2026 (Córdoba, 12 to 15 November 2026). The samples are for judging only and have no commercial value. Spain's Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food requires that each consignment of samples is accompanied by ONE of the following: a recognised Certificate of Free Sale, or a declaration from the competent authority of the country of origin confirming that the cheese is freely marketed in the country of origin. Could you please tell me which of these two documents your office issues for cheese, how I apply and what information you need from me, and how long issuance usually takes, including any fee. The document must be signed and stamped by your office, as the original will travel with the samples. I will need the document in good time before my cheese delivery deadline. Thank you for your help.
Still stuck?
Write to worldcheese@gff.co.uk and we will help you identify where to start.