Certify wine for export

Requirements for wine exporters to be self-certified or have an EU VI-1 to export wine to the EU or move it to Northern Ireland.

Last updated: 18 February 2022

Export or move wine produced in Great Britain to the EU and Northern Ireland

You must complete a self-certificate before you:

export wine that is produced in Great Britain to the EU
move wine that is produced in Great Britain to Northern Ireland

Your self-certification will confirm your wine complies with EU regulations. You must attach your self-certificate to your consignment of wine when it is exported.

If you’re an authorised trader moving wine to Northern Ireland

Supermarkets and their trusted suppliers moving wine to Northern Ireland do not need official certification. This is part of the Movement Assistance Scheme.

Export or move wine that is not produced in Great Britain or the EU

There are steps you need to follow if you are:

moving wine produced in non-EU countries from Great Britain into Northern Ireland
exporting wine produced in non-EU countries from Great Britain to the EU

You must also follow these steps if you are bottling wine from the EU and exporting it from Great Britain to the EU or moving it into Northern Ireland.

Register with the Food Standards Agency or Food Standards Scotland

All wine exporters must register with the Food Standards Agency (FSA) or Food Standards Scotland (FSS) before exporting.

To register, email the appropriate agency with the subject line ‘VI-1 exporter registration request’.

If you’re in England

Email the Food Standards Agency.

Food Standards Agency
Email: wineexportsregistration@food.gov.uk

If you’re in Scotland

Email the Food Standards Scotland.

Food Standards Scotland
Email: approvals@fss.scot

After you’ve registered

The FSA or FSS will reply within 20 working days. You’ll then receive a Wine Standards Board (WSB) number.

You’ll need to provide your WSB number to the Department of Environment and Rural Affairs (Defra) when you apply for a EU VI-1 pro-forma.

Get a laboratory analysis report

Wine that is produced in the EU and bottled in Great Britain must be tested and have an analysis report. You must provide this report when you apply for your EU VI-1 pro-forma.

You can get a report from:

an approved laboratory in the UK
the EU producer you got the wine from

Apply for an EU VI-1 pro-forma

An EU VI-1 certifies that the wine you plan to export complies with EU regulations by showing shipment details and a technical analysis of the wine.

A pro-forma is issued by Defra and can be used to show EU border control that you comply with EU VI-1 certification regulations.

Apply for an EU VI-1 pro-forma.

When you do not need EU VI-1 certification

You do not need an EU VI-1 if the wine is:

moved from Northern Ireland to Great Britain
imported from the EU to Northern Ireland
produced and bottled in the EU or Northern Ireland and moved outside of the EU or Northern Ireland, then returned to be sold

Exemptions to moving or exporting wine

You do not need EU VI-1 certification if the wine is:

exported in non-commercial consignments from one private individual to another, up to a maximum of 30 litres per consignment
in containers up to 10 litres with a single use stopper – the total shipment must be less than 100 litres (can be in separate consignments)
for trade fairs - the wine must be in labelled containers up to 2 litres with a single use stopper
exported for the purpose of scientific and technical experiments up to a maximum of 100 litres
held in stores on board ships and aeroplanes operating in international transport
being traded for diplomatic purposes in accordance with the Vienna Convention or the New York Convention

Personal use and travel allowances

You do not need an EU VI-1 if the wine is:

your personal property and you’re moving to the EU or Northern Ireland
in your personal luggage, up to a maximum of 30 litres

If your country has a trade agreement with the EU

Some countries that have trade agreements with the EU are granted simplified VI-1 arrangements which might mean a full analysis of the wine is not required or that a producer can certify the VI-1 certificate.

This applies to wines imported to the EU and Northern Ireland from countries including Australia, Chile and the USA.