Duration of proofs of origin

The duration of a proof of origin depends on the issuing country.

Certificates on origin are valid for 4 to 12 months depending on the issuing country. Find detailed information on the duration of your proof of origin on the country page by following this link:

Duration of proof of origin per country or territory (in Swedish)

Extended validity

For goods placed in a customs warehouse or presented for inward processing or temporary admission respectively, the expiry date may be extended according to specific guidelines. This means that it is sometimes possible to use a certificate on origin for 2 years from its issue.

The option to extend the validity of a certificate on origin does not apply to Japan, Canada or the United Kingdom. The usual period of validity of 12 months always applies to these agreements.

The extended period of validity only applies to inward processing and temporary admission procedures if the importer has done the following in the import declaration at the time of registration:

• referred to the proof of origin in field 44, Annexes/Certificates and authorisations
• indicated the correct country of origin in field 34a Country of origin code.
  

These guidelines can be found in a guide from the European Commission. This guide is available in English.

The European Commission’s guidelines on the period of validity of proofs of origin.