Certificates of Origin

The indication of the origin of goods is indispensable in international trade. This generally refers to the so-called non-preferential or trade policy origin. However, goods delivered to countries with which preferential trade agreements have been concluded and which meet the specified requirements are exempt from this basic rule.


General Information


Certificates of Origin, invoices, and other documents serving foreign trade play a role in anti-dumping measures, price control, the monitoring of import restrictions, and similar purposes. The documents to be certified must be signed by authorized persons of the issuing company, which means that these signatures must be on file with the Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCI).

Generally speaking, the destination country determines the need for a Certificate of Origin or certification of commercial invoices.

Issuing Certificates of Origin


Chambers of Commerce and Industry (CCIs) are responsible for issuing Certificates of Origin and other certificates according to Section 1(3) of the German Trade, Commerce and Industry Act (GTCIA).
Certificates of Origin are public documents (Section 271 of the German Criminal Code, and Section 415 of the German Code of Civil Procedure) with evidentiary value for and against everyone and therefore enjoy public trust.
In other words, the information on the front of the Certificate of Origin is the information provided by CCI. Therefore, only limited statements are possible.

The CCI issues necessary Certificates of Origin upon request. It is necessary for the applicant to have the registered office, branch, or residence within the Chamber's jurisdiction, and the goods must be ready for dispatch or in transit within the customs territory of the European Community.
Blank Certificates of Origin cannot be issued. Subsequent changes and amendments without the involvement of the CCI are considered document forgery. Reissues can only be issued if the previously issued Certificates of Origin have been returned.

Guidelines for filling out the forms

Below is an overview of what should be considered when filling out Certificates of Origin. The legally required forms for Certificates of Origin can be purchased at our CCI's Service Center.

Certificate of Origin

Application for the issuance of a Certificate of Origin (red form) Duplicates for multiple copies of Certificates of Origin (yellow sheet). The designated forms for a shipment are filled out using the carbon-copy method.
It is important to note:
  • The forms (application, original, and duplicates if applicable) must be filled out consistently in machine script by the applicant and submitted for issuance at our CCI's Service Center.
  • The application for issuance must be duly signed.
  • After verifying the requirements for issuance, our CCI certifies the original and duplicates and returns the documents to the applicant.
  • The application for issuance remains with our CCI and is kept for three years together with the retained documents (e.g., proof of origin) for potential verification purposes.
  • After the CCI issues the Certificate of Origin, no subsequent changes or additions may be made to the Certificate of Origin without our involvement.
A Certificate of Origin can be issued for goods that are both individually manufactured or commercial goods. If the exporting company is not the manufacturer of the goods, it must prove the origin of the goods through suitable supporting documents to the CCI within their jurisdiction.
The following are considered suitable supporting documents:
  • Supplier's Declarations
  • Certificate of Origin (certified by the competent authority)
  • Certificate of Origin Form A
  • Goods Movement Certificate
  • EUR 1
  • Invoice with a signed preferential origin declaration
  • Registered Exporter (REX) statements
  • (Long-term) CCI Declaration for non-preferential origin
The (long-term) CCI Declaration for non-preferential origin is particularly relevant for companies whose goods do not meet preferential origin requirements and, therefore, cannot issue a supplier's declaration according to preferential law.
A supplier's declaration is generally issued by a supplier to its customer. It can be issued by companies as an individual declaration for goods originating from non-EU countries, or as a long-term declaration. In the case of goods from third countries, certification by the CCI responsible for the applicant is always required.
The proof of origin from a third party country must also be substantiated by suitable supporting documents. Otherwise, as with Certificates of Origin, the goods are considered originating from the country in which they have undergone their last significant and economically justified production or processing.
The applicant must provide the information necessary to verify the declared details and, if necessary, allow access to their business records. The CCI may refuse to issue a Certificate of Origin if it considers the documents to be insufficient or incorrect or if the requested information or access is denied.
Certificates of Origin are public documents and must not have alterations or erasures.
Please refer to our guidelines for filling out the Certificate of Origin forms and our filling aid, which allows you to conveniently edit Certificates of Origin on your computer.

Online application for Certificates of Origin

In addition to the paper form, we offer a digital alternative for Certificates of Origin: the electronic Certificate of Origin (eCO).
Thanks to digital signatures, Certificates of Origin can be applied for online, with significantly simplified processes.More information can be found here.

Information obligations of the CCI Gießen-Friedberg under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) according to Article 13 GDPR


1. Processing activity description
Signature sample pursuant to Section 6 (1) of the statute for issuing Certificates of Origin and other certificates for foreign trade by the CCI Gießen-Friedberg
2. Name and contact details of the controller
CEO Dr. Matthias Leder
Lonystraße 7
35390 Gießen
3. Contact details of the data protection officer
Dr. Sven Sudler
Lonystraße 7
35390 Gießen
Tel. 0049 641 7954-4010
sudler@giessen-friedberg.ihk.de
4. Purposes and legal basis for processing Issuance of Certificates of Origin and other certificates serving foreign trade.
Legal basis: Performance of a task carried out in the public interest that has been assigned to the CCI Gießen-Friedberg for the purpose of fulfilling its duties pursuant to Section 1(3), Section 4(1) in conjunction with Section 6(1) German Trade, Commerce and Industry Act (GTCIA) Issuance of Certificates of Origin and other certificates serving foreign trade by the CCI Gießen-Friedberg in conjunction with Article 6(e) GDPR.
5. Recipients or categories of recipients of personal data.
Your personal data will be disclosed to:
a) The CCI Gießen-Friedberg accounting department
b) From the Carnet:
- By handing over the Carnet to German and foreign customs authorities

- If necessary, to Euler Hermes Deutschland (office of Euler Hermes) at the Hamburg Local Court
- If necessary, to the German Chamber of Industry and Commerce (GCCI) as the nationally guaranteeing organization
- To service providers for technical support in processing and, if necessary, to authorized third parties.
The GCCI and the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) as the international umbrella organization receive anonymized statistical data on Carnets issued nationwide.
c) From the Deposit Agreement
- If necessary, to Euler Hermes SA
d) From the Certificate of Origin:
- To the CCI Gießen-Friedberg's accounting department
- To the GCCI in the event of examination requests by foreign customs authorities
- To service providers for technical support in processing and possibly to authorized third parties the GCCI receives anonymized statistical data on Certificates of Origin issued nationwide.
6. Transfer of personal data to a third country
Your personal data will be received by customs authorities in third countries through the handover of the Carnet.
7. Duration of personal data storage the CCI Gießen-Friedberg retains the Carnet for three years and three months after its validity expires. The retention period for Certificates of Origin is determined by the CCI Gießen-Friedberg's statute. In the event of the departure of an authorized signatory, the personal data assigned to that signatory will be deleted immediately upon receipt of the notification of departure by the CCI Gießen-Friedberg.
8. Data subject rights
Under the EU General Data Protection Regulation, you have the following rights:
a) If your personal data is processed, you have the right to obtain information about the data stored about you (Article 15 GDPR).
b) If incorrect personal data concerning you is processed, you have the right to have it corrected (Article 16 GDPR).
c) If the legal requirements are met, you may request the deletion or restriction of the processing, and you have the right to object to the processing (Articles 17, 18, and 21 GDPR).
d) If you have consented to data processing or if a contract for data processing exists and data processing is carried out using automated procedures, you may, if applicable, have the right to data portability (Article 20 GDPR).
If you wish to exercise any of the above rights, the responsible party mentioned under 2. above will verify if the legal requirements have been met.
If you have complaints related to data protection, you can contact the appropriate supervisory authority:
Hessian Commissioner for Data Protection and Freedom of Information
P.O. Box 3163, 65021 Wiesbaden
Email: Poststelle@datenschutz.hessen.de
Phone: +49 611 1408 – 0, Fax: +49 611 1408 - 611

Stand: 23.09.2024