Apply for a WHO certificate for the export of medicinal products for human use without a marketing authorization in the exporting country

Are you based in Germany and would like to export a medicinal product that is not authorized in Germany for use in humans to a country outside the EU? Then you need a WHO certificate.

To export medicinal products from Germany, you must apply for a WHO Certificate for Pharmaceutical Products (CPP). You need the WHO certificate in the importing third country for all regulatory situations relating to the local approval and import of your medicinal product. This may be necessary

• in the context of marketing authorization applications
• in the context of applications for renewal, extension, variation or review of a marketing authorization
• for the import of medicinal products authorized in the exporting country

Germany participates in the "World Health Organization (WHO) Certificate System on the Quality of Pharmaceutical Products in International Trade". Certificates under this system certify the marketability of the medicinal product in the country of origin and serve to facilitate the movement of medicinal products.

The certificates are issued by the competent authority of the federal state in which the medicinal product is manufactured (exporting country).

Who submits the application?

You can apply for the WHO Certificate for Pharmaceutical Products (CPP) as a

• manufacturing company

• company exporting the medicinal product

If the

• competent authority of the country of destination

wishes to apply for the certificate, it requires written authorization from you.

Additional services

As part of the application, you can request additional services for the certificate if necessary. These can be, for example

• Over-authentication by the Federal Office of Justice
• Legalization by the diplomatic or consular mission of the importing country in Germany
• Sealing with thread

You can find out which additional services you require from the competent authority to which you wish to submit the certificate.

• Objection
• Action before the administrative court
  • within one month of notification

You must apply for the WHO Certificate for Pharmaceutical Products (CPP) in writing using the application form. The form is written in German and in one other language. These are English, French or Spanish.

You must submit all the necessary documents with the application. If you do not have a marketing authorization for the medicinal product in Germany, you must prove that the competent authority of the country of destination has approved the import and that it is aware of the reasons for the lack of marketing authorization.

When applying in writing, you must apply for a separate WHO certificate for each medicinal product and for each importing country.

You must also observe the requirements of the competent national authority.

There is no legal deadline.

Zertifizierung (je Produkt und Land) WHO-Zertifikat (CPP): Administrative fine 95,00 EUR

Siegelung durch die Schnur: Administrative fine 22,00 EUR

The following information is available:

• The declaration of authorization status for a pharmaceutical product is not part of the application procedure.
• Batch certificates for pharmaceutical products are not part of the application procedure. Such a certificate is only applied for if state batch tests are prescribed for the product.