Completing an Equine Export Health Certificate (EHC)

This guide walks you through generating an Equine EHC in OVForm, from uploading your draft to downloading the finished certificate. OVForm handles the fiddly bits like page numbering, populating fields, resizing text and marking where your stamps go;  so a certificate that used to take half an hour now takes a few minutes.
Before you start

You'll need two things ready before you open OVForm:

• Your draft EHC, downloaded from EHC Online (EHCO).
• The horse's passport and Coggins (EIA) test details, so you can check the microchip and passport numbers as you go.

Important — use the unmodified draft Upload the draft exactly as it downloads from EHCO. Don't open and edit it first. If the draft has been changed, OVForm won't be able to process it correctly.
Completing an EHC — step by step

1. Sign in to OVForm. 
2. Select your practice. Choose your practice to open the dashboard.
3. Open the EHC section. On the dashboard, select EHC — not the pet (dog, cat etc.) option — to access Export Health Certificates.
• Tip: If you can only see the "pet" option, you need to go into Settings > Team Settings > Check toggle is on for “Enable EHCs”
4. Create a new EHC. Click Create New EHC.
5. Choose the EHC version. Select the correct EHC version from the dropdown. 
6. Upload your draft. Click Choose File, select the unmodified draft you downloaded from EHCO, then click Upload & Continue.
7. Review the certificate information. Check the information carried over from page 1 and confirm it's accurate, then click Save & Continue.
8. Check the horse's details. Verify that the passport and microchip numbers match both the passport and the Coggins test, then click Save & Continue.
• You don't need to upload the passport — just check the numbers match.
9. Complete the attestations. Select the correct options and enter the examination date and the Coggins test date (if applicable). You can add the vet's name here if you wish (optional). Click Save & Continue.
10. Generate the certificate. Add the date of signing (optional) and tick the box to add stamp placement markers if you need them. Confirm you take responsibility for the final EHC, then click Generate PDF.
11. Download, print, stamp and sign. Download the generated PDF, then print, stamp and sign it.
• Before it leaves your hands: check page 1 and manually strike out any empty boxes if required — see "Striking out empty boxes on page 1" below.

Editing a certificate after you've generated it

1. Go back to the relevant section. Use the dropdown menu to return to the section you need to change.
2. Make your edits. Update the details, then click Save & Continue.
3. Regenerate. Click Generate PDF to create an updated version, then download it. A new version number will be displayed so you can tell the latest one apart.

Striking out empty boxes on page 1

After you generate the PDF, you may need to manually strike out any empty boxes on page 1. There is technically no requirement to complete 1.8 and 1.10, but because a Border Control Post (BCP) has asked for box 1.8 to be completed on EHC 8431, OVForm fills that in and strikes out 1.10.

Requirements can vary by BCP BCPs occasionally ask for things that fall outside the Notes for Guidance and the OV training examples. If a BCP asks you to complete or strike out specific boxes differently, please let us know at [email protected] so we can keep the system up to date.

Paragraph (f): transit, temporary visits and permanent moves

Completing paragraph (f) of the Operator's declaration depends on what the horse is actually doing. The key question is whether the horse is in transit (moving from one third country to another, passing through the EU). If it isn't, a temporary visit is treated as a permanent import and the declaration is completed on that basis. Use the logic below:

• Permanent move (the horse stays in the EU) — paragraph (f) is left blank / "not applicable".
• Temporary visit (the horse will leave the EU again, e.g. 14 days for breeding) — complete paragraph (f) with the exit date and the BCP of exit.
• Transit (the EU is only a pass-through) — complete paragraph (f) and tick I.21 on page 1 for transit.

This is our current working logic If you've had different advice from a BCP or from the APHA, please tell us at [email protected] so we can keep our guidance aligned.