Belarus: A Sanitary and Hygienic Certificate should be obtained for certain categories of foreign-made goods.
Resolution of the Belarus Council of Ministers No. 666 of 6 August 2015 introduces sanitary and hygienic examination of foreign-made products that results in the issue of a Sanitary and Hygienic Certificate, even if quality certificates for these products can be provided from their country of origin.
The list of foreign-made products subject to sanitary and hygienic examination includes food products, products for children, cosmetics, personal care products, household chemical products, technological equipment for the food industry and public catering, furniture, construction materials, and others.
A sanitary and hygienic examina-tion is required if a business entity intends to sell foreign-made products in Belarus. Thus, it is not necessary to produce the Sanitary and Hygienic Certificate when importing these products into Belarus.
In addition, a sanitary and hygienic examination is not required for the following categories of foreign-made products:
– goods produced in the member states of the Eurasian Economic Union (the quality and safety of these goods is confirmed following the procedure specified in the Decisions of the Eurasian Economic Commission);
– food products that have limited (up to 30 days) shelf life and (or) require a special storage temperature range (6 degrees Celsius and below);
– products imported by business entities for their own needs;
– exhibition and promotional product samples that are not for sale and use in Belarus;
– some other categories of products.
These rules do not apply to products imported to Belarus before 27 August 2015, which can be sold according to the previously established procedure.
The legislation specifies a list of documents submitted for sanitary and hygienic examination, as well as the period for consideration of these documents (15 days).
Additionally, the legislation sets payment for sanitary and hygienic examination. The tariff for a sanitary and hygienic examination that results in the issue of a Sanitary and Hygienic Certificate for one type of products is equal to BYR 224 000 (about EUR 12). With simultaneous examination of the same type of products, the full amount of tariff (about EUR 12) is paid only for the first type of products, and for each subsequent type of products – 10% of this amount.
Source: National legal Internet portal of the Republic of Belarus (NLIP) 11.08.2015, no 5/40898; Official web-site of the Ministry of Public Health of the Republic of Belarus http://minzdrav.gov.by