G/SPS/GE N/1489/Add.1  
5 September  2016 
(16-4684) Page: 1/6 
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures  Original:  Spanish  
 
  PHYTOSANITARY CERTIFICATE  
COMMUNICATION FROM COSTA RICA  
Addendum  
The following communication, dated 2 September  2016, is being circulated at the request of the 
delegation of Costa Rica . 
 
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1.  The Government of Costa Rica hereby advises that th e State Phytosanitary Service h as adopted 
a new phytosanitary c ertificate with a view to complying with higher security  standards and 
ensuring its authenticity . Clarifications regarding the interpretatio n of this c ertificate are 
provided  below . 
2.  Box 12 of t he phytosanitary certificate contains the word "impresión" ["printing" ] after the 
word "fecha" ["date"] . This means tha t the box will always show the date of printing  of the 
phytosanitary certificate , as stipulated by International Standard for Phytosanita ry 
Measures  (ISPM) No. 12, which states : "Although sections of the phytosanitary certificate for 
export may be completed in advance, the date stated should be the date of issuance ". 
3.  In addition, in Costa Rica, based on the stipulation in ISPM No. 12 that "[t]he phytosanitary 
certificate for export shall be signed only after it is duly completed ", in some cases the date of 
printing may be later than the date on which the goods exited  the country, since the information is 
compiled by an online system that gat hers the data from the different stages in the export process 
and the phytosanitary certificate is printed when the information has been compiled and 
confirmed, at a date subsequent to that on which the  shipment  was exported . 
4.  As from 1 2 September  2016, phytosanitary certificates issued by Costa Rica have no stamp 
other than the ins titutional symbol or logo which is already printed on the certificate and which is 
situated to the right of box 13.  
5.   Accordingly, from that date, phytosanitary certificates issued  by the National Plant Protection 
Organization (NPPO)  of Costa Rica no longer include the s tamp with the name of the inspector or 
stamps bearing the name or logo of the State Phytosanitary Service . The stamp printed on the 
phytosanitary certificate is the official mark of Costa Rica's  NPPO . 
6.  Guidance on the authenticity of phytosanitary certificates may be obtained at : 
http://app.sfe.go.cr/Certificado/frm_principal.aspx . 
7.  A comparative table i s attached, showing the previous and new formats of the phytosanitary 
certificate.  G/SPS/GEN/1489/Add.1  
- 2 - 
  COMPARATIVE TABLE SHOWING CHANGES TO THE  
PHYTOSANITARY CERTIFICATE OF COSTA RICA  
Current phytosanitary 
certificate  New phytosanitary 
certificate  Changes  
Top left of the c ertificate : 
Costa Rican flag printed on top 
left of the certificate in the 
colours red, blue and white.  Top left of the certificate:  
National emblem of Costa Rica 
printed on top left of the 
certificate . Top left of the certificate:  
Costa Rican flag, printe d in 
colour, replaced by the national 
emblem of Costa Rica, printed 
in black and white . 
Top centre of the certificate 
has the following wording : 
República de Costa Rica  
Ministerio de Agricultura y 
Ganadería (MAG)  
Servicio Fitosanitario del Estado  
Certific ado Fitosanitario  
[Republic of Costa Rica  
Ministry of Agriculture and 
Livestock  (MAG)  
State Phytosanitary Service  
Phytosanitary Certificate]  Top centre of the certificate 
has the following wording : 
República de Costa Rica  
Ministerio de  Agricultura y 
Ganade ría 
Servicio Fitosanitario del Estado  
Certificado Fitosanitario  
[Republic of Costa Rica  
Ministry of Agriculture and 
Livestock  
State Phytosanitary Service  
Phytosanitary Certificate]  Top centre of the certificate 
has the following wording : 
The following term  is deleted : 
(MAG) . 
When the certificate is used for 
re-exportation purposes, the 
words "Certificado Fitosanitario 
de Reexportación " 
["Phytosanitary Certificate for 
Re-Export"] are added . 
Top right of the certificate:  
National emblem of Costa Rica 
printed  as a hologram  
Número de Certificado  
[Certificate No.]  
01.08.F01   Top right of the certificate:  
Página ___ de ____  
Número de Certificado  
[Page __ of __  
Certificate No.]  Top right of the certificate:  
The hologram of the national 
emblem of Costa Rica has been 
removed and the page number 
is given with the certificate's 
total pages . The certificate 
number is provided : currently 
the certificate numbers are in 
the region of 2 ,000,000; the 
new numbering will start at 
6,000,000. In all cases, the 
certificate numbe r will be 
preceded by a hyphen and 
followed by a number, which 
will make it easier to track 
issued certificates.  
1° Nombre y dirección 
declarada del exportador  
[Declared n ame and address 
of exporter]  1° Nombre y dirección del 
exportador  
[Name and address of 
exporter]  The word "declarada"  
["declared "] is removed . 
2° Nombre y dirección 
declarada del importador o 
destinatario  
[Declared n ame and address 
of importer or consignee]  2° Nombre y dirección 
declarada del importador o 
destinatario  
[Declared n ame and address 
of importer or consignee]  None. 
3° A la Organización de 
Protección Fitosanitaria de  
[To P lant Protection 
Organization of]  3° A la Organización de 
Protección Fitosanitaria de  
[To P lant Protection 
Organization of]  None. 
4° Lugar de origen  
[Place of  origin]  4° Lugar de origen  
[Place of origin]  None. 
5° Punto de entrada 
declarado  
[Declared point of entry]  5° Punto de entrada 
declarado  
[Declared point of entry]  None. G/SPS/GEN/1489/Add.1  
- 3 - 
  Current phytosanitary 
certificate  New phytosanitary 
certificate  Changes  
6° Medio de transporte, 
transportista y punto de 
salida declarado  
[Declared m eans of  
conveyance  and declared 
point of exit] 6° Medio de transporte, 
transporti sta y punto de 
salida declarado  
[Declared means of 
conveyance and declared 
point of exit ] None. 
7° Número y descripción de 
los bultos, cajas, nombre 
botánico de las plantas o del 
producto vegetal  
[Number and description of 
the packages, boxes, 
botanical name of the plants 
or plant products]  7° Nombre botánico, número 
de bultos, cajas o número de 
contendores y peso total del 
envío en kilogramos  de los 
artículos reglamentados  
[Botanica l name, number of 
packages, boxes or number 
of container s and total 
weight in kilogram s of the 
regulated articles ] Botanical name now comes 
first, followed by the number of 
packages or boxes ; the num ber 
of con tainers making up the 
shipment is included and the 
total weig ht of the shipment in 
kilogram s. The words "plantas 
o del producto vegetal" ["plants 
or plant prod ucts"] are deleted 
and replaced with "artículos 
reglamentados"  ["regulated 
articles "]. 
8° Cantidad total declarada 
de las plantas o del 
product o vegetal  
[Total declared quantity of 
plants or plant products]  8° Deleted  Box 8 is removed since its 
content is now covered by 
box 7. 
9° Por la presente se 
certifica que las plantas, 
productos vegetales u otros 
artículos reglamentados 
aquí descritos, se han 
inspeccionado y/o sometido 
a ensayo de acuerdo con los 
procedimientos oficiales 
adecuados y se considera 
que están libres de palas 
cuarentenarias y cumplen 
con los requisitos 
fitosanitarios vigentes 
especificados por la parte 
contratante importadora, 
incluido lo relativo a las 
plagas no cuarentenarias 
reglamentadas y se 
considera que están 
sustancialmente libres de 
otras plagas.  8° Por la presente se 
certifica que las plantas, 
productos vegetales u otros 
artículos reglamentados 
descritos aquí se han 
inspeccionado y/o sometido 
a prueba de acuerdo con los 
procedimientos oficiales 
adecuados y se considera 
que están libres de las 
plagas cuarentenarias 
especificadas por la parte 
contratante importadora y 
que cumplen los requisitos 
fitosanitarios vigentes de l a 
parte contratante 
importadora, incluidos los 
relativos a las plagas no 
cuarentenarias 
reglamentadas y se 
considera que están 
sustancialmente libres de 
otras plagas.  Number 9 changed to 8 and 
some words changed in the 
Spanish and in the English.  G/SPS/GEN/1489/Add.1  
- 4 - 
  Current phytosanitary 
certificate  New phytosanitary 
certificate  Changes  
[This is  to certify that the 
plants, plant products or 
other regulated articles 
described herein have been 
inspected and/or tested 
according to appropriate 
official procedures and are 
considered to be free from  
quarantine pests and to 
conform with the current 
phytosanitary requirements 
specified by the importing 
contracting party, including 
those for regulated 
non-quarantine pests , and 
they are deemed to be 
practically free from other 
pests. ] [This is to certify that the 
plants, plant products or 
other regulated ar ticles 
described herein have been 
inspected and/or tested 
according to appropriate 
official procedures and are 
considered to be free from 
the quarantine pests 
specified by the importing 
contracting party and to 
conform with the current 
phytosanitary requir ements 
of the importing contracting 
party, including those for 
regulated non -quarantine 
pests , and they are deemed 
to be practically free from 
other pests.]   
10° Declaración adicional  
[Additional declaration]  9° Declaración adicional  
[Additional declarati on] Number 10 changed to 9 . 
11° Tratamiento de 
desinfección y/o 
desinfestación  
[Disinfe station and/or 
disinfe ction treatment]  
 
Fecha  
[Date]  
 
Tratamiento  
[Treatment]  
 
Producto químico 
(Ingrediente activo)  
[Chemical (active 
ingredient)]  
 
Concentración  
[Conc entration]  
 
Duración y temperatura  
[Duration and temperature]  
 
Responsable  
[Officer responsible ] 10° Tratamiento de 
desinfección y/o 
desinfestación  
[Disinfe station and/or 
disinfe ction treatment]  
 
Fecha  
[Date]  
 
Tratamiento  
[Treatment]  
 
Producto químico 
(Ingrediente activo)  
[Chemical (active 
ingredient)]  
 
Concentración  
[Concentration]  
 
Duración y temperatura  
[Duration and temperature]  
 
Responsable  
[Officer r esponsible ] Number 11 changed to 10 . 
12° Lugar de expedición  
[Place of issue]  11° Lugar de expedición  
[Place of issue]  Number 12 changed to 11 . 
13° Fecha de inspección  
[Date of inspection]  12° Fecha de i mpresi ón 
[Date of printing ] Number 13 changed to 12 . 
The word "inspección" 
["inspection"] is deleted and 
replaced with "impresión" 
["printing"].  
14° No mbre y firma del 
funcionario autorizado  
[Name and signature of 
authorized officer ] 13° Nombre y firma del 
inspector  
[Name and signature of 
inspector]  Number 14 changed to  13 and 
the words "funcionario 
autorizado"  ["authorized 
officer"]  replaced with 
"inspe ctor" ["inspector"] . G/SPS/GEN/1489/Add.1  
- 5 - 
  Current phytosanitary 
certificate  New phytosanitary 
certificate  Changes  
Sello de la Organización  
[Stamp of Organization]  Sello de la Organización  
[Stamp of Organization]  Logo of the State Phytosanitary 
Service printed on the form, in 
black and grey.  
Bottom of the certificate, at 
the foot of the page : 
El Servicio Fitosanitario del 
Estado del MAG de Costa Rica, 
sus funcionarios y 
representantes, declinan toda 
responsabilidad civil, por daños 
y perjuicios resultantes de al 
uso que se le dé a este 
certificado.  
[No civil liability for damage or 
injury arising  from the use of 
this certificate shall attach to 
the State Phytosanitary Service 
of the Ministry of Agriculture 
and Livestock of Costa Rica  or 
to its officers or 
representatives]  Bottom of the certificate, at 
the foot of the page:  
El Servicio Fitosanitari o del 
Estado del Ministerio de 
Agricultura y Ganadería de 
Costa Rica, sus funcionarios y 
representantes, declinan toda 
responsabilidad civil, por daños 
y perjuicios resultantes del mal 
uso que se le dé a este 
Certificado.  
Para consulta sobre la emisión 
del presente Certificado 
Fitosanitario, deberá ingresar a 
la dirección 
http://www.sfe.go.cr/SitePages/
ConsultasenLinea.aspx  
[No civil liability  for damage or 
injury arising from the misuse of  
this Certificate  shall attach to 
the State Phytosanitary  Service 
of the Ministry of Agriculture and 
Livestock of Costa Rica or to its  
officer s or representative s. 
Guidance on the issuance of this 
Phytosanitary Certificate  is 
available at : 
http://www.sfe.go.cr/SitePages/
ConsultasenLinea.aspx ] Bottom of the c ertificate, at 
the foot of the page:  
The letters MAG are deleted, 
and a web address provided for 
consultations to verify the 
authentici ty of phytosanitary 
certificates.  
Bottom left corner : 
Número de Certificado  
[Certificate No.]  Bottom left corner:  
Número de Certificado  
[Certificate No.]  Change in numbering from 
around 2 ,000,000, the current 
range , to 6 ,000,000, from 
which the new number ing will 
start. The number will be 
followed by a hyphen and 
another consecutive number.  
Following page printed verso 
with security watermarks  Separate page on white bond 
paper.  Separate page on white bond 
paper.  
Original white, first copy pale 
blue, third copy pink . Original and copies on separate 
sheets of bond paper . Original and copies printed on 
the same paper . 
 Certificate printed only in black 
and white .  
 Following pages printed verso 
and on separate sheets in 
accordance with the need for 
more sp ace; total number of 
pages indicated with the page 
number.   G/SPS/GEN/1489/Add.1  
- 6 - 
  Current phytosanitary 
certificate  New phytosanitary 
certificate  Changes  
 All pages have the same 
headers and footers as the first 
page, the same certificate 
number and a page number also 
indicating the total number of 
pages that make up the 
Certificate.   
 Certificat e boxes expand if more 
space is needed and will c arry 
over to successive pages.   
 
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