In fresh produce, everything revolves around hours. A box of roses from Kenya, a container of blueberries from Peru, a pallet of salmon from Norway or a truck of mangoes from Israel — at the moment of landing they are at their peak quality and from that moment they are only on the way to less. A customs flow that takes 24 hours to think about itself is simply not an option in this sector. DouaneDoc is in Aalsmeer, a stone’s throw from FloraHolland and Schiphol, and knows the time pressure and NVWA procedures inside out.
What’s at play for Perishables and fresh produce
Fresh produce from third countries almost always falls under phytosanitary supervision (plants, vegetables, fruit, cut flowers) or veterinary supervision (fish, meat, dairy, eggs). The NVWA assesses whether the consignment meets EU rules: disease-free shipment, correct residue limits, correct packaging. For plants and plant products this runs via a CHED-PP (Common Health Entry Document — Plants & Plant products) in TRACES NT, linked to a phytosanitary certificate issued by the competent authority of the export country.
The NVWA works between 06:00 and 22:00. An AWB landing at Schiphol at 23:00 therefore stands still until the next morning — unless the inspection is smartly prepared. For fresh produce exporters, the difference between profit and loss is: a watertight pre-notification file in TRACES that’s ready hours before arrival, with all inspection documents, packing list and sampling locations.
On top of that come sector-specific challenges: CITES for some orchids, ferns and exotic flowers; anti-dumping on for example sweet corn and citrus fruits; EU rest tariff quotas for products like bananas and garlic; and CBAM doesn’t yet apply, but the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) does — for cocoa, coffee, soy, palm, rubber, wood and beef, a due diligence statement per shipment is required from late 2025. For the flower sector specifically, a large part of world trade still runs via Aalsmeer/Schiphol — and whoever stumbles here, stumbles for the entire chain.
Documents Perishables often need
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CHED-PP in TRACES NT — Mandatory pre-notification for plant products from third countries, submitted at least one business day (often: as early as possible) before arrival.
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CHED-A / CHED-D — For live animals and products of animal origin (meat, fish, dairy) respectively via BCP Schiphol.
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Phytosanitary certificate — Original document from the NPPO of the export country; we link this to TRACES and store digitally.
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Import declaration with BCP integration — Import declaration where the result of the NVWA inspection automatically leads to release once positive.
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Chilled T1 transit — For transit from Schiphol to for example FloraHolland Aalsmeer, a fruit & vegetable cooler in Barendrecht or an auction in Belgium, while maintaining cooling and without premature VAT.
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CITES license — For specific orchids, carnivorous plants, coral, some flower species and derivatives.
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Health certificate / catch data — For fishery products with IUU declaration (Illegal, Unreported, Unregulated fishing).
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EUDR Due Diligence Statement — From the implementation date mandatory for cocoa, coffee, wood, beef, soy, palm and rubber: geo-location of plot, deforestation-free status, traceability.
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Export declaration for re-export — Many fresh products via Aalsmeer are flown on within 24 hours; we arrange the export in parallel with the import.
How we serve Perishables
We are literally around the corner from where it happens. From our office at Samoaweg 4 in Aalsmeer, our lines run directly to Schiphol Cargo, FloraHolland and the NVWA inspection points. Specifically:
- Pre-arrival inspection package. As soon as the AWB and certificate scan are in, we submit the CHED and book the NVWA inspection. At landing everything is ready — not the other way around.
- 24/7 coverage for air freight import. Our customs shift covers night arrivals so that inspection can start immediately at 06:00 when the NVWA opens.
- Auction and cold storage integrations. We deliver digitally to FloraHolland intake, fruit & vegetable cold storage and fish auctions; your lot is immediately available for sale.
- TRACES NT expertise. Our staff fill TRACES blocks not by feel but by specification. A CHED with an error in block I.31 easily costs you half a day extra.
- Anti-dumping and quota scan. For some products (garlic, mushrooms, citrus) we automatically test the tariff quota, so you get a reduced rate within the quota.
See our CVO certificate service or the T1 transit document for chilled transit.
Frequently asked questions from Perishables
Our roses land at Schiphol at 04:00 — when can they be in Aalsmeer?
With correct pre-notification, the NVWA inspection can start immediately from 06:00. With a clean file most flower shipments are released around 08:00–09:00; that gets you to the FloraHolland auction of the same day or the next morning, depending on product and supply.
We want to import fish from a third country — what extra do we need?
Fish requires import via an approved Border Control Post (Schiphol BCP for air freight), a CHED-D with IUU catch certificate, and possibly NVWA sampling. We coordinate with BCP and fish customs and ensure the cold chain is not interrupted by administrative delays.
What’s the difference between a phytosanitary certificate and a CHED-PP?
The phytosanitary certificate is the original issued by the export country (e.g. KEPHIS in Kenya). The CHED-PP is your EU-side pre-notification in TRACES NT that refers to that certificate and requests the inspection. Both are mandatory — one without the other doesn’t work.
How will you handle EUDR from late 2025?
We are building an EUDR module into our flow where you or your supplier can upload, per shipment, the geo-location of the plot of origin, the deforestation-free statement and the risk assessment. We link this to the declaration and keep the file for five years in accordance with the regulation.
Get started
Are you expecting fresh produce at Schiphol and want certainty that the inspection runs smoothly? Request a quote directly or get in touch. For rush requests this evening or tonight: call 088 088 2407 — we’re on it.