Coronavirus (COVID-19)
England is at Step Two of the roadmap out of lockdown. Restrictions are still in place.
Portsmouth is a UK Border Control Post. Our Port Health Authority team is responsible for food safety and the control of infectious diseases at Portsmouth Port.
We check imports of goods entering the UK through Portsmouth Port for food safety. This can include document and physical checks. We also monitor the control of infectious diseases at the port. This means we take water samples and inspect ships for cleanliness.
In any case of suspected infectious disease or death on board any vessel, the masters of ships arriving from foreign ports must:
All organic goods must be reported to Portsmouth Port Health Authority 24 hours before the vessel arrives.
There must be a certificate of inspection with each shipment. Certificates must be presented to our office along with a payment of £45.
All invoicing for organic certification will contain:
All notifications should be accompanied by a completed Notification Certificate with this information. We should receive this authority at least 24 hours ahead of the vessel arriving in the Port. You will be charged a late fee if we are notified less than 24 hours in advance.
Portsmouth Port Health Authority issues ship sanitation certificates. A certificate will only be issued after an inspection of the vessel. This includes checks for diseases and controls to prevent illnesses from spreading.
When on board we’ll ask to see the following:
We can test drinking water, ice or swimming pool water samples on request. There’s a cost for this service and a laboratory report will be provided with a certificate.
If your water test report is older than six months, we suggest you have a new water test as part of the ship sanitation inspection.
Ship sanitation charges 2020-21
Gross tonnage of vessel:
Water sampling charges
Portsmouth Port Health Authority
Civic Offices
Guildhall Square
Portsmouth
PO1 2AL
Tel: 023 9268 8653