Glossary / Control Certificate vs. Conformity Letter
Control Certificate vs. Conformity Letter
A control certificate and a conformity letter serve different functions: the control certificate is a pre-import approval document, while the conformity letter is the document through which the relevant ministry reports the outcome of its inspection after actually examining the goods. Whether the two are required together or separately depends on the annex (list) of the communiqué the product is subject to.
A control certificate shows that the relevant ministry has given preliminary approval for the import of a product subject to inspection, and it is obtained before the goods set off, through a direct application to the ministry. A conformity letter, on the other hand, is the outcome of the actual inspection of the goods. For some product groups, a control certificate is required before a conformity letter can be issued; for others, no control certificate is required at all, and the conformity letter is issued directly. Which rule applies is determined by the product's GTİP and the annex of the communiqué it is subject to.
The order differs by product group: for some product groups, the control certificate comes into play before the process starts, while the shipment is still being planned, and the conformity letter can only be issued once the control certificate is in place. For others, no control certificate is required, and the process runs straight through the conformity letter stage.
The purpose also differs: the control certificate is the preliminary acceptance that the product may be imported, and at that point the goods themselves are not yet at customs. The conformity letter, on the other hand, is specific to the actual batch inspected; even for product groups where a control certificate is required, a control certificate obtained earlier does not remove the requirement for a separate conformity letter for every subsequent shipment.
When You Encounter It
When a product subject to inspection is to be imported, it is first established which annex (list) of the communiqué the product falls under, and whether the control certificate is a precondition for the conformity letter on that list. If a control certificate is required, the application is completed before the shipment sets off; once the goods reach customs and the actual inspection and sampling process is complete, the conformity letter is issued.
Having obtained the control certificate in advance is not a guarantee that the actual inspection at customs and the conformity letter will be finalised quickly. Plan on the basis that every stage needed for the product is identified from the start, and that each stage may involve its own waiting time.
What It Doesn't Cover
- This page covers the order and meaning of the two documents; it does not commit to which ministry will issue which document in what timeframe for a specific product — that information varies by product and by period.
- Both documents are only required for product groups subject to inspection; for a product outside inspection scope, neither a control certificate nor a conformity letter is required.
Often Confused With
| Comparison | Difference |
|---|---|
| Control Certificate vs. Conformity Letter vs Plant Quarantine and Phytosanitary Certificate | Plant quarantine inspection is a process specific to plant health, and its outcome is documented with the phytosanitary certificate; the control certificate and conformity letter, by contrast, are two stages of a broader inspection flow that also applies outside agricultural products (chemicals, medical devices, non-food products, and so on). |
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between a control certificate and a conformity letter?+
The control certificate is the pre-import approval document; the conformity letter is the document through which the relevant ministry reports the outcome of its inspection after actually examining the goods. For some product groups, the process starts with a control certificate and ends with a conformity letter; for others, no control certificate is required, and the conformity letter is issued directly.
Can a conformity letter be obtained without a control certificate?+
It depends on the product group. For some product groups, a control certificate is required before a conformity letter can be issued; for others, no control certificate is required at all, and the conformity letter is issued directly. Which rule applies depends on the annex of the communiqué the product is subject to — it cannot be stated in advance as "always required" or "never required".
Are the control certificate and the conformity letter issued by the same institution?+
Generally yes — the same ministry responsible for inspecting the product issues both documents; but which ministry has authority depends on the type of product.
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Where This Term Comes Up in Our Work
Control Certificate vs. Conformity Letter is one of the documents we track in our import customs clearance service.
Import Customs ClearanceCustoms and tax procedures for your incoming shipments from abroad.The Turkish original of this page was reviewed by our licensed customs broker. This translation is provided for information; the Turkish version prevails.
Source
Republic of Türkiye Ministry of Trade — Customs Guide, Goods Subject to Import Licence or Conformity Inspection — Whether the control certificate is a precondition for the conformity letter depends on the annex (list) of the communiqué the product is subject to; no single rule applies to all product groups.
Last updated: September 1, 2026