---
id: KB-AL-043
url: https://stage.codecontract.io/help/food-and-beverage/how-to-register-as-an-operator-in-traces
idioma: en
categoria: sector-alimentacion
subcategoria: normativa-pesca
audiencia: usuario
nivel: basico
actualizado: 2026-08-13
tambienEn: [es]
relacionados: [KB-AL-041, KB-AL-044, KB-AL-050]
citadoPor: [KB-AL-009]
---

# How to register as an operator in TRACES

_Without the right role, the buttons you need do not appear. And the role is approved by somebody other than you._

**Responde a:** register in traces nt · traces operator role fisheries · create certificate button not showing · fishing exporter activity traces · traces nt manual for fish importers

TRACES does not show everyone the same thing. **What you can do depends on the role and activity approved for you**, and that is behind the most repeated problem among newcomers: logging in, looking for the button the guide mentions, and not finding it. The button is not missing — the permission is, and the permission is granted by somebody outside.

## Why registration is not instant

| Step | Who does it | How much depends on you |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Creating the account | You | Everything |
| Requesting the operator role | You | Everything |
| Declaring the activity | You | Everything |
| **Approving the role** | **The authority** | **Nothing** |

> [!IMPORTANT]
> **That last row is what derails planning.** Everything else can be done in an afternoon and then you wait for approval. Which is why registration is not done when you need to process something: it is done **beforehand**, in the dead window, just as certificates are renewed before the season.

## The sequence, and which activity to request

1. **Create the system access account** — This is the person's identity, not yet the company's.
2. **Request the operator role for your company** — This links the person to the organisation that will do the processing.
3. **Declare the relevant activity** — To originate CATCH certificates and documents, the official help requires the «fishing exporter» activity.
4. **Wait for approval before counting on it** — Until it arrives, the creation options are not available.

> [!WARNING]
> A practical warning that saves a support call: **if the guide mentions a button you cannot see, it is almost never a system fault**. That button belongs to an activity your organisation has not had approved. Before reporting anything, check which role and activity you hold.

> [!NOTE]
> **Procedure verified in 2026-08** against the European Commission's official help (https://webgate.ec.europa.eu/IMSOC/tracesnt-help), operator registration and roles. TRACES is operated by the Commission and **may change without notice**. Whether this applies to you is for the competent authority and your adviser to determine.

**How long does role approval take?**

It does not depend on you. Which is why you request it before you need it.

**I cannot see the create certificate button.**

Check your approved activity: creating in CATCH requires «fishing exporter».

**Does every person need their own account?**

The account identifies the person; the role links to the organisation.

## Ejemplos

**You must process on Friday and the role is not approved.**

- Records registration as a pre-season task

→ The permission is there before it is needed.

**The button the manual mentions does not appear.**

- Records which role and activity you hold

→ It is checked without raising a ticket.

**The person holding the account leaves.**

- Keeps a record of who is registered and with what role

→ Access does not leave with them.

**Nobody remembers which activity the role was requested for.**

- Keeps the request and its response

→ The question is settled with the document.