---
id: KB-AL-045
url: https://stage.codecontract.io/help/food-and-beverage/how-to-import-with-a-paper-catch-certificate
idioma: en
categoria: sector-alimentacion
subcategoria: normativa-pesca
audiencia: usuario
nivel: intermedio
actualizado: 2026-08-13
tambienEn: [es]
relacionados: [KB-AL-044, KB-AL-041, KB-AL-051]
citadoPor: [KB-LG-002, KB-AL-044, KB-AL-050]
---

# How to import in TRACES with a paper catch certificate

_The «Created by importer» flow: when it applies, what it generates and why it is not the same as originating one._

**Responde a:** importer declaration traces · created by importer catch certificate · importing fish with a paper certificate · transcribing a catch certificate into traces · importing fish catch documentation

This is the **EU operator's** flow, which is almost always the importer. Its distinctive feature causes most of the misunderstandings: **the importer does not originate the certificate, they transcribe it**. They receive a paper document validated by the flag State and enter it into the system, which assigns a new serial number. The original stays the original; what the importer creates is its reflection inside CATCH.

## Two different things with the same name

| Aspect | Non-EU exporter | EU operator (you) |
| --- | --- | --- |
| What they do | **Originates** the electronic one | **Transcribes** the paper one |
| Where the data comes from | The vessel and the catch | The document sent to you |
| Flow | Flag authority validation | «Created by importer» |
| Serial number | The original | **A new one**, «CATCH.CC.XX» |
| Statuses | NEW and onwards | **DRAFT → VALID** |

> [!IMPORTANT]
> **A new serial number is not an administrative detail.** It means there are two identifiers for the same goods: the paper original's and the one the system creates. Keeping only one of them turns a two-minute lookup into an afternoon of reconstruction, because whoever asks may ask by either.

## Phase 1 — Create the document through the right option

1. **Go to «Documents» → «CATCH»** — Same starting point as the exporter.
2. **Click «+ Catch Certificate» and pick the paper-version option** — «Create new Catch Certificate (paper version validated by flag State before 10/01/2026)». That is what separates this flow from the other.
3. **Fill «Box 1» (Validating authority) and «Box 8» (Exporter)** — The same two initial mandatory fields, copied from the paper document.
4. **Click «Save as Draft»** — The document sits in «DRAFT» status.

## Phase 2 — Complete, add transport and close

1. **Copy the rest of the data from the paper** — Tabs «Details of the catch certificate» and «Transport details». You transcribe; you do not interpret.
2. **Save again with «Save as Draft»** — As many times as needed while completing.
3. **Click «Finish Document»** — This closes the importer flow.
4. **Check for «VALID» status and record the serial number** — The new «CATCH.CC.» + country code, which coexists with the paper number.

> [!WARNING]
> The error that forces a full redo: **starting with plain «Create new Catch Certificate» when the certificate is on paper**. Both options sit under the same button and differ only by the text in brackets. Picking the first opens the exporter flow, which expects vessel data you have no reason to hold, and there is no converting one into the other.

> [!NOTE]
> **Procedure verified in 2026-08** against the European Commission's official help (https://webgate.ec.europa.eu/IMSOC/tracesnt-help), EU operator importation. 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.

**Must I keep the paper original too?**

The system generates a new number; the original stays the original. Keep both.

**I picked the wrong option when creating.**

It does not convert: create the document through the correct option.

**What status should it end in?**

In this flow, «VALID» after clicking «Finish Document».

## Ejemplos

**The exporter flow is chosen while holding a paper certificate.**

- Records whether the certificate is paper or electronic on receipt

→ The right flow opens and nothing is redone.

**They ask for the paper number and only the system one was kept.**

- Keeps both identifiers in the same file

→ The query is answered by either.

**The paper certificate arrives scanned and blurred.**

- Checks legibility on receipt from the supplier

→ It is re-requested while the supplier is still available.

**A document is left in «DRAFT» and nobody closes it.**

- Shows which formalities remain unfinished

→ It is not discovered at customs clearance.