Form N293A: Combined Certificate of Judgment and Writ of Possession

Form N293A is the Combined Certificate of Judgment and Request for Writ of Fieri Facias or Writ of Possession. The "writ of possession" part is what matters to landlords: it is the High Court's version of a County Court warrant of possession. Where Form N325 asks a County Court bailiff to enforce a possession order, N293A is the form used to ask the High Court to enforce it instead, via a High Court Enforcement Officer (HCEO).

This is a niche form. Most landlords enforcing a possession order will never need it — they will use Form N325 in the County Court, as described on our N325 page. N293A only becomes relevant when there is a specific reason to move enforcement out of the County Court system altogether.

How N293A fits with Form N244

Transferring enforcement of a possession order from the County Court to the High Court is not something you can normally do simply by filling in N293A on its own. In most cases you first need the court's permission to transfer enforcement, and that permission is sought using Form N244, the general application notice — see our N244 page for how that application works.

The practical sequence looks like this:

1. Obtain the possession order in the County Court in the usual way.
2. Apply for permission to transfer enforcement to the High Court, using Form N244, setting out why you want to use High Court enforcement rather than the County Court bailiff route.
3. Once transfer is permitted (or where transfer has already taken place), complete Form N293A to certify the judgment and request the writ of possession.
4. Instruct a High Court Enforcement Officer to execute the writ and carry out the eviction.

In other words: N244 gets you permission to use the High Court route; N293A is the certificate and request that actually sets the High Court enforcement machinery in motion, in much the same way N325 sets a County Court bailiff in motion.

Why a landlord would choose the High Court route

The single biggest reason landlords consider N293A is speed. County Court bailiffs are frequently overstretched, and in busy court centres — London and the South-East especially — the wait between requesting a warrant of possession (N325) and an actual eviction date can run to several months. High Court Enforcement Officers are private, fee-charging enforcement professionals who generally move faster: appointments can often be arranged within days or a few weeks rather than months.

That speed comes at a price. HCEOs are not free — they charge their own enforcement fees on top of the court fees for the certificate and writ, and the overall cost of the High Court route is meaningfully higher than the County Court route. Before committing, get a written fee quote from the HCEO or enforcement firm you intend to instruct, so you know the total cost against the likely time saved.

When N293A is the wrong form

For the great majority of landlords, Form N325 is the right form, not N293A. The County Court warrant of possession route is cheaper, is the default and most familiar process for judges, court staff and bailiffs, and is entirely adequate where there is no urgent reason to accelerate enforcement.

N293A (via the N244 transfer route) starts to make sense only where:

• Speed genuinely matters — for example, significant ongoing losses while the property sits empty of paying tenants, or a pressing onward sale or letting that a County Court bailiff's waiting list would jeopardise; or
• County Court enforcement has stalled or repeatedly failed and the landlord needs a different enforcement route to make progress.

If neither of those applies to your situation, the extra cost of the High Court route is unlikely to be justified, and N325 remains the sensible default.

Restrictions on transferring possession enforcement

Not every possession order can be transferred to the High Court for enforcement. Court permission is generally required (via N244), and there are categories of tenancy — including some older regulated or Rent Act tenancies, and certain cases falling within specific Housing Act protections — where High Court enforcement of possession is restricted or subject to extra safeguards. We are deliberately not setting out a precise list here, because the boundaries are technical and case-specific. If you are unsure whether your tenancy falls into a restricted category, check with the court or an enforcement specialist before applying — this is exactly the kind of question a High Court Enforcement Officer or solicitor handling enforcement work will be able to answer quickly by looking at your order and tenancy type.

What to do next

1. Confirm you already have a County Court possession order.
2. Decide whether the delay you're facing (or expect to face) with a County Court bailiff genuinely justifies the extra cost of High Court enforcement — for most landlords, it will not.
3. If it does, apply for permission to transfer using Form N244, explaining the reasons for wanting High Court enforcement.
4. Once permission is granted, complete Form N293A to certify the judgment and request the writ of possession.
5. Instruct a High Court Enforcement Officer, having first obtained a clear quote for their fees.
6. If you are unsure whether your case is eligible for transfer, ask the court office or an enforcement specialist before you commit time and money to the application.

Disclaimer

This page provides general legal information about Form N293A and the High Court enforcement route for possession orders in England and Wales. It is not legal advice and should not be relied on as a substitute for advice on your specific circumstances. Tenancy Agreement Service is a publication, not a law firm, and is not regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority. Given the cost and technical complexity of transferring enforcement to the High Court — including whether your tenancy type is eligible — we recommend taking professional advice from a solicitor or a High Court Enforcement Officer before applying.