Import live animals and germinal products to Great Britain under Balai rules

You must follow Balai rules to import animals and germinal products (semen, ova and embryos) to Great Britain that are not covered by other rules that apply to importing live animals and germinal products from:

• EU countries
• non-EU countries

All animals and germinal products covered by Balai rules must be imported to Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales) from premises that are either registered or approved by competent authorities in EU and non-EU countries.

Your premises in Great Britain may need to be approved by APHA depending on the:

• animal or germinal product you want to import
• reason you’re importing

Approved premises are usually zoos or laboratories.

Animals and germinal products covered by Balai rules

Animals and germinal products covered by Balai rules include:

• anteaters, sloths, armadillos
• bats, for example vampire bats, flying foxes, fruit bats, gliders
• bears, for example polar, black, brown, grizzly, pandas or giant pandas
• captive-bred birds for research, conservation or display
• dogs, cats and ferrets imported commercially
• flying lemurs and flying squirrels
• germinal products from certain animals such as horses, goats, sheep, deer, dogs, cats and zoo animals, such as elephants, bisons and bears
• jackals, foxes, wolves, African wild dogs, hyaenas
• marsupials, for example, koalas, kangaroos, wombats or wallabies
• non-domestic cats like pumas, cheetahs, lions, tigers and leopards
• otters, martens, polecats, badgers, skunks, wolverines
• possums, bandicoots, bilbys, quolls and Tasmanian devils
• pig embryos
• prosimian primates, for example lemurs, bushbabies, lorises, aye ayes and tarsiers
• racing pigeons
• rabbits and hares
• raccoons, coatis and other new world procyonids
• rodents, for example, gophers, squirrels, mice, rats, hamsters, voles, beavers, gerbils
• shrews, moles and hedgehogs
• simian primates, monkeys and apes

Import pets

Dogs, cats and ferrets are commercial imports if they’re brought to Great Britain for:

• rehoming
• sale
• transfer of ownership (including rescue cats and dogs brought to Great Britain to be rehomed)

Dogs, cats and ferrets brought to Great Britain as your own pets (they’ll live with you and will not be rehomed, sold or change ownership) are also commercial imports if:

• you’re bringing in more than 5 animals
• you cannot travel to accompany your pets 5 days before or after they arrive in Great Britain

Commercial imports of pet dogs, cats and ferrets must come from:

• approved EU countries 
• approved non-EU countries

You must follow Balai rules in this guidance and the following pet travel rules for commercial imports of pet cats, dogs and ferrets:

• microchipping
• rabies vaccination
• tapeworm treatment for dogs

Dogs, cats and ferrets that do not meet pet travel rules must be quarantined when they arrive in Great Britain.

Import non-commercial pets

If they are not commercial imports, you should follow different guidance to bring:

• dogs, cats and ferrets to Great Britain
• other pets to Great Britain

Import from a registered or approved premises in EU and non-EU countries

The animals and germinal products you can import depends on whether the premises you’re importing from is registered or approved with the competent authority in the exporting country.

You can import all animals and germinal products covered by Balai rules from: 

• a registered premises, except primates
• an approved premises, including primates

The import requirements, shown on the health certificate or import licence, will depend on whether the import is coming from a registered premises or an approved premises.

Import to an approved premises in Great Britain

Your premises must be on the list of approved premises to import:

• captive-bred birds for research, display and conservation
• carnivores
• primates

Check with the APHA imports team if your premises needs to be approved to import germinal products of certain species.

Apply to get your premises approved

Complete the application form.

Email the completed form to the APHA imports team.

A vet from APHA will inspect your premises to check it meets conditions for approval. APHA will send you a list of conditions when you apply for approval.

When your premises is approved, it will be added to the list of approved premises.

Border officials will check if your premises is on the list when your import arrives in Great Britain.

Apply for a waiver for animals susceptible to rabies

If your premises is approved, you may be able to apply to waive quarantine rules for animals susceptible to rabies.

To apply for a waiver:

• complete the licence application form to import animals susceptible to rabies
• tick the box on the form to apply for the waiver

Notify APHA about about imports of live animals from the EU 

You must submit an import notification on the import of products, animals, food and feed system (IPAFFS) to tell APHA about imports of live animals from EU countries. 

You must do this at least one working day before the animals or germinal products are expected to arrive at the point of entry. 

 You’ll get a unique notification number (UNN) when you submit your import notification for the animal or product. The format of this number will be CHEDA.GB.YYYY.1XXXXXX.  

You must give the UNN to the exporter or official vet (OV) who will add it to the health certificate for your animal or product, and give you a copy.

Notify APHA about imports of germinal products from the EU 

You must submit an import notification on IPAFFS to tell APHA about imports of germinal products from the EU. 

You must do this at least one working day before the germinal products are expected to arrive at the point of entry. 

When you submit your notification in IPAFFS, you’ll get a unique notification number (UNN) for the product. The format of this number will be IMP.GB.YYYY.1XXXXXX. You must: 

1. Give the UNN to the EU exporter or official vet (OV), who must add it to the health certificate and give you a copy. 
2. Upload the signed health certificate PDF to the notification.

Notify APHA about imports from non-EU countries

You must complete part 1 of the Common Health Entry Document (CHED) on IPAFFS to tell APHA about imports of live animals and germinal products from non-EU countries.

You must do this at least one working day before the animals or germinal products are expected to arrive at the point of entry.

If you do not notify APHA before your consignment arrives at the Border Control Post (BCP), you may be charged an additional fee or your check could take longer.

Check what documents you need to import from EU and non-EU countries to Great Britain

Imports from EU and non-EU countries will need either one or both of the following documents, depending on the animal or germinal product you’re importing:

• health certificate
• import licence

Health certificates

The exporter must apply for the GB health certificate in their own country. Competent authorities should use model health certificates and any supplementary health certificates and declarations to create versions that exporters can apply for.

If the EU exporter creates a GB health certificate using TRACES, they do not need to send the original health certificate with the consignment. They must send you the official, verifiable PDF certificate from TRACES once it has been signed by the competent authority. Use this for your import notification in IPAFFS.

If the exporter does not use TRACES, the competent authority must send the original paper GB health certificate with the consignment and send you an electronic copy to attach to your import notification in IPAFFS.

Import licences

Imports of certain live animals and germinal products from non-EU countries must have an import licence or authorisation and a health certificate.

If you’re importing from the EU, you may need a licence as well as a health certificate.

You should check the list of general licences to see if there’s a licence for your animal or germinal product. If a general licence for your import does not exist, you may need to apply for one.

You must apply for a licence to import animals susceptible to rabies.

You’ll need an additional licence or authorisation if you’re importing:

• non-native species
• dangerous wild animals
• endangered animals
• captive-bred birds for research, display or conservation

Contact the APHA imports team if:

• there’s no licence for your animal or germinal product
• you’re not sure if you need a licence

Checks on imports of live animals and germinal products from the EU

Your live animal and germinal products may have document, identity and physical checks, including tests, at an approved premises (a ‘place of destination’). They must stay there for either:

• 48 hours
• the time indicated on the health certificate

Checks will depend on public and animal health risks.

Checks on live animal and germinal product imports from non-EU countries

Imports of live animals and germinal products from non-EU countries must be checked at a BCP in Great Britain.

Find an approved BCP for the animals or germinal products you’re importing.

The BCP inspector will:

• carry out the relevant checks
• complete part 2 of the CHED which records the results on IPAFFS

Fees

You must pay a fee to have your consignment from non-EU countries checked at a BCP. To find out what fees you’ll have to pay, you can:

• read about BCP inspection fees
• contact the BCP you plan to use about their operation fees

Leaving the BCP

You must not remove your consignment from the BCP or customs clearance area until official inspectors have completed and validated the CHED.

After your consignment leaves the BCP, you must:

• make sure your consignment goes directly to the destination named on the CHED
• make sure the original CHED goes with your consignment to its final destination
• comply with any movement restrictions associated with your import

Importing live animals and germinal products under Balai rules from 31 January 2024  

From 31 January 2024, live animals and germinal products from the EU will be categorised as high risk under the Border Target Operating Model (BTOM).   

You’ll need to follow the current process to:  

• notify APHA  
• check what documents you need  

Read more about importing live animals and germinal products under Balai rules under the Border Target Operating Model.

Importing live animals and germinal products from non-EU countries under Balai rules from 30 April 2024  

From 30 April 2024, live animals and germinal products from non-EU countries will be categorised as high risk under the Border Target Operating Model (BTOM).   

You’ll need to follow the current process to:  

• notify APHA  
• check what documents you need

Importing germinal products from the EU under Balai rules from 30 April 2024  

From 30 April 2024, new checks at the border on germinal products from the EU will be introduced.  

Most imports will need to enter through a point of entry with the relevant approved BCP. Under Balai rules you may still be able to use an approved premises as a place of destination for these checks.

Importing live animals from the EU under Balai rules from late 2024 

From late 2024, new checks at the border on live animals from the EU will be introduced.  

Most imports will need to enter through a point of entry with the relevant approved BCP. Under Balai rules you may still be able to use an approved premises as a place of destination for these checks.