RiskCheck import risk categories and related rules for animalanimals and animal productproducts importsimported from non-EU countries to Great BritainBritain, from 30 April 2024
Import risk categories under the Border Target Operating Model (TOM)(BTOM) for animals or animal products you’re importing from a non-EU country to Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales), and the import rules for each category.category, from 30 April 2024.
Applies to England, Scotland and Wales
Documents
Details
From 30 April 2024, to import live animals or animal products from non-EU countries into Great Britain, you’ll need to:
- find the Border Target Operating Model (
TOMBTOM) risk category for the commodity you’re importing - follow the sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) rules for that import risk category
The TOMBTOM categorises live animals, germinal products, products of animal origin (POAO) and animal by-products (ABPs) as high risk, medium risk or low risk. Each category has different requirements.
This guidance applies to imports from non-EU countries only.
There is separate guidance on TOMBTOM risk categories for imports from the EUEU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein.
Permitted countries
Exporting countries need approval to send animals and animal products to Great Britain. This is also referred to as having ‘market access’. See details of non-EU countries approved to export animals and animal products to Great Britain.
TOMBTOM risk categories for non-EU countries only apply to countries that have been subject to a risk assessment. These are:
- Argentina
- Australia
- Botswana
- Brazil
- Canada
- Chile
- China
- Ecuador
- India
- Israel
- Japan
- Namibia
- New Zealand
- Nicaragua
- Singapore
- South Africa
- South Korea
- Thailand
- Turkey
- Ukraine
- United States
- Uruguay
- Vietnam
In the TOMsummary risktables categoryfor summaryanimal tablesand animal product imports from non-EU countries to Great Britain, the phrase ‘all permitted countries’ means all countries from this list that have been approved to export a particular animal or product to Great Britain.
Other countries that have market access but have not been subject to a TOMBTOM risk assessment will continue to follow existing import processes.
How to find the TOM riskthe risk category for animals and animal products
The TOMBTOM risk category summary tables on this page can help you find the risk category for a commodity you’re importing.
TOMBTOM risk categories: summary tables for non-EU imports
Use the summary tables for animal and animal product imports from non-EU countries to Great Britain to find out about TOMBTOM risk categories for live animals, POAO and ABPs.
The tables give a summary of how different types of animals and animal products will be categorised. They do not provide the risk categories for specific commodity codes.
Composite products
From 30 April 2024 all composite products from permitted non-EU countries will be categorised as one of the following:
- in the
mediumTOMriskmedium risk category - in the low
TOM - not placed in
aTOMriska risk category because it is exempt from official import controls
Find out if your product is a composite, and if it is exempt from import controls.
Rules for each TOM riskeach risk category
There are 3 TOMBTOM risk categories:
- low
- medium
- high
If your consignment is in the low TOMBTOM risk low risk category
Continue to use the import of products, animals, food and feed system (IPAFFS) to notify authorities before the goods arrive in Great Britain.
From 30 April 2024 you will not need a health certificate.
Your goods must continue to enter Great Britain through a point of entry with a border control post (BCP) that is designated to check your commodity.
From 30 April 2024 low risk consignments will not be subject to routine documentary, identity and physical checks. However, checks may still be undertaken where intelligence indicates a specific risk.
Low TOM riskLow risk category consignments must come with a commercial document from the supplier.
If your consignment is in the medium TOMBTOM risk medium risk category
Continue to use IPAFFS to notify authorities before the goods arrive in Great Britain.
From 30 April 2024 your consignment will continue to need a health certificate issued by the competent authority in the country where the goods originate.
From 30 April 2024 products in the medium TOM riskmedium risk category will continue to enter through a BCP and be subject to documentary, identity and physical import checks.
The rate at which identity and physical checks take place may change. New check rates will be confirmed as soon as they are available, but indicative rates are set out in the Border Target Operating Model (BTOM).
If your consignment is in the high TOM riskhigh risk category
Continue to use IPAFFS to notify authorities before the goods arrive in Great Britain.
From 30 April 2024 your consignment will continue to need a health certificate issued by the competent authority in the country where the goods originate.
Most consignments in the high TOMBTOM risk high risk category are already subject to documentary, identity and physical import checks. These checks will continue in the same way after 30 April 2024.
Find out how to complete a health certificate to export animals and animal products to Great Britain.
If your consignment is in the medium or high TOM riskhigh risk categories, but there is no health certificate for your goods
If a health certificate does not exist for the goods you want to import, you may need an import licence or authorisation.
Contact the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) Animal Imports team if:
- there’s no licence or authorisation for your animal or germinal product
- you’re not sure if you need a licence or authorisation
ReviewUpdates of TOM riskto commodity risk categories
Risk factors will be reviewed regularly. Commodities may be moved into higher or lower TOM risklower risk categories in future to reflect changing levels of risk.
You’ll be notified in advance if there is a change to the TOM riskthe risk category of a commodity you have imported.
TOM riskImport risk categories for products from EU countries
TOM riskCheck the import risk categories for imports of animals and animal products from EUthe andEU, EuropeanSwitzerland, FreeNorway, TradeIceland Association (EFTA) countries are available here: Import risk categories for animals and animal products imported from the EU to Great BritainLiechtenstein.
TOM riskImport risk categories for plants and plant products
ToCheck find TOMthe BTOM risk categories for plants and plant products imported from non-EU countries, visit the UK Plant Health Information Portalcountries.
Get help
If you have any questions about notifying imports of animal products or which TOMBTOM risk category your product is in, email the APHA imports team at imports@apha.gov.uk.
Give feedback
We welcome your views on this guidance and the risk categories spreadsheet. Your feedback will help us to identify what we do well and what can be improved. Please use this form to give your feedback.
Last updated 1 February 2024 + show all updates
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We have made some textual changes as part of our ongoing review of this information. In the risk category summary tables, we have provided clarification on fishery species that are associated with histamine, by amending the following phrase "histamine (for example, scombroids)" to "histamine (that is, species of the families Scombridae, Clupeidae, Engraulidae, Coryfenidae, Pomatomidae, or Scombresosidae)".
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First published.
Update history
2025-04-01 16:37
In the summary tables the risk category and inspection rates have been updated for:- ovine, caprine and camelid meat and meat products- rendered animal fat and greaves- dairy products and colostrum-based products which contain raw milk.In the risk categorisation spreadsheet, risk categories have been added to the following commodities: 3006920000, 3302102910 and 3502119010.
2025-02-24 00:01
The inspection rate for dry untreated wool or hair has been changed to the medium M1 rate of 1%. The risk category for commodity code 5103109000 has been added.
2024-08-09 11:02
In the summary tables, the inspection rates for some products have been updated to reflect the rates set out in free trade agreements (FTAs) that Great Britain has with some permitted countries. The inspection rates for some pet food items have been amended.Some incorrect IPAFFS codes have been updated in the risk categorisation spreadsheet. Minor amendment to the risk category description for commodity 16055800 (‘Snails, other than sea snails’).
2024-06-20 09:41
Risk categorisation spreadsheet updated to reflect that all fishery products associated with histamine are classified as medium risk in all circumstances, even if it otherwise meets the low risk criteria. This is except for fish oil.Commodity ‘snails, other than sea snails’ (16055800) updated to medium or low risk. This product is low risk if shelf stable at ambient temperature (can be safely stored at room temperature in a sealed container).Note 2 has been updated in Tab 4 (References) of the risk categorisation spreadsheet, to align with Note 2 in the summary tables.
2024-05-16 17:29
In summary table 2g, the inspection rate for medium risk ovine, caprine and camelid meat and meat products for human consumption has been clarified.
2024-05-01 00:01
The searchable list with commodity codes has been updated.4 new commodities have been added (1502109010, 1502109090, 1502909010 and 1502909090).The risk category for commodity code 3507909090 has been updated to reflect that if the product isn’t derived from animal products, SPS controls don’t apply and the risk level is N/A.
2024-04-30 00:01
The guidance has been updated to reflect that all new import controls under the Border Target Operating Model came into force on 30 April 2024.
2024-04-22 15:58
Risk categorisation spreadsheet (‘BTOM risk categories for live animals and animal products imported from non-EU countries to Great Britain: searchable list with commodity codes’) added to page as a document.This spreadsheet can be used to find the risk category for a specific commodity that is being imported from a non-EU country. Search the spreadsheet using a known commodity code, or by browsing the list of commodities.
2024-04-19 15:38
New column added to summary tables showing the inspection rate of commodities. From 30 April 2024, imports will be subject to identity checks and physical checks. The percentage of times identity and physical checks will happen (the inspection rate) depends on the risk category of the commodity: high risk (100%), medium risk (between 1% and 30%) and low risk (not subject to routine inspection, but may be subject to non-routine or intelligence-led checks).Descriptions for some commodities have been edited for clarification, but no risk categories have been changed.
2024-03-26 14:19
New ‘Miscellaneous’ section added to the summary tables. This will include any products that do not fit into the existing 3 category sections.‘Hay and straw’ commodity moved out of ‘Animal by-products’ into ‘Miscellaneous’.
2024-03-06 10:12
We have added some new information for clarification. In the summary tables, in Table 3k, we have added a line to explain that apiculture products that are not for use in apiculture are categorised as low risk.
2024-02-07 11:13
Added links to new APHA import information notes (ABP/20 and ABP/46) in Table 3k of the summary tables.
2024-02-01 14:39
We have made some textual changes as part of our ongoing review of this information.In the risk category summary tables, we have provided clarification on fishery species that are associated with histamine, by amending the following phrase “histamine (for example, scombroids)” to “histamine (that is, species of the families Scombridae, Clupeidae, Engraulidae, Coryfenidae, Pomatomidae, or Scombresosidae)”.
2023-08-30 12:15
First published.