Importing live animals, animal products and high-riskhigh risk food and feed not of animalnon-animal origin from non-EU countries to Great Britain

This guidance applies to businesses in Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales) that import or move live animals, animal products and high risk food and feed of non-animal origin (HRFNAO) from non-EU countries to Great Britain.

You should follow different rules for personal imports of animals and animal products into Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales).

You should check the current topical issuesissues, likesuch diseasesas fordiseases, that would affect your import.

YouLive needanimals, togerminal useproducts, theanimal Importby-products ofnot Products,intended Animals,for Foodhuman andconsumption Feed System (IPAFFSABP) forand imports of:

• live animals
• products of animal origin (POAO) subjectfrom tonon-EU veterinarycountries checks
• high-riskare foodcategorised andas feedlow, notmedium ofor animalhigh originrisk under the Border Target Operating Model (BTOM). HRFNAO)
• germplasm (alsois callednot included in the risk categorisation under the BTOM.  

  Read more about importing live animals and germinal products)

• animalproducts by-productsunder notBalai intendedrules under the Border Target Operating Model.

  Check import risk categories, inspection rates and related rules for humananimals consumptionand subjectanimal products imported from non-EU countries to veterinaryGreat checks

DocumentsWhere you needcan import from

HealthYou certificatescan mustonly accompanybring live animals, includingPOAO equines,and ABP into Great Britain from approved non-EU countries.

Some animals and animal products andmust HRFNAOalso importedcome from establishments approved to export to Great Britain.

Check (England,what Scotlanddocuments you need

You need a health certificate, sometimes called an official certificate, for medium and Wales),high therisk Channelimports. IslandsFor medium or Islehigh ofrisk Man.

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• an importexport licencehealth certificate (EHC) or authorisation
• aimporter commercialdeclaration document
• towhere meetone someis otheravailable. legalCompetent requirements,authorities likeshould thoseuse controllingmodel thehealth tradecertificates into endangeredcreate species

HRFNAO

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• Decisionpermits 2007/275/EC

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You Entrywill Documentneed:

• laboratory (CHED)analyses
• health tocertificates IPAFFS(official orcertificates)
• commercial emaildocuments

Laboratory aanalyses

You copymust ofprovide thefull CHEDlaboratory analyses for HRFNAO products to thescreen APHAfor Animalvarious importscontaminants. team

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    Notify authorities in Great Britain about imports from approved:outside the EU

    You need to use IPAFFS to notify a BCP before importing:

    • EUlive andanimals
    • germinal EFTAproducts
    • POAO countriessubject to veterinary checks
    • non-EUHRFNAO
    • ABP countriessubject to veterinary checks

    SomeYou animalsmust anddo animalthis productsat mustleast alsoone comeworking fromday establishmentsbefore approvedyour togoods exportare expected to Greatarrive Britain.at the point of entry.

    GettingChecks imports checked at a BCPBCPs

    MostThere consignmentsare ofchecks animalsat the border on medium and animalhigh productsrisk consignments imported from non-EU countries. 

    Low risk consignments imported from non-EU countries must beenter checkedthrough at a BCP., Contactbut thethey APHAmay Animalnot importshave teamphysical toor findidentity out if your consignment must be checked.checks.

    Finding the right BCP

    FindYou must import your animals or animal products through a UKpoint BCPof that’sentry approvedwhich tohas checkthe relevant border control point for the animals or animal products in your shipment.

    Fees

    You must pay a fee to have your consignment checked at a BCP. Find the fees for checks on live animals at a BCP or contact the product BCP you plan to use for information on the fees you’ll be charged.

    Notify

    You themay BCPalso beforehave the consignment arrives

    Use IPAFFS to notifypay the BCP of imports.

    If you do not notify the BCP before you import a consignment,common youuser maycharge. beThe chargedcommon anuser additionalcharge feeapplies orto yourcommercial checksmovements could take longer.

    You must complete part 1 of theanimal Commonproducts, Healthplants Entry Document (CHED) on IPAFFS and submitplant thisproducts tothrough the BCPPort of entryDover oneand working day before your consignment is due to arrive.Eurotunnel.

    YouFind mustout makeabout sureBCP the original health certificate travels with the consignment.charges.

    When your consignment arrives

    When your consignment arrives, port operators may charge you to move it to the BCP.

    Official veterinarians or inspectors at the BCP willmay then check the consignment. This may also include a physical check.

    The result of the check will be recorded on IPAFFS and officials will give you a completed and validated common health entry document (CHED.).

    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

    ABP: confirm goods have arrived at their destination if they need channelling  

    ‘Channelling’ is where an ABP consignment must be moved directly from the point of entry to the approved point of destination. All precautions, including safe disposal of waste, must be taken to avoid risks of spreading diseases to animals or humans.  

    The recipient must tell APHA within one day of the goods arriving at the destination.  

    For low risk goods, the import risk summary table will tell you if your import needs channelling.   

    The following medium risk ABPs are subject to channelling:  

    • those intended for the manufacture of feed for fur animals, petfood other than raw petfood, and for derived products for uses other than for feeding farmed animals   
    • rendered fats which are not destined for the production of feed for farmed animals, the manufacture of cosmetics, medicinal products or medical devices   
    • fat derivatives  
    • photogelatine  
    • horns and horn products, excluding horn meal, and hooves and hoof products, excluding hoof meal, intended for the production of organic fertilizers or soil improvers   
    • trade samples  

    Untreated blood and blood products require channelling if all the following is true: 

    • they are for the manufacture of derived products for uses other than feeding farmed animals   
    • they have been derived from animals belonging to the taxa Artiodactyla, Perissodactyla (excluding Equidae) and Proboscidea, including their crossbreeds  
    • they come from a country or region where vaccination programmes against foot-and-mouth disease are being officially carried out and controlled in domestic ruminant animals for at least 12 months 

    Untreated blood products from animals other than Suidae, Tayassuidae and Equidae require channelling if they come from countries or regions where:  

    • there have been recorded cases of vesicular stomatitis and bluetongue in the previous 12 months  
    • vaccination programmes against vesicular stomatitis and bluetongue are being officially carried out against those diseases for at least 12 months in the susceptible animals  

    Untreated blood products from Suidae and Tayassuidae animals require channelling if they come from countries or regions where:  

    • no case of swine vesicular disease, classical swine fever and African swine fever has been recorded in the previous 12 months and vaccination has not been carried out against those diseases in those 12 months   
    • cases of vesicular stomatitis (including the presence of seropositive animals) have been recorded in the previous 12 months and vaccination has been carried out against this disease within those 12 months in the susceptible species

    Animal welfare when importing live animals

    You must make sure you meet animal welfare standards when transporting live animals.

    Endangered species

    You need to check if your import is on the list of endangered species covered by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES).. If your import is on the CITES list, you may need to apply for a CITES permit before importing.

    Display, laboratory and research animals

    You need to follow different rules, known as the Balai Directive, if you’re importing display, laboratory and research animals, including those used in conservation or education programmes.

    Transiting live animals and animal products through Great Britain Britain

    Read guidance about moving live animals and animal products from one country to another and transiting Great Britain, known as ‘landbridge’ movements.

    Importing animals and animal products from non-EU countries to Great Britain that transit through the EU EU  

    There are different requirements to import live animals, germinal products, ABP and POAO if they start their journey in a non-EU country then travel through the EU on their way to Great Britain. Britain.

    Imports of HRFNAO have specific import conditions on entry into Great Britain and must always follow the rules for imports from non-EU countries, even if they transit the EU.  EU.

    Read guidance below specific to your import to find out more about the requirements.

    Equines imported or moved to Great Britain through the EU, Norway or Northern Ireland

    Normally, equines (horses and donkeys) imported or moved to Great Britain from a non-EU country need to enter Great Britain through a BCP, unless they come from Norway or Northern Ireland.

    If they have passed animal health inspections at a recognised EU BCP then they do not need to enter Great Britain through a BCP.

    Read guidance about the EU’s digital certification and management platform (TRACES).

    If you cannot prove that the equines you’re importing have passed an animal health inspection at an EU BCP, they must enter through a point of entry with the relevant approved BCP.

    An APHA veterinary officer will inspect an equine and relevant documentation again if APHA:

    • decides the equine requires another animal health inspection
    • suspects any non-compliance

    Live animals, germinal products and ABP 

    Live animals, germinal products and ABP subject to veterinary checks that originate in a non-EU country and travel through the EU before arriving in Great Britain do not need to enter Great Britain at an established point of entry with the relevant authorised BCP if they meet all the following requirements: 

    • the goods have a GB health certificate certified in the third country of origin origin
    • a Great Britain importer has notified on IPAFFS at least one working day before the expected time of arrival at the point of entry – select the EU member state the goods are travelling from as the ‘country of origin’ origin’
    • you can show proof of a successful health inspection – you can upload the common health entry document (CHED) to the IPAFFS notification notification

    If the goods have not met these requirements, then they must: must:

    • be notified on IPAFFS at least one working day before the expected time of arrival at the point of entry – select the non-EU country the consignment originated from as the ‘country of origin’ origin’
    • have a GB health certificate
    • enter Great Britain at a point of entry with the relevant authorised BCP for document, identity and physical checks checks

    Products of animal origin (POAO) 

    If your consignment of POAO has undergone full animal and public health checks and has been cleared for circulation on the EU market, follow the guidance to import food and drink (POAO) from the EU to Great Britain. .

    Other consignments of POAO from non-EU countries must: must:

    • be notified usingon IPAFFS at least one working day before the expected time of arrival at the point of entry – select the non-EU country the consignment originated from as the ‘country of origin’ origin’
    • have a GreatGB Britain health certificate 
    • enter Great Britain at a point of entry with the relevant authorised BCP for document, identity and physical checks

    Contact APHA for help

    Contact the APHA Animal imports team for help.