Bluetongue movement licences and designated slaughterhouses

When you need to apply for a licence

Certain movements are not permitted in a bluetongue zone or from premises which have been served a bluetongue premises or individual animal restriction notice. Some may now be permitted by a Generalgeneral Licencelicence, which is published here, or you may apply for a specific licence.

You may need to:

• download and comply with the conditions of a general licence where applicable
• apply for a specific licence for movement

General Licenceslicences

Please check carefully that the bluetongue general licence applies to you before making a movement and always download the latest version as they are updated from time to time. A copy should accompany any animals moved under the Generalgeneral Licence.licence.

Apply for a specific licence

Allow at least 5 days for your licence application to be processed where possible. Complex and high-risk movements will need extra time to process.

Make contingency plans to allow for the time it takes to be issued. Consider what steps you will need to take if the licence is refused or cannot be issued in time. 

If a specific licence is issued, it will allow a movement that is subject to certain conditions based on disease control risk.

References to animals means ruminants (for example cattle, sheep, goats, deer and other ruminants) and camelids (for example llamas and alpacas)

Premises that have any land within the restricted zone or straddle the boundary are classified as being within the zone.

Please take precautions when moving animals, checking your stock for possible signs of disease and spraying the inside of vehicles with an insecticide approved for use against flying insects prior to loading. Please only move animals when absolutely necessary.

Holdings which are in a Restricted Zone

You can download and use  EXD 603 (E) (GL) (PDF, 137 KB, 5 pages) for movements of animals kept within a restricted zone (RZ), protection zone (PZ) or surveillance zone (SZ) to a designated slaughterhouse in England or Wales, for the purpose of immediate slaughter. You do not need a licence to move to a slaughterhouse located in an RZ and this does not need to be designated. Conditions apply.

This general licence does not apply if your premises is under a bluetongue restriction notice. If you are under a bluetongue restriction notice and wish to move animals, you can apply for a specific licence.

For all other animal movements, including moves to live to premises outside the restricted zone, you must apply for a specific licence. At this time, you cannot move animals to a market outside the zone and cannot move animals purchased at a market inside the zone to destinations outside the zone. We are keeping this under review.

If you need to move germinal products from susceptible animals out of the zone, or you wish to freeze germinal products in the zone, you must obtain a specific licence. If you operate a germinal product collection centre you may apply to be designated.

Holdings with links to premises where positive cases have been confirmed also known as traced premises

An epidemiological investigation will be carried out. Restrictions appropriate to these specific circumstances will be put in place. If you need to move your animals onto and off these premises, whilst these restrictions are in place, you can apply for a specific licence.

You can also apply for a specific movement licence if there’s an urgent and genuine welfare need to move animals, including short distance moves out of the RZ.

If a welfare licence is approved, the animals will be placed under restriction. You may be asked by the APHA licensing team to organise a visit by your private vet, at your cost, to take samples from the animals after they have moved. The samples will currently be tested free of charge.

Premises where a disease investigation is being done into the possible presence of bluetongue

The keeper or occupier will be issued with a notice explaining the restrictions in place. A specific licence will be needed to move any bluetongue susceptible animal or germinal products produced from them on or off the premises.

Premises that have completed official bluetongue virus testing, and one or more polymerase chain reaction (PCR) or serology positive entire males or pregnant females are still present

Keepers will be issued with a multiple use licence (EXD595). Under this licence any animal may be moved on or off the premises, except the animals detailed in the prohibited list of the licence.

Designated slaughterhouses

Abattoirs that can slaughter animals from a bluetongue virus restricted premises under licence.

• 2045 Dovecote Park Ltd (Stapleton) (WF8 3DD)
• 2056 Linden Foods Burradon (NE23 7NB)
• 2077 Foyle Melton Mowbray (LE14 3PR)
• 2095 Hartshead Meats Ltd (OL5 0JL)
• 2141 ABP York (YO19 5GH)
• 2161 J A Jewitt (Meat) Ltd (DL16 7QD)
• 2172 Foyle Gloucester (GL14 2PH)
• 2241 Woolley Brothers (Wholesale Meats) Ltd (S20 3RW)
• 2388 Dunbia Cumbria (LA12 0LT)
• 2536 Pickstock Telford Ltd (TF1 7FA)
• 2569 Severn Valley Lamb Ltd (WS6 6AY)
• 4071 Dunbia Preston (PR5 6AJ)
• 4073 ABP Ellesmere (SY12 9BL)
• 4109 ABP Shrewsbury (SY1 4AH)
• 4133 Farmers Fresh Ltd (CV8 1NN)
• 4168 R B Elliott and Son Ltd (S44 5UN)
• 4182 ABP Kingswinford (DY6 7JS)
• 4471 Woodhead Bros, Colne (BB8 8LH)
• 4486 Dunbia Sawley (BB7 4LH)
• 5106 Dunbia Cardington (MK44 3SB)
• 5116 Dovecote Park (Skellingthorpe) (LN6 5TX)
• 5207 HG Blake (Costessey) Ltd (NR10 4DU)
• 5280 Fowler Bros (Latchingdon) Ltd (CM0 8NA)
• 5319 Romford Halal Meats Ltd (RM4 1TH)
• 5513 Woodhead Bros, Spalding (PE11 3YY)
• 6238 ABP Guildford (GU1 1RP)
• 6326 J R Meats Ltd (CT3 3HN)
• 7015 Dunbia Llanybydder (SA40 9QE)
• 7132 Farmers Fresh Wales Ltd (LL13 0TS)
• 7135 Pilgrims UK Lamb (SY18 6LX)
• 7176 St Merryn Foods, Merthyr (CF48 2TA)
• 8071 Dunbia West Devon (EX20 3HT)
• 8073 St Merryn Foods (Bodmin) (Pl31 2QB)
• 8207 ABP Sturminster (DT10 1HA)
• 8216 ABP Yetminster (DT9 6HQ)
• 8285 ABP Langport (TA10 9HG)

Always check with your usual outlet as other abattoirs may also be designated or in the process of applying for designation.