Bluetongue movement licences and designated slaughterhouses

The UK is in a seasonally vector low period. This means the risk of transmission of bluetongue is now very low. You must still have a licence to move animals out of a restricted zone.zone but you may not require a pre-movement test.

During the seasonally vector low period,  some movements are now permitted under licence directly from the restricted zone to premises in England, Scotland or Wales.

IfYou’ll movingneed to slaughterget youa:

• general mustlicence complyif withmoving theanimals conditions of the General Licence, or for movements to another premises, you must comply with the conditions of a slaughter
• specific licence subjectif to pre-movement testing with negative results.

  If you are moving aanimals pregnant female that was inseminated 6 months or more before the move, you will need a negative serology test as well as a negative PCR test. You do not need to doanother post-movement tests.

  premises

IfCheck testing is required, samples can be taken within 21 days of the movement. testing This period maybe reduced as we approach the end of the seasonally vector low period. The rules for testingmoving offspring travelling at foot with their dam have been eased. Please note there is a maximum number of animals thatto bemarket samplednot infor any one day.slaughter.

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

Check guidance on GOV.WALES for moving animals from the restricted zone into Wales.

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 movements may be permitted by a general licence, or you can 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

Get licences

a general licence

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 general licence.

General licences do not apply if your premises is under a bluetongue restriction notice. If you have been served a bluetongue premises or individual animal restriction notice and want to move animals, you can can apply for a specific licence.

General licence	What it is for
EXD634 (E) (PDF, 141 KB, 4 pages)	For movements of animals kept within a restricted zone (RZ) to a dedicated slaughter market in England or direct to a slaughterhouse in Great Britain for the purpose of immediate slaughter.
EXD639 (E) (PDF, 154 KB, 5 pages)	For the movement of bluetongue susceptible animals into or out of a restricted zone in England for emergency veterinary investigation or treatment and back within 36 hours.

Apply for a specific licence

You can can apply for a specific licence if if you need to move stockanimals out of the restricted zone or to a market and a general licence does not apply to your circumstances.

Check what you need to do if you’re moving animals to a market.

Allow at least 10 days for your licence application to be processed where possible. Complex and high-risk movements will need extra time to process. You should apply as early as possible.

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.

You maymight need to organisetest pre-movementthe testinganimals ofbefore yourthe animals. movement. APHA will will provide instructions when you apply for a licence. FindYou out howmay tobe able to get free bluetongue testing for your animals.

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

Take precautions when moving animals. Check your stock for possible signs of disease before loading.

Pre-movement testing exemptions until 23 April 2025

Until 23 April 2025, you do not need to test non-breeding animals over the age of 60 days before being moved out of the restricted zone.  This temporary change reflects the current low risk of moving these animals out of the zone, although we may end the exemption sooner if the risk of bluetongue virus transmission has increased.

If you have already applied for a movement licence and had pre-movement samples taken you will need to wait for the damresults testsbefore negativemoving your animals.

If you booked sampling for bluetongue,exempt weanimals arebefore permitting26 offspringMarch bornand it takes place on or after 131 DecemberMarch, 2024you will need to travelcontact:

• your atvet footto withcancel the damtest
• APHA’s withoutlicensing team on the application portal to confirm that the animals listed are now exempt from testing – we can then progress your application

Licences awaiting pre-movement testing.sampling or testing already booked will continue up until 31 March.

Animals that still need testing

The only animals mustyou notcurrently beneed showingto clinicaltest signsbefore ofmovement bluetongueare:

• entire males intended for breeding
• females that are pregnant or have unknown pregnancy status
• youngstock that are aged 60 days or younger at the time of samplingthe ormovement, movement.unless Thesethey animalsare cantravelling moveat fromfoot with the RZmaternal dam - in this case, you can test the maternal dam by PCR intoand England,ELISA  

If Scotlandyour animals need testing, you must take samples within 21 days of the movement.

You cannot get free testing for exempt animals. If you want to sample and test other animals you’ll need to pay privately.

Pregnant or Wales.possibly Thispregnant isfemales

If onlyyou permittedare duringmoving a pregnant cow that was inseminated 6 months or more before the SVLPmove, you will need a negative serology (ELISA) test as well as a negative PCR. test.

TakeIf precautionsyou whenare movingunsure animals.if Checkan youranimal stockis forpregnant, possibleyou signsmust ofget diseaseconfirmation from a vet.

If you cannot confirm if the animal is pregnant, you must treat the animal as pregnant and test them before loading.movement.

What you’ll need for a specific licence

You must still apply for a specific licence if your animals are exempt from testing and include:

• the registered animal identification number for all animals you intend to move on
• a declaration for the animals moving under this licence that are exempt from testing

Holdings in a restricted zone

You can use EXD634 (E) (PDF, 141 KB, 4 pages) for movements of animals kept within a restricted zone (RZ):zone:

• to a dedicated slaughter market outside the restricted zone and then directly to a slaughterhouse
• directly to a slaughterhouse outside the restricted zone for immediate slaughter, from a premises or market within the restricted zone
• holdings, markets and slaughterhouses may be located anywhere in Great Britain (England, Scotland or Wales)

The declaration of the bluetongue restricted zone (RZ) also imposed a bluetongue Infected Area which applies to the same geographical area as the RZrestricted zone which restricts the movement of animals on and off premises and in or out of the Infectedinfected Area.area. This licence EXD612(E) (GL) is published to overcome legal restrictions that would otherwise prevent movement of animals. This does not remove any obligations to comply with BTV movement restrictions and licences and does not permit the movement of animals out of a RZ.restricted zone.

You must apply for a specific licence if you needwant to to:

• move germinal products from susceptible animals out of the zone, or you wish to zone
• freeze germinal products in the zone.zone If- if you operate a germinal product collection centre you maycan apply to be designated.

Holdings or animals with a restriction notice

APHA will issue a notice to the keeper or occupier that explains the restrictions that are in place.

You can apply for a specific licence if:

• you need to move your animals or germinal products onto and off the premises while these restrictions are in place
• there is an urgent welfare need to move animals, including short distance moves out of the restricted zone

If APHA approves a welfare licence, the animals will be placed under restriction. APHA may ask you to organise a visit by your private vet, at your cost, to take samples from the animals after they have moved. The samples will be tested free of charge.

Move

Moving animals for emergency veterinary investigation or treatment in England

KeepersYou should try and get emergency veterinary investigation or treatment for bluetongue susceptible animals without moving them across a restricted zone boundary.

If this is not possible, you can use EXD639 (E) (PDF, 154 KB, 5 pages) to move animals for emergency investigation or treatment from a premises:

• in a restricted zone to a veterinary surgery in the free area and back within 36 hours
• in the free area to a veterinary surgery in a restricted zone and back within 36 hours

The premises and veterinary surgery must be in England and within 10km of a restricted zone border.

Designated slaughterhouses

Slaughterhouses do not need to be designated to slaughter animals that originate from a bluetongue restricted zone during the seasonally vector low period.