Bluetongue movement licences and designated slaughterhouses
When you need to use movement licences.
Applies to England, Scotland and Wales
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 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.
You’ll need to get a:
- general licence if moving animals to slaughter
- specific licence if moving animals to another premises
Check the testing rules for moving animals to market not for 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
Get 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 apply for a specific licence.
| General licence | What it is for |
|---|---|
| For movements of animals kept within a restricted zone to a dedicated slaughter market in England or direct to a slaughterhouse in Great Britain for the purpose of immediate slaughter. | |
| 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 apply for a specific licence if you need to move animals 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 might need to test the animals before the movement. APHA will provide instructions when you apply for a licence. You may be 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
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Licences awaiting pre-movement sampling or testing already booked will continue up until 31 March.
Animals that still need testing
The only animals you currently need to test before movement are:
- 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 the movement, unless they are travelling at foot with the maternal dam - in this case, you can test the maternal dam by PCR and ELISA
If your 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 possibly pregnant females
If you are moving a pregnant cow that was inseminated 6 months or more before the move, you will need a negative serology (ELISA) test as well as a negative PCR test.
If you are unsure if an animal is pregnant, you must get confirmation from a vet.
If you cannot confirm if the animal is pregnant, you must treat the animal as pregnant and test them before 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 for movements of animals kept within a restricted 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 also imposed a bluetongue Infected Area which applies to the same geographical area as the restricted zone which restricts the movement of animals on and off premises and in or out of the infected 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 restricted zone.
You must apply for a specific licence if you want to:
- move germinal products from susceptible animals out of the zone
- freeze germinal products in the zone - if you operate a germinal product collection centre you can 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.
Moving animals for emergency veterinary investigation or treatment in England
You 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 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.
Updates to this page
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We have clarified what you should do if you have already applied for a movement licence under the temporary pre-movement testing exemption rules.
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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. More information about this temporary change in pre-movement testing rules has been added.
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Updated general licence EXD634 (E). Added a new general licence EXD639 (E) 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.
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We've added a sentence to say there is a maximum number of animals that be sampled in any one day.
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Updated the general licence for movements of animals from within a bluetongue restricted zone to slaughter during the seasonal vector low period (EXD634(E)).
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When moving a 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. Updated information on the page to clarify.
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Information had been added about the seasonally low vector period, the timeframe for samples and moving animals from restricted zones into Wales.
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Updated general licence EXD634 to move animals kept within a restricted zone (RZ) to a slaughterhouse in England or Wales, for the purpose of immediate slaughter.
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Guidance has been updated to reflect a policy change.
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The UK is now in a seasonally vector low period (SVLP) and the guidance has been updated to reflect this. Use general licence EXD634 (E) for movements of animals kept within a restricted zone (RZ), to a dedicated slaughter market in England or direct to slaughterhouse in Great Britain, for the purpose of immediate slaughter. Slaughterhouses do not need to be designated during the SVLP. Removed licences and information about temporary control zones as these do not apply in the SVLP.
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Removed information about laboratory services, licence applications and deadlines over the Christmas period.
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The processing of movement licence applications and tests will take longer over the Christmas period, so you will need to allow extra time. Information on cut-off times and turnaround times has been added to the page.
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Added one new entry to the list of designated slaughterhouses in Yorkshire and the Humber.
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Added content on where to find information on licences relating to slaughter and breeding markets.
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Updated general licence EXD630 (E) - General licence for movements of animals from within a bluetongue zone to a Designated slaughterhouse for slaughter during a period of low risk of transmission.
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Added C & S Meats Ltd (8354), Sherborne DT9 6HX to list of South West slaughterhouses.
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Added 'General licence for movements of animals from within a bluetongue zone to a Designated slaughterhouse for slaughter during a period of low risk of transmission (EXD630 (E))'
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Updated general licence EXD 603. Check carefully that the updated bluetongue general licence applies to you before making a movement and always download the latest version.
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Added Dunbia Jaspers (8113), AC Hopkins (Taunton) Ltd (8184) and H P Westwood Ltd (4256) to list of slaughterhouses.
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Added Mutchmeats Ltd (6207), Witney OX29 7GX to South East list of slaughterhouses.
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Added Ken Ballard Ltd (6128), Tonbridge TN12 9HS to South East list of slaughterhouses.
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Removed links to the movement licences EXD 606 (E) and EXD 608 (E). These licences are now hosted on a different web page: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/bluetongue-approved-slaughter-markets-and-designated-breeding-sales
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Added 2 new general licences - EXD 606 (E) and EXD 608 (E). Updated the list of designated slaughterhouses for West Midlands and Yorkshire and the Humber.
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Added designated slaughterhouses in the North East and South West.
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Moved information about slaughter markets to a new page. The new page is titled: bluetongue-approved slaughter markets and breeding sales.
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Updated the list of designated slaughterhouses: added new abbatoirs for East Midlands, North West and South West.
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Updated the list of designated slaughterhouses for East Midlands and North West.
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Added new entries to the list of bluetongue approved slaughter markets.
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Added 1 new designated slaughterhouse in Yorkshire and the Humber.
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The page was updated to add a designated slaughterhouse in the East Midlands.
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The page has been updated to add 2 additional designated slaughterhouses in South West England.
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Removed information about 'Premises that have completed official bluetongue virus testing' that is now out of date.
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Added new designated slaughterhouses in the West Midlands and Yorkshire and the Humber.
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The page has been updated to add to the list of bluetongue approved slaughter markets.
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Added new designated slaughterhouses in East Midlands, South West, West Midlands, and Yorkshire and the Humber. Corrected the postcode of designated slaughterhouse John Penny and Sons (2285) in Leeds.
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Updated general licence EXD627 for movements of animals kept within a restricted zone, protection zone or surveillance zone to a Red Market outside of bluetongue zones for the purpose of sale for immediate slaughter.
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The page has been updated to add new designated slaughterhouses.
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Added new entries to the list of designated slaughterhouses.
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The page has been updated to add a designated slaughterhouse.
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The page has been updated to add designated slaughterhouses and approved markets.
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Added a licence for movements from bluetongue zones to approved slaughter markets (or 'red markets') outside bluetongue zones. Added a licence for movements from approved slaughter markets to designated slaughterhouses or restricted zone slaughterhouses.
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Updated the list of abattoirs that can slaughter animals from a bluetongue virus restricted premises under licence.
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Updated the list of designated slaughterhouses
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Added 4152 Beesons Ltd (CW1 5QF) to designated slaughterhouses.
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Updated general licences EXD 601 and EXD 603. Check carefully that the updated bluetongue general licence applies to you before making a movement and always download the latest version.
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Added 4 new general licences.
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Added EXD 612 (E) (GL) licence.
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Added 2045 Dovecote Park Ltd (Stapleton) (WF8 3DD) to Designated Slaughterhouses, removed Approval to move under the Movement of Animals Restrictions Order.
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Added general licence EXD 612 and updated the page with latest information
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Added general licence EXD 603 (E) (GL) 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.
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Added general licence EXD601 for movements of animals kept within or outside a Temporary Control Zone (TCZ) to a slaughterhouse located in a TCZ in England, for the purpose of immediate slaughter. Also updated general licence EXD602 as it now applies to Wales as well as England.
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Updated the landing page by adding links to pdf versions of general licences EXD602 (E), EXD610 (E) and EXD611 (E). Also made updates with further information as a result of recent bluetongue cases.
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Updated the landing page to reflect changes caused as a result of a recent bluetongue case.
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Added a new entry to the list of designated slaughterhouses
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Abattoir added to the list of designated slaughterhouses.
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Added J A Jewitt (Meat) Ltd (DL16 7QD) and ABP Kingswinford (DY6 7JS) to designated slaughterhouses.
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Added 2536 Pickstock Telford Ltd, 2569 Severn Valley Lamb Ltd and 8071 Dunbia West Devon to the list of designated slaughterhouses.
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Abattoirs added to the list of designated slaughterhouses.
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Abattoirs added to the list of designated slaughterhouses.
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Abattoirs added to the list of designated slaughterhouses.
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Abattoirs added to the list of designated slaughterhouses.
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Abattoir added to the list of designated slaughterhouses.
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First published.