Animal Plant Health Agency
From 30 April 2024, to import live animals or animal products from non-EU countries into Great Britain, youll need to:
- find the Border Target Operating Model (BTOM) risk category for the commodity youre importing
- follow the sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) rules for that import risk category
TheBTOMcategorises 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 BTOM risk categories for imports from the EU, 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.
BTOM 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 summary tables for animal and 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 BTOM risk assessment will continue to follow existing import processes.
How to find therisk category for animals and animal products
You can use the2 documents on this page to find the risk category for a commodity youre importing.
BTOMrisk 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 aboutBTOMrisk categories for live animals,POAOandABPs.
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.
BTOM risk categorisation spreadsheet for non-EU imports
Use the BTOM 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) to find the risk category for a specific commodity youre importing.
You can search using a commodity code or browse the list of commodities.
Composite products
From 30 April 2024 all composite products from permitted non-EU countries will be categorised as one of the following:
- in the mediumrisk category
- in the low risk category, if shelf stable at ambient temperature and sterilised
- not placed in a 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 eachrisk category
There are 3BTOMrisk categories:
- low
- medium
- high
If your consignment is in the BTOM lowrisk 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.
Lowrisk category consignments must come with a commercial document from the supplier.
If your consignment is in the BTOM 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 mediumrisk 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 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 BTOM 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 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 th