Animal Plant Health Agency
This guidance applies to businesses in Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales) exporting or moving live animals to, or through:
- the EU
- non-EU countries
- Northern Ireland
You need an export health certificate (EHC) to export live animals.
Follow the rules in this guidance to find out what you need to do.
You need to follow different guidance for:
- pet dogs, cats and ferrets
- horses
- fish and shellfish
- livestock and poultry
- endangered animals
- exporting ungulates (hooved animals) and captive-bred birds for conservation, display, education and research to the EU
Export or move live animals to the EU or Northern Ireland
You need an EHC to:
- export live animals from Great Britain to the EU
- move live animals from Great Britain to Northern Ireland
- transit through the EU and Northern Ireland
You also need to:
- get your animals checked at an EU border control post (BCP) in the first country you enter that is approved for the category of animal you are exporting
- make sure the point of entry in Northern Ireland is approved for the animals you are moving to Northern Ireland
- make sure your EU or Northern Ireland-based import agent notifies the BCP or Northern Ireland point of entry that your consignment is arriving at least 24 hours in advance
- comply with wider HMRC guidance on customs requirements for exporting to the EU
- follow HMRC guidance for moving goods from Great Britain to Northern Ireland
- follow rules on identifying animals, if you want to export or move them to the EU or Northern Ireland
Check if you need an EHC
Check the export health certificate (EHC) finder to see if a certificate exists for your animal.
If you find an EHC, follow the EHC process to export.
If you cannot find an EHC, youll need to contact the competent authority in Northern Ireland or the EU country youre exporting to, in advance, to find out what:
- paperwork youll need to fill in
- rules you need to comply with
The competent authority means the equivalent of the Department of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs in the EU country youre exporting to. DAERA is the competent authority in Northern Ireland.
If the competent authority says that you need an EHC, youll need to get their import conditions. Email the conditions to APHA at exports@apha.gov.uk wholl arrange an EHC for you.
If youre moving live animals to Northern Ireland, you do not need to pay for them to be inspected and certified. The certifier invoices the government for these costs as part of the Movement Assistance Scheme.
Checks at EU BCPs or points of entry in Northern Ireland
You must get your animals and animal products checked at an EU BCP or point of entry in Northern Ireland.
These checks are made to protect:
- animal health and welfare
- public health
Your goods may be refused entry, seized, destroyed or returned to Great Britain if they arrive at:
- a port in the EU without a BCP or where checks cannot be carried out
- an EU BCP that cannot check your type of animal
- an EU BCP without the correct documentation
Find the correct BCP for your goods
You must find a BCP that accepts the live animal youre exporting, as not all BCPs accept all live animals. Youll need to consider how to redirect your trade route if needed.
There are more than 400 BCPs in the EU and theyre usually at EU ports and airports.
Check the full list of EU BCPs.
Give advance notice to EU BCPs or points of entry in Northern Ireland
Youll need to give EU BCPs or points of entry in Northern Ireland advance notice of goods arriving.
Contact your import agent in the EU or Northern Ireland to make sure they notify the BCP through the Trade Control and Expert System (TRACES) of the arrival of the consignment.
They must give the BCP or point of entry at least 24 hours notice.
What happens if your live animals fail inspection at a BCP
If your animal fails inspection because of risks to animal or public health, it will be destroyed immediately. If the animals fail for other reasons, the BCP will:
- notify your importer or agent
- ask them to decide whether your goods should be destroyed or returned to the UK
The BCP will not usually contact you directly.
Rejected live animals
Live animals rejected at EU BCPs may, subject to a risk assessment, re-enter Great Britain through any point of entry.
Rejected goods are consignments rejected by the competent authority in an EU country. Consignments rejected for commercial reasons cannot be returned as rejected goods.
There are certain documentary requirements to return rejected goods to Great Britain from the EU. The Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) will notify you if the returned consignment needs to enter through a BCP or can enter through any point of entry.
Document requirements for rejected live animals
To return a consignment, submit an import notification on the