Form

Bird gatherings: apply for a specific licence for ratites

Apply for a specific licence to hold a bird gathering of ratites (such as ostriches, emus and rheas) in England.

• From: Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs
• Published: 6 August 2025

Applies to England

Documents

How to complete the licence application form: ratite gathering

HTML

Application form and licence conditions: hold a ratite gathering

PDF, 507 KB, 6 pages

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Details

Before you apply for this licence you should: 

• read the rules on bird gathering in England to check if you can apply for this specific licence 
• check you will be able to meet the licence conditions at your event – they are listed in the annex in the application form 

Complete the form and email it to APHA at outbreak.licensing@apha.gov.uk at least 10 days before your event. Include a copy of your contingency plan. 

APHA will contact you by email to tell you the outcome of your application.  

If APHA issue you a licence, they will send you a copy of the licence with the conditions you must follow in it. 

If APHA reject your application, they will explain the reasons why and you can discuss this with the licence team.  

Get help 

If you need help completing this form, contact the APHA Licensing team. 

Email: outbreak.licensing@apha.gov.uk

Published 6 August 2025