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Guidance

General information for imports of animal by-products - Import Information Note (IIN) GEN/3

Published 2 December 2024

© Crown copyright 2024

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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/general-information-for-imports-of-animal-by-products-import-information-note-gen3/general-information-for-imports-of-animal-by-products-import-information-note-iin-gen3

1. Important information 

Import Information Notes (IINs) are technical documents containing import requirements and are for use by importers and border officials. 

Please be aware that import conditions may be updated due to changes in policy or legislation. Please ensure that you check the current version of the IIN as well as the IIN specific to your commodity. 

Importers should note that the information given relates only to animal health and public health conditions of import. It does not give guidance on other conditions that may need to be met. 

References to European Union (EU) legislation within this document are references to direct EU legislation which has been assimilated in Great Britain (assimilated direct legislation), as defined in the Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Act 2023 and can be viewed on the UK legislation website (legislation.gov.uk). 

Please note that any links to legislation provided in this document are for information purposes only and may not be the most recent version. 

References to imports into Great Britain (GB) in any Import Information Note also includes imports into the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man.  

References to trading partners include non-EU, EU and European Free Trade Association (EFTA) countries.  

The Border Target Operating Model (BTOM) is the new approach to importing into GB that will be progressively introduced from the end of January 2024.

2. Commodity import conditions 

For commodity specific import requirements, such as production standards, permitted countries of origin, approved establishments, health certification or documentation and labelling requirements, refer to the relevant animal by-product (ABP) Import Information Note. 

3. Pre-notifications of imports  

You must use the import of products, animals, food and feed system (IPAFFS) to notify the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) of imports of animal by-products to Great Britain. 

You must submit your notification in IPAFFS at least one working day before your consignment is due to arrive. You can submit your notification up to 30 days in advance. 

4. Veterinary checks

 Consignments may only be imported through an approved Border Control Post (BCP).  

The person responsible for the consignment must give notice of the proposed entry of the consignment at least one working day before arrival (with a derogation to 4 hours before arrival if there are logistical constraints).

The notification shall be made to the inspection staff at the BCP using the Import of products, animals, food and feed system (IPAFFS).

Any other electronic means agreed with the BCP to inform about the intended arrival of a consignment in advance are not to be considered as an official pre-notification.  

Following satisfactory checks at the BCP (for which a charge is levied), consignments may then circulate freely within GB.  If the consignment does not meet the import requirements, the consignment may be rejected and either re-exported or destroyed. 

More guidance on veterinary checks on animal products

The Trade in Animals and Related Products Regulations 2011 (applicable in England).

EU Exit amendments to TARP 2011 

5. Transits 

More information about transiting animals and animal products through GB

6. Border Target Operating Model (BTOM) risk categories for animal products   

To import animal products into GB, you’ll need to:

  • find the BTOM risk category for the commodity you’re importing
  • follow the sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) rules for that import risk category

The BTOM categorises live animals, germinal products, products of animal origin (POAO) and ABPs as high risk, medium risk or low risk. Each category has different requirements.

Find import risk categories and requirements for animals and animal products imported from

7. EFTA countries and Greenland 

The UK government recognises that Norway, Switzerland and Liechtenstein implement EU veterinary legislation in relation to the movement of animals and animal products. Therefore, animals and animal products from Norway, Switzerland and Liechtenstein must comply with the same requirements and controls applying to live animals and animal products from EU Member States. This also applies to Iceland for products of animal origin for human consumption, composite products and aquaculture. 

Furthermore, in relation to imports from Faroe Islands this also applies to fishery products and aquaculture only. In relation to imports from Greenland this applies to fishery products and fish by-products only.

8. Northern Ireland (NI) 

Movements from NI 

Unfettered market access applies to qualifying NI goods moving from NI to GB. 

More information about movements from NI to GB

A notification must be submitted using IPAFFS for Category 1 and 2 ABPs (high risk). Please note however that movements of most Category 1 and 2 ABPs are prohibited. Category 3 ABPs (low risk, such as hides or pet food) must be accompanied by a commercial document.

Movements to NI 

The Windsor Framework establishes the Northern Ireland Retail Movement Scheme to move prepacked retail goods from GB (England, Scotland and Wales) into NI including POAO. 

Find out how the Northern Ireland Retail Movement Scheme will work

9. Specified risk material (SRM) 

Some ABPs derived from bovine, ovine or caprine animals must meet the relevant requirements of Regulation (EC) 999/2001, which lays down the rules for the prevention, control and eradication of transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs). 

In addition, countries or regions are categorised according to their bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) risk in a document published by the Secretary of State, with the consent of the Scottish and Welsh Ministers, in accordance with Regulation (EC) 999/2001. 

See the list for BSE risk status  

10. Safeguard measures 

Emergency safeguard action can be taken at very short notice to prohibit or restrict the importation of certain products from certain countries following an outbreak of disease or a public health issue. 

Latest information about disease outbreaks which may affect imports into the UK

Further information on the International and UK monitoring of animal diseases can be found on the animal disease monitoring website. 

Importers can get the latest news about exotic notifiable disease outbreaks from the APHA exotic notifiable disease outbreak subscription service.

11. Products of animal origin (POAO) from China under safeguard measures 

Notwithstanding the specific animal and public health conditions applicable to the products concerned, all POAO from China for human consumption (including Composite Products) or animal feed use are prohibited from being imported into GB unless they are listed in the Annex to Decision (EU) 2002/994, and comply with the requirements of Article 3 in the case of products listed in Part II of the Annex. 

12. Special arrangements for New Zealand 

There are special arrangements in place for imports of some commodities from New Zealand which are provided for in the UK-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement.  

Further information is in Annex V of Decision (EU) 2015/1084 which provides the certification requirements. 

Animals and animal products for which full equivalence have been agreed, must be accompanied by the model health certificate published on GOV.UK which complies with the model provided in Annex I of Decision (EU) 2015/1901. 

13. Legislation.gov.uk  

Consolidated legal texts, which integrate the basic instruments of assimilated EU legislation with their amendments and corrections in a single, non-official document, are available. Each consolidated text contains a list of all legal documents taken into account for its construction.  

You can search for consolidated texts by inputting the ‘document number’ and ‘year’ and then clicking the option ‘All UK Legislation (including originating from the EU)’ on legislation.gov.uk.  

Once you press ‘search’, you can find the relevant legislation listed with the full title of the legislation. Once you have selected the legislation, you may see the following message at the top of the page: 

“Changes to legislation: There are outstanding changes not yet made to XXX. Those changes will be listed when you open the content using the Table of Contents below. Any changes that have already been made to the legislation appear in the content and are referenced with annotations.”

Please note that the consolidated text may not contain the latest amendment to the legislation, as it takes several weeks for this to be updated. EU Exit amendments to legislation may take several months too. We advise to read the legislation alongside the EU Exit amendments made in the below UK laws:

Texts provided in this section are intended for information only. Please note that these texts have no legal value. For legal purposes please refer to the texts published in legislation.gov.uk. 

Further information on changes in relation to EU legislation and UK law can be found on legislation.gov.uk. Please continue to use legislation.gov.uk to find EU retained law applicable to GB. Please avoid using the EU Commission website for information on imports into GB. 

14. Contact for further information  

For more information about import requirements, contact the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) imports team:

Centre for International Trade - Carlisle
Eden Bridge House
Lowther Street
Carlisle
CA3 8DX

Email: imports@apha.gov.uk 

Telephone: 03000 200 301

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