16 February 2026: Clarification on completion of certain certificates for germinal products for entry to Great Britain
Updated 22 February 2026
© Crown copyright 2026
This publication is licensed under the terms of the Open Government Licence v3.0 except where otherwise stated. To view this licence, visit nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3 or write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gov.uk.
Where we have identified any third party copyright information you will need to obtain permission from the copyright holders concerned.
This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/official-veterinary-surgeon-ovs-notes/16-february-2026-clarification-on-completion-of-certain-certificates-for-germinal-products-for-entry-to-great-britain
OVS note number: 2026/05
Date: 16 February 2026
Purpose
To advise officials undertaking official controls at designated Border Control Posts of clarification issued to trading partner Competent Authorities for certification of specified germinal products.
Background
Trading partners have asked for clarification on completion of some Great Britain EHCs and Defra have issued advice in the form of a new Import Information Note: Clarifying information: imports of live animals - IIN GEN/5. The information is copied below for ease of reference.
In model health certificate GBHC814 OE-EQU-M1: Equine ova or embryos model 1, under AH/E373A Establishment requirement, section (n) requires that the products be stored for at least 30 days after their collection or production prior to their import into Great Britain. This mandatory storage is only applicable to frozen germinal products.
Clarification: the requirement for 30-day mandatory storage is not applicable to fresh oocytes or fresh embryos for consignments containing only fresh oocytes and embryos, the wording “for a period of at least 30 days” may be manually struck through.
Contact point for enquiries
Email: gbhealthcertificates@defra.gov.uk
Imports and EU Trade Team