Guidance

Bovine TB: pre-movement and post-movement testing in Great Britain

How to meet statutory bovine TB testing requirements when moving cattle in Great Britain (England, Wales and Scotland), and across their borders.

Applies to England, Scotland and Wales

Documents

Details

Your cattle may need to have tuberculosis (TB) tests before and after you move them. These pre-movement and post-movement tests reduce the risk of undetected bovine TB from spreading.

England, Wales and Scotland have different testing rules. Check the guidance for the TB testing requirements of each country.

Throughout this guidance, the term ‘cattle’ includes farmed bison and Asiatic water buffalo.

A Welsh translation of the guidance is available.

Published 1 June 2018
Last updated 1 February 2024 + show all updates
  1. Guidance updated with the extension of post-movement testing requirements to the intermediate TB areas of Wales, and the re-instatement of pre-movement testing requirements for cattle moving from herds in low TB area of Wales.

  2. Updated Welsh translation to remove cross compliance requirements. These ended in England on 31 December 2023.

  3. Removed cross compliance requirements for England from Guidance: bovine TB pre-movement and post-movement testing. Cross compliance no longer applies in England from 1 January 2024.

  4. Guidance updated with the extension of post-movement testing requirements to the annual parts of the edge area of England.

  5. Guidance has been updated with changes to the pre-movement testing requirements for cattle moving from England and Wales into Scotland as of 18 May 2023.

  6. Added Welsh translation of the guidance for cattle keepers in Wales.

  7. First published.