Bluetongue: moving animals within the restricted zone
The rules to follow when moving animals within a restricted zone, including to markets, shows and slaughterhouses.
Applies to England
References to ‘animals’ means ruminants (for example, cattle, sheep, goats and deer) and camelids (for example, llamas and alpacas).
If you are planning to move animals from England to Scotland you should follow the guidance on movement licences and pre-movement tests in Scotland.
If you are planning to move animals from England to Wales you should follow the guidance on movement licences and pre-movement tests in Wales.
Moving animals in England
As of 1 July 2025, the whole of England is in a bluetongue restricted zone. This means that to move animals within England, you:
- do not need a specific licence
- do not need pre-movement tests
- just need to meet the conditions of general licence
This applies if you are moving animals to a market, show, slaughterhouse or anywhere else within the restricted zone.
The declaration of the bluetongue restricted zone also imposed a bluetongue Infected Area which applies to the same geographical area as the restricted zone which restricts the movement of animals on and off premises and in or out of the infected area. Licence is published to overcome legal restrictions that would otherwise prevent movement of animals. This does not remove any obligations to comply with BTV movement restrictions and licences and does not permit the movement of animals out of a restricted zone.
Holdings or animals with a restriction notice
APHA will issue a notice to the keeper or occupier that explains the restrictions that are in place.
You can apply for a specific licence if:
- you need to move your animals onto and off the premises while these restrictions are in place
- there is an urgent welfare need to move animals, including short distance moves out of the restricted zone
In the second scenario listed above, if APHA then approves a welfare licence, the animals will be placed under restriction. APHA may ask you to organise a visit by your private vet, at your cost, to take samples from the animals after they have moved.
All restriction notices issued to individual holdings and animals that were in place before 1 July 2025 will be lifted in due course from 1 July.
Designated slaughterhouses
Slaughterhouses in England do not need to be designated to slaughter animals.
Shows put into a restricted zone after they have started
If you have an animal at a show that is put into a restricted zone, you can move the animal to another premises in the restricted zone without a licence.
Bluetongue suspicion or confirmation at a show in the restricted zone
If bluetongue is suspected at the showground, the animal keeper or show organiser must immediately notify the APHA with details of the animal.
The process for investigations into suspected bluetongue in the England restricted zone has changed. If the infection is suspected to be bluetongue by the APHA duty vet the show can continue as normal.
However, APHA may apply restrictions and other disease control measures if we identify other serotypes or other diseases cannot be ruled out, and APHA will provide advice on what this means for the show.
Animals presenting with clinical signs must not be moved from the show ground.
Updates to this page
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We have updated the rules for moving animals within a restricted zone (including to markets, shows and slaughterhouses) now that the restricted zone covers the whole of England.
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Updated general licence for moving animals from a restricted zone to slaughter in England or Wales (EXD634). Added a new general licence for moving animals from a restricted zone to slaughter in Scotland (EXD603).
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This page now applies to England only. Pre-movement testing exemptions have been extended to 30 June for England. Updated guidance on where to find designated slaughterhouses in Great Britain.
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From 27 May 2025, the length of time that pre-movement test samples are valid is changing from 21 days to 10 days.
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Pre movement testing exemptions have been extended to 12 June 2025.
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Updated the list of animals that still require pre-movement testing to include movements of animals for germinal product collection.
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Updated the guidance. Pre-movement testing exemptions have been extended to 15 May 2025.
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Updated general licence for moving animals from a restricted zone to slaughter during the low transmission period (EXD634 (E)). Updated general licence for moving animals into or out of a restricted zone in England for emergency veterinary care during the low transmission period (EXD639 (E)).
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We have clarified what you should do if you have already applied for a movement licence under the temporary pre-movement testing exemption rules.
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Until 23 April 2025, you do not need to test non-breeding animals over the age of 60 days before being moved out of the restricted zone. This temporary change reflects the current low risk of moving these animals out of the zone. More information about this temporary change in pre-movement testing rules has been added.
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Updated general licence EXD634 (E). Added a new general licence EXD639 (E) for the movement of bluetongue susceptible animals into or out of a restricted zone in England for emergency veterinary investigation or treatment and back within 36 hours.
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We've added a sentence to say there is a maximum number of animals that be sampled in any one day.
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Updated the general licence for movements of animals from within a bluetongue restricted zone to slaughter during the seasonal vector low period (EXD634(E)).
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When moving a pregnant female that was inseminated 6 months or more before the move, you will need a negative serology test as well as a negative PCR test. Updated information on the page to clarify.
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Information had been added about the seasonally low vector period, the timeframe for samples and moving animals from restricted zones into Wales.
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Updated general licence EXD634 to move animals kept within a restricted zone (RZ) to a slaughterhouse in England or Wales, for the purpose of immediate slaughter.
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Guidance has been updated to reflect a policy change.
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The UK is now in a seasonally vector low period (SVLP) and the guidance has been updated to reflect this. Use general licence EXD634 (E) for movements of animals kept within a restricted zone (RZ), to a dedicated slaughter market in England or direct to slaughterhouse in Great Britain, for the purpose of immediate slaughter. Slaughterhouses do not need to be designated during the SVLP. Removed licences and information about temporary control zones as these do not apply in the SVLP.
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Removed information about laboratory services, licence applications and deadlines over the Christmas period.
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The processing of movement licence applications and tests will take longer over the Christmas period, so you will need to allow extra time. Information on cut-off times and turnaround times has been added to the page.
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Added one new entry to the list of designated slaughterhouses in Yorkshire and the Humber.
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Added content on where to find information on licences relating to slaughter and breeding markets.
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Updated general licence EXD630 (E) - General licence for movements of animals from within a bluetongue zone to a Designated slaughterhouse for slaughter during a period of low risk of transmission.
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Added C & S Meats Ltd (8354), Sherborne DT9 6HX to list of South West slaughterhouses.
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Added 'General licence for movements of animals from within a bluetongue zone to a Designated slaughterhouse for slaughter during a period of low risk of transmission (EXD630 (E))'
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Updated general licence EXD 603. Check carefully that the updated bluetongue general licence applies to you before making a movement and always download the latest version.
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Added Dunbia Jaspers (8113), AC Hopkins (Taunton) Ltd (8184) and H P Westwood Ltd (4256) to list of slaughterhouses.
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Added Mutchmeats Ltd (6207), Witney OX29 7GX to South East list of slaughterhouses.
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Added Ken Ballard Ltd (6128), Tonbridge TN12 9HS to South East list of slaughterhouses.
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Removed links to the movement licences EXD 606 (E) and EXD 608 (E). These licences are now hosted on a different web page: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/bluetongue-approved-slaughter-markets-and-designated-breeding-sales
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Added 2 new general licences - EXD 606 (E) and EXD 608 (E). Updated the list of designated slaughterhouses for West Midlands and Yorkshire and the Humber.
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Added designated slaughterhouses in the North East and South West.
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Moved information about slaughter markets to a new page. The new page is titled: bluetongue-approved slaughter markets and breeding sales.
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Updated the list of designated slaughterhouses: added new abbatoirs for East Midlands, North West and South West.
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Updated the list of designated slaughterhouses for East Midlands and North West.
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Added new entries to the list of bluetongue approved slaughter markets.
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Added 1 new designated slaughterhouse in Yorkshire and the Humber.
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The page was updated to add a designated slaughterhouse in the East Midlands.
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The page has been updated to add 2 additional designated slaughterhouses in South West England.
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Removed information about 'Premises that have completed official bluetongue virus testing' that is now out of date.
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Added new designated slaughterhouses in the West Midlands and Yorkshire and the Humber.
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The page has been updated to add to the list of bluetongue approved slaughter markets.
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Added new designated slaughterhouses in East Midlands, South West, West Midlands, and Yorkshire and the Humber. Corrected the postcode of designated slaughterhouse John Penny and Sons (2285) in Leeds.
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Updated general licence EXD627 for movements of animals kept within a restricted zone, protection zone or surveillance zone to a Red Market outside of bluetongue zones for the purpose of sale for immediate slaughter.
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The page has been updated to add new designated slaughterhouses.
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Added new entries to the list of designated slaughterhouses.
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The page has been updated to add a designated slaughterhouse.
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The page has been updated to add designated slaughterhouses and approved markets.
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Added a licence for movements from bluetongue zones to approved slaughter markets (or 'red markets') outside bluetongue zones. Added a licence for movements from approved slaughter markets to designated slaughterhouses or restricted zone slaughterhouses.
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Updated the list of abattoirs that can slaughter animals from a bluetongue virus restricted premises under licence.
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Updated the list of designated slaughterhouses
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Added 4152 Beesons Ltd (CW1 5QF) to designated slaughterhouses.
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Updated general licences EXD 601 and EXD 603. Check carefully that the updated bluetongue general licence applies to you before making a movement and always download the latest version.
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Added 4 new general licences.
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Added EXD 612 (E) (GL) licence.
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Added 2045 Dovecote Park Ltd (Stapleton) (WF8 3DD) to Designated Slaughterhouses, removed Approval to move under the Movement of Animals Restrictions Order.
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Added general licence EXD 612 and updated the page with latest information
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Added general licence EXD 603 (E) (GL) for movements of animals kept within a restricted zone (RZ), protection zone (PZ) or surveillance zone (SZ) to a designated slaughterhouse in England or Wales, for the purpose of immediate slaughter.
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Added general licence EXD601 for movements of animals kept within or outside a Temporary Control Zone (TCZ) to a slaughterhouse located in a TCZ in England, for the purpose of immediate slaughter. Also updated general licence EXD602 as it now applies to Wales as well as England.
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Updated the landing page by adding links to pdf versions of general licences EXD602 (E), EXD610 (E) and EXD611 (E). Also made updates with further information as a result of recent bluetongue cases.
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Updated the landing page to reflect changes caused as a result of a recent bluetongue case.
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Added a new entry to the list of designated slaughterhouses
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Abattoir added to the list of designated slaughterhouses.
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Added J A Jewitt (Meat) Ltd (DL16 7QD) and ABP Kingswinford (DY6 7JS) to designated slaughterhouses.
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Added 2536 Pickstock Telford Ltd, 2569 Severn Valley Lamb Ltd and 8071 Dunbia West Devon to the list of designated slaughterhouses.
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Abattoirs added to the list of designated slaughterhouses.
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Abattoirs added to the list of designated slaughterhouses.
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Abattoirs added to the list of designated slaughterhouses.
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Abattoirs added to the list of designated slaughterhouses.
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Abattoir added to the list of designated slaughterhouses.
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First published.