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Guidance

Check if you need a CITES permit to import or export endangered species

Check if your import, export or re-export needs a permit or certificate under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).

From:
Animal and Plant Health Agency and Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs
Published
1 January 2013
Last updated
23 June 2026 — See all updates

You must apply for a permit if you’re moving a CITES specimen either into or out of Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales). This includes moving a specimen to or from:

  • the EU
  • non-EU countries
  • Northern Ireland
  • Jersey, Guernsey or the Isle of Man

The Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) is responsible for issuing CITES permits to move species to and from Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

You must also contact the management authority of the country you are moving the species to or from, to get the corresponding import or export permit. Having a permit from APHA does not guarantee that the other country or countries will also issue a permit.

A specimen is a living or dead animal or plant (or any of its parts or derivatives), or an item made from these.

An import, export or re-export permit is an official document that confirms you can move a specimen that is listed by CITES.

If you do not have a valid permit or certificate for moving or trading CITES listed species, you could be liable to a prison sentence of up to 7 years, an unlimited fine, or both.

How to apply

You should:

As part of your application, find the trade term code.

You must get a permit for any species listed on Annex A, B or C in Species+.

You can only import specimens of Annex A species in exceptional circumstances. This is to avoid endangering the species further. Contact the APHA team for endangered plant and animal species for more detailed advice if you want to import a specimen of an Annex A species.

Check if additional measures (stricter controls) apply

Before you apply for a permit, you must check if stricter controls apply to your specimen. 

In the UK, there are stricter controls for:   

  • tigers (Panthera tigris) and any parts or derivatives 
  • bear (Ursidae) bile, paws and gall bladders 
  • rhino (Rhinocerotidae) and rhino horn 

Some stricter controls apply to specimens you’re trading for commercial purposes. This means you plan to:

  • use it for commercial gain in any way
  • keep, offer or transport it for sale
  • display it for commercial purposes
  • breed it to sell its offspring (even if you do not plan to sell the parent)

Tigers  

You cannot trade live wild taken tigers and dead tiger parts and derivatives for commercial purposes. APHA will not issue you a CITES permit or certificate.

 Exemptions apply if the specimen:  

  • qualifies as a ‘worked specimen’ – check if your item is a worked specimen
  • is a live captive-bred specimen that you’re moving as part of a conservation breeding, education or research programme or for welfare reasons 

If you plan to trade or move tiger specimens, you must email APHA before you apply at wildlife.licensing@apha.gov.uk.

Bears

You cannot trade bear bile, paws or gall bladders for commercial purposes. APHA will not issue you a CITES permit or certificate. This applies even if the animal was captive-bred.

If you plan to trade or move bear specimens, you must email APHA before you apply at wildlife.licensing@apha.gov.uk.

Rhino

If your specimen is a live rhino, you can only get a permit to import or export it for an official breeding programme or scientific research project.

You cannot re-export any specimens of rhino horn, unless there are exceptional circumstances. This applies even if the specimen is a worked item acquired before 3 March 1947.

You cannot sell an unworked specimen of rhino horn within Great Britain, no matter when you acquired it.

You can check if your item is a worked specimen.

If you plan to trade or move rhino specimens, you must email APHA before you apply at wildlife.licensing@apha.gov.uk.

Exemptions for personal and household effects 

In some specific circumstances, you do not need CITES documentation to move personal and household items that contain a CITES specimen.  

You do not need a CITES permit for the following items if they are carried in your personal luggage and intended for personal use (allowance is per person):  

  • 125 grams of caviar (Acipenseriformes spp), in containers that are individually marked in accordance with Article 66(6)  
  • 3 rainsticks of Cactaceae spp  
  • 4 worked items containing Crocodylia spp (excluding meat and hunting trophies)   
  • 3 shells of Queen conch (Strombus gigas)  
  • 4 dead specimens of seahorse (Hippocampus spp)  
  • 3 specimens of giant clam (Tridacnidae spp) not more than 3kg in total, where a specimen can be one intact shell or 2 matching halves  
  • up to 1kg woodchips, 24ml oil, and 2 sets of beads or prayer beads (or 2 necklaces or bracelets) of agarwood (Aquilaria and Gyrinops species)

You may not need a permit for other CITES specimens that are personal and household effects. This could include clothing, shoes, jewellery, household furniture, antiques, hunting trophies and some holiday souvenirs.  

This exemption is known as a ‘personal effects derogation’. It does not apply:  

  • for live specimens  
  • for specimens with additional measures (stricter controls) 
  • in some countries – you must check the requirements of the country where you’re moving the items  

Contact APHA if you plan to import, export or re-export a personal or household item that you think includes a CITES specimen by emailing wildlife.licensing@apha.gov.uk.

Other permits and certificates

You can apply to import Annex C specimens. To do this you’ll need to get an import notification form by emailing APHA at wildlife.licensing@apha.gov.uk or phoning 03000 200 301.

Commercial use

If you plan to use any specimen listed by CITES in Annex A for commercial purposes, you must get a commercial use certificate. This is known as an Article 10 or Article 60 certificate. 

If you’re importing an Annex A specimen to sell it, you may be able to get a permit that can be used instead of an Article 10 or Article 60 certificate. Contact APHA for more information by emailing wildlife.licensing@apha.gov.uk.

Check if you need a commercial use certificate and see how to apply.

Musical instruments, museums, art exhibitions and touring displays

In some cases, you may need to move CITES specimens across international borders several times. For example, endangered species or specimens that are part of a:

  • touring orchestra
  • museum exhibit
  • art exhibition
  • touring display or circus

You can apply for a travelling exhibition certificate for these purposes, rather than an import, export or re-export permit for each movement.

Travelling exhibition certificates are valid for 3 years and cover all movements within this time frame.

If you do not own the CITES specimen, you must get the owner’s written authorisation to apply on their behalf. You must submit this with your application.

If the CITES specimen is a musical instrument and your movement is not for commercial purposes, you can instead apply for a musical instrument certificate. There is no fee for a musical instrument certificate.

Ivory

Read the guide on dealing in items containing ivory or made of ivory if you intend to trade or move ivory (teeth or tusks, and items made from them) from any of the following species:

  • elephant
  • common hippopotamus
  • killer whale
  • narwhal
  • sperm whale

Retrospective permits

If your CITES specimens have entered or left Great Britain or Northern Ireland without the relevant permits, contact APHA by emailing wildlife.licensing@apha.gov.uk, as you may need to apply for a retrospective permit.

Replacement permits

You can only apply for a replacement if your official validated permit is:

  • cancelled
  • lost
  • stolen
  • accidentally destroyed

APHA only issues replacement permits if the specimen has not left or entered Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

You can only apply for a replacement permit by emailing APHA at wildlife.licensing@apha.gov.uk.

Before you receive your permit

Until you have the correct CITES permit, you should not:

  • ship or travel with specimens
  • make any payments for specimens
  • enter into contracts over specimens

You must check:

Check with the CITES management authority of the country of import or export before you move any items you cannot identify.

How long it takes

APHA reviews each application individually and aims to process your application within 30 days. Your application may need to be reviewed by scientific advisers at either:

  • the Royal Botanical Garden, Kew – for plants
  • the Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC) – for animals

If your application is accepted, you’ll get a printed, signed and stamped permit or certificate in the post. If your application is refused, APHA will send you a letter explaining why.

After you receive your permit

After you receive your permit, you’ll need to:

Importing or exporting your species

There are different processes depending on if you plan to move the CITES-listed species yourself, or if you plan to send them by post.

Before you apply, check the guidance on how to:

Returned goods

If your CITES specimen has been exported from Great Britain but is rejected by the importing country, contact APHA at wildlife.licensing@apha.gov.uk to let them know it’s been rejected. You’ll need to get CITES documents to re-import the items into Great Britain. When contacting APHA, you need to supply:

  • evidence that the specimen was legally exported from Great Britain
  • the reason the importing country has rejected it

Marking specimens

You must mark specimens according to European regulation Article 66 of Commission Regulation (EC) No 865/2006. The marking needed depends on what the specimen is.

Most live specimens must have one of the following:

Get help

If you need further advice or support with your application, contact APHA at wildlife.licensing@apha.gov.uk.

Updates to this page

Published 1 January 2013
Last updated 23 June 2026 Show all updates

  1. Added guidance on additional measures (stricter controls) that apply to certain CITES species. Updated the guidance on exemptions for personal and household effects and when they do not apply (such as for specimens with additional measures). Updated references to commercial use certificates to also cover Article 60 certificates. Updated guidance on certificates for musical instruments, museums, art exhibitions and touring displays, under ‘Other permits and certificates’.

  2. Edited section on ivory to include ivory from common hippopotamuses, killer whales, narwhals and sperm whales.

  3. When notifying APHA that your CITES specimen has been rejected by the importing country, you need to supply evidence that the specimen was legally exported from Great Britain and the reason the importing country has rejected it.

  4. Added Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man to the list of places that a CITES permit is needed for. Added that APHA issues CITES permits for Great Britain and Northern Ireland and that users should contact the management authority of the corresponding country that they are moving the species to or from to also get a permit from them.

  5. Page has been updated with new guidance to reflect that a new online service is now available to apply for a CITES permit. A definition has been added for the term specimen.

  6. Information has been added about the items in your personal luggage that do not need a CITES permit.

  7. Information has been added about the items in your personal luggage that do not need a CITES permit, and information about eels has been removed.

  8. We have added a link to the list of the UK’s formal import suspensions. These are held alongside banned or restricted specimens listed in Species+. Anyone who wants to import CITES specimens should check the UK’s import suspensions in addition to Species+ or contact APHA if you are unsure.

  9. Updated the 'Customs requirements for CITES items' section to make it clear that you need to present documents to UK Border Force at the first point of entry into, and the last point of exit from, Great Britain.

  10. Updated the export by post and import by post sections. When moving CITES specimens from Great Britain (GB) to Northern Ireland (NI), your handling agent must move parcels through Belfast International airport. When moving CITES specimens from NI to GB your handling agent must move parcels through Belfast seaport.

  11. Updated eels section. Contact APHA for advice if you plan to export or import European eels.

  12. We updated the guidance to make it clearer that you need a CITES permit when you move CITES specimens between Great Britain and the EU, and between GB and Northern Ireland.

  13. Added guidance about customs requirements and travelling displays. Updated information about penalties if you do not have the correct documents.

  14. When you need a certificate instead of a permit section updated

  15. CITES content has been restructured.

  16. Updated the information in the "UK ivory sales ban" section.

  17. Guidance on CITES-designated points of entry or exit published in the event of the UK leaving the EU without a deal.

  18. CITES news updated.

  19. News section - High levels of CITES applications

  20. Method of payment section updated

  21. Added news - UK ivory sales ban

  22. News added - reminder to bird breeders

  23. CITES news update - CITES Open Day

  24. Amended section on legislation due to updated regulations in relation to the imports and introduction of specimens of certain species of wild fauna and flora into the EU

  25. Added news - new EU guidance on intra-EU trade/re-export of rhino horn

  26. Added news - new EU guidance and high levels of CITES applications

  27. Added news: New CITES controls - Rosewood and Palisander guidance

  28. Added news - African Grey Parrots

  29. Amended legislation for the complete list of species controlled by CITES under the EU regulations.

  30. New CITES controls on animal and plant species news added

  31. Added news - The Listing of Dalbergia species on CITES

  32. Added news - CITES team change of address

  33. Added news - species listing decisions at CITES Conference of Parties (CoP17)

  34. News added - Defra announcement about UK ban on modern day ivory sales

  35. Published new species requiring licences (CITES certificates and permits) news

  36. Amended current restrictions on importing live birds listed on CITES news item.

  37. News added - CITES documents for hybrid specimens

  38. AHVLA documents have been re-assigned to the new Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA).

  39. First published.

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