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Products covered by this guidance

This guidance explains the import rules for any food and drink that contains products of animal origin (POAO). It covers imports from EU and non-EU countries.

Products of animal origin include:

• meat
• eggs
• dairy
• honey
• gelatine

Follow different guidance to import fish for human consumption.

Products with multiple ingredients

If your product contains multiple ingredients, you need to find out if it鈥檚 a composite or compound product and follow additional guidance.

Composite products contain processed聽animal products and plant products that are integral to the product. For example, a lasagne containing mince meat, tomato sauce and wheat pasta.

Compound products contain more than one animal product, which can be processed or unprocessed. For example, sausages containing cheese.

Read additional import guidance for:

• compound products
• composite products

Imports by post or courier

The same rules apply to goods imported for commercial purposes by post or courier.

Check if your import is permitted

You can only import聽animal products聽to Great Britain from聽approved establishments聽and from聽approved countries.

1. Check the list of approved countries to see if there are restrictions on your import due to a disease outbreak.
2. Check that your supplier is on the list relevant list of approved establishments.

Check import conditions

Import information notes explain the specific import conditions for each product type (meat and meat products, for example). They contain guidance for importers, vets and border control officials.

1. Read the general import information note for products of animal origin.
2. Find the specific import information note for your product.

Documents required聽

All POAO are either low or medium risk. You need to check the risk category of each commodity you wish to import, to find out which documents you need.

Medium risk imports: required documents

Medium risk imports need a health certificate.

The health certificate must be issued in the country where the product was last exported, processed or checked.

This might be:聽

• the country of origin聽
• the country where the product was last processed聽
• the country where health controls were last completed and the product was despatched from

The health certificate will tell you if you also need an official importer declaration.

If there is not a health certificate available, you may need an import licence or authorisation.

Low risk imports: required documents

For low risk POAO imports:

• you need a commercial document
• you do not need a health certificate
• you may need an import licence or authorisation

Health certificates聽

The exporter must apply for the GB health certificate in their own country. Competent authorities (for example, governments) should use聽model health certificates聽to create certificates that exporters can apply for.

If the exporter creates a GB health certificate using a聽system approved to produce verifiable PDF certificates, they do not need to send the original certificate with the consignment. They must send you the certificate once it is signed by the competent authority.

If the exporter cannot produce verifiable PDF certificates, the competent authority must send the original paper GB health certificate with the consignment and send you an electronic copy to attach to your import notification in聽IPAFFS.

Import licences聽

You may need an import licence or authorisation to import your POAO if there鈥檚 no health certificate for your product.听

In some cases, you may need an import licence as well as a health certificate.听

Check the list of聽general licences聽to see if the licence you need already exists, and what you should do if it鈥檚 not on the list.听

Commercial documents for low risk products聽鈥� what exporters should include

Low risk imports of聽POAO聽must travel with a commercial document. Your exporter must complete this document and include:聽

• description of what鈥檚 in the consignment, for example 鈥榗ooked meat鈥�
• volume or quantity information, or a copy of the food label
• name of the person or organisation who sent it
• name of the person or organisation it鈥檚 being sent to
• address of the premises of origin
• address of the destination premises
• reference identifying the lot, batch or consignment
• date the consignment was sent
• name and address of the transporter and details on how the consignment will be transported

Notify authorities in Great Britain聽(IPAFFS notifications)

You must submit an import notification on聽IPAFFS聽to notify authorities in Great Britain about your import. This is also known as a common health entry document (CHED).

You must do this at least one working day before the聽import聽is expected to arrive at the point of entry.听

When you submit your import notification in聽IPAFFS, you鈥檒l get a notification reference number, sometimes called a unique notification number (UNN) for the product. The format of this number will be CHEDP.GB.YYYY.XXXXXXX.

The reference number does not need to be added to the health certificate.

Find out how to register to use the IPAFFS service.

Choose the correct country of origin

For 鈥榗ountry of origin鈥�, you must select the country where the health certificate was issued.听

For example, if your import is from Canada but was checked and given a health certificate in the Netherlands, you should select Netherlands as the country of origin.听

You must also select the 鈥榗ountry from where consigned鈥�. This may be different to the country of origin.

Add information about the business you鈥檙e importing from聽

Follow these steps to add the approved business:聽

1. Sign in or register to use聽IPAFFS.
2. On the 鈥楾raders addresses鈥� page, select 鈥楢dd a place of origin鈥�, then select 鈥楥reate a new place of origin鈥�.
3. In the 鈥楶lace of origin name鈥� field, enter the full name of the exporting business, then its authorisation number.
4. In the 鈥楶lace of origin鈥� fields, enter the full address, telephone number, country and email address for the business.
5. Save these details 鈥� they will be saved to your address book so that you can use them again.
6. Add the approved business to your import notification.

If the goods have come from more than one approved business, add other businesses in 鈥榓dditional details鈥�.

Import notifications if there鈥檚 a new or emerging disease outbreak聽

If safeguard measures are in place because of a new or emerging disease and there is no commodity code for your food or drink, you should:聽

1. Download and fill in the聽import notification form for聽POAO聽under safeguard measures. Email it to the聽APHA聽imports team at聽APHAGBimports@apha.gov.uk. Use the email subject: 鈥楿rgent 鈥撯��POAO听蝉补蹿别驳耻补谤诲颈苍驳听UNN听谤别辩耻颈谤别诲鈥�.
2. APHA聽will give you a聽UNN. Give this to the exporter or聽official veterinarian (OV)聽to add to the health certificate.
3. The exporter will give you an electronic copy of the health certificate.
4. Email the completed form and health certificate to聽APHA听补迟鈥�APHAGBimports@apha.gov.uk. Include the聽UNN聽in the email subject heading. For example: 鈥業mport notification 鈥撀�POAO聽under safeguard measures CHEDP.GB.驰驰驰驰.齿齿齿齿齿齿齿鈥�.
5. APHA聽will email you an updated form with the聽UNN聽and the health certificate.

Import products made of more than one commodity type聽

If you are importing a product that contains different commodity types with different import requirements, you need to submit separate import notifications on聽IPAFFS聽for each commodity type. Commodity types include plant products, high risk food and feed of non-animal origin (HRFNAO), and animal products.

For example, if your product contains聽HRFNAO聽and animal products, you need to:

• submit a聽CHED.D for the聽HRFNAO
• submit a聽CHED.P for the animal product

You should include both聽CHED聽reference numbers in the commercial documentation uploaded to each import notification. For example, you need to:聽

• add the聽CHED.P reference number to the commercial documentation on the聽CHED.D notification
• add the聽CHED.D reference number to the commercial documentation on the聽CHED.P

For all types of鈥�CHED, the reference number should be entered in the field labelled 鈥榙ata element鈥�(DE) 2/3鈥� on the Customs Declaration Service (CDS). You should write the聽CHED聽reference number in the following format on your customs declaration 鈥� GBCHDyyyy.nnnnnnn. For example, the product containing聽HRFNAO聽and animal products would be declared using document code:

• C678 for the聽CHED-D, followed by the聽CHED聽reference number
• N853 for the聽CHED-P, followed by the聽CHED聽reference number

If any聽CHED聽reference numbers are missing, your products may be held until this is resolved. Find more guidance on聽how to enter data into聽CDS.

Get help

If you need technical support with聽IPAFFS:

• call the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) helpline on 03300 416 999
• email APHAServiceDesk@apha.gov.uk

If you need help to complete import notifications, contact the Port Health Authority at your nominated border control post.

Checks at the UK border

There may be checks at the border on POAO imports, unless they are from Ireland.

You must present your consignment at the聽border control post (BCP)聽if it is called for聽sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS)听肠丑别肠办蝉.

All goods must enter Great Britain through a point of entry that has a relevant聽BCP.

Goods moving directly from the Republic of Ireland can also enter England through Heysham and they can enter Wales through any named point of entry.

There are separate border rules for聽qualifying Northern Ireland goods.

Checks at airports

If you鈥檙e importing the goods through an airport, the authorities will carry out any necessary checks before they release the consignment for collection by your transporter.

Checks at ports

If you鈥檙e importing the goods through a port, you鈥檒l find out if you need checks either through the IPAFFS system or the Goods Vehicle Movement Service (GVMS).

If your transporter is using GVMS聽to clear customs, they should use the聽聽to find out.

If your transporter is not using聽GVMS,听IPAFFS聽will give you an initial risk assessment when you submit your import notification, which will tell you if your consignment needs聽SPS聽checks. If it does need checks, you鈥檒l get a message by text and email 2 hours before your transporter鈥檚 estimated time of arrival in Great Britain. The message will confirm what you need to do.

滨蹿听IPAFFS聽says your consignment does not need聽checks, you should continue to check for messages until your consignment has cleared the port. This is because the authorities may still call you for checks based on their final risk assessment.听

Read separate guidance if you鈥檙e transiting goods through Great Britain under the Common Transit Convention.

Find out聽what happens at聽BCPs.

Import minced meats, meat preparations or MSM

EU countries can export the following products as chilled goods:

• chilled minced meats of beef, pork, sheep, goat and poultry
• chilled meat preparations
• chilled mechanically separated meat (MSM) of pork and poultry

These products must:

• be chilled to an internal temperature of no more than +4掳C
• meet the conditions on the health certificate
• follow the meat hygiene and labelling rules in Great Britain

Some other countries can also export these chilled products to Great Britain:

• Greenland
• Iceland
• Liechtenstein
• Norway
• Switzerland
• the Faroe Islands

All other countries, if approved to export minced meat, must deep freeze it to -18掳C.

Move products from Northern Ireland to Great Britain

You can move聽products聽from Northern Ireland to Great Britain if they鈥檙e聽qualifying Northern Ireland goods.听

You should contact the聽聽if you鈥檙e moving聽POAO聽under safeguard measures from Northern Ireland to Great Britain.

Get help

颁辞苍迟补肠迟听APHA鈥檚聽imports team聽if you鈥檙e not sure about anything.听

If you need help with your customs declaration, contact HMRC聽for help.