Export ungulates and captive-bred birds to the EU and Northern Ireland
Source: gov.uk (2025-02-26)

How to export or move ungulates (hooved animals) and captive-bred birds to the EU and Northern Ireland for conservation, display, education or research.

Ungulates are all hooved animals except equines, including:
- alpacas
- antelopes
- camels
- cows
- elephants
- giraffes
- goats
- hippos
- llamas
- pigs
- rhinos
- sheep
- tapirs
- wild pigs
Follow different guidance if you’re exporting or moving:
- other live animals (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/export-live-animals-special-rules)
- cows, sheep, goats, pigs and poultry for other reasons, for example, as livestock (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/export-livestock-and-poultry)
If you want to export captive birds with an ‘826’ transponder, you must also register them with Defra (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/register-to-export-captive-birds-to-the-eu-or-northern-ireland).

Apply for confined establishment approval

Your premises in Great Britain (England, Wales and Scotland) must be approved as a ‘confined establishment’ if you’re exporting or moving ungulates or captive-bred birds to the EU and Northern Ireland for:
- conservation
- display
- education
- research
Confined establishments are permanent premises, such as zoos or laboratories.

The premises you’re exporting to must be approved as a confined establishment by the relevant competent authority in the EU.

Export from a confined establishment in Great Britain

You must meet the following conditions to be approved as a confined establishment:
- the premises must be separated from the surrounding environment
- a registered vet must monitor the animals for health and welfare
- you must control access to the premises by animals and people
- you must keep records for a minimum of 3 years
You may also need to meet specific conditions for the ungulate or captive-bred bird you’re exporting.

Contact the exports team at the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/contact-apha) to find out the specific conditions you need to meet to get approved.

Apply for approval

Email the exports team at APHA (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/contact-apha) to find out how to:
- apply for approval as a confined establishment to export
- move ungulates and captive-bred birds to the EU and Northern Ireland
Lists of approved confined establishments

A vet from APHA will inspect your premises to check if it meets conditions for approval.

If it’s approved, you’ll get an approval number and your premises will be added to the list of premises in Great Britain approved to export:
- ungulates (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/confined-establishments-approved-to-export-ungulates-to-the-eu)
- captive-bred birds (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/confined-establishments-in-great-britain-guernsey-jersey-and-the-isle-of-man-approved-to-export-captive-bred-birds-to-the-eu)
Officials will check if your premises is listed when your consignment arrives at the border control post (BCP) in the EU.

Apply for an export health certificate

You need an export health certificate (EHC) to:
- export ungulates and captive-bred birds from Great Britain to the EU and Northern Ireland
- transit these animals through the EU to all destination countries
Use the EHC finder tool (https://www.gov.uk/export-health-certificates) to check if a certificate exists for your ungulate or captive-bred bird.

If you find an EHC, follow guidance on how to apply (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/get-an-export-health-certificate).

If you cannot find an EHC

You’ll need to contact the competent authority in the country you’re exporting to beforehand and find out what:
- paperwork you’ll need to fill in
- rules you need to comply with
The competent authority means the equivalent of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) in the EU country you’re exporting to.

The Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) is the competent authority in Northern Ireland.

If the competent authority says that you need an EHC, you’ll need to get their import conditions.

Email the conditions to the exports team at AHPHA (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/contact-apha) who will arrange an EHC for you.

Checks at EU border control posts or points of entry in Northern Ireland

You must get your consignment of ungulates and captive-bred birds checked at an EU BCP or point of entry in Northern Ireland.

These checks are made to protect:
- animal health and welfare
- public health
You must find an EU BCP (https://ec.europa.eu/food/animals/veterinary-border-control/designated-border-control-posts-bcps_en) that accepts your consignment of ungulates or captive-bred birds.

Your animals may be refused entry, seized, destroyed or returned to Great Britain if they arrive at:
- a port in the EU without a BCP where checks cannot be carried out
- an EU BCP that cannot check your type of animal
- an EU BCP without the correct documentation
Giving advance notice to the EU BCP or point of entry in Northern Ireland

Your EU or Northern Ireland import agent must use the EU’s Trade Control and Expert System (TRACES) (https://webgate.ec.europa.eu/tracesnt/login) to notify the EU BCP or point of entry in Northern Ireland about when the consignment of ungulates or captive-bred birds will arrive.

They must notify the EU BCP or point of entry in Northern Ireland one working day in advance of your consignment arriving.

In exceptional circumstances this can be reduced to a minimum of 4 hours’ notice.

Attach documents to your import notification

You need to attach the following documents to the import notification in IPAFFS:
- the original export certificate and related documentation
- a statement from the EU BCP or point of entry in Northern Ireland of the reasons why the returned animals were refused by the EU BCP
- a statement from the EU BCP or point of entry in Northern Ireland with details of the premises where the animals were kept since leaving Great Britain, for example in quarantine or in isolation
- a declaration by the person responsible for the returned animals that the animals have been transported following import rules, including animal welfare requirements
- a declaration by the person responsible for the animals that the animals have not been in contact with any other animal of a lesser health status (an animal with a potentially lower level of health as a result of specific diseases) since leaving Great Britain
When you complete the import notification, you should state the ‘country of origin’ as either:
- Northern Ireland
- the country where the rejecting EU BCP is located
Returning non-cattle consignments from Northern Ireland

You must email the APHA imports team (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/contact-apha) and state in the title of your email that you want to return your consignment to Great Britain.

You do not need to submit an import notification on IPAFFS.

Attach to your email:
- the original export certificate and related documentation
- a statement from the control post of the reasons why the returned animals were refused entry
- a statement from the control post with details of the premises in which the animals were kept since leaving Great Britain, for example in quarantine or in isolation
- a declaration by the person responsible for the returned animals that the animals have been transported following import rules, including animal welfare requirements
- a declaration by the person responsible for the animals that the animals have not been in contact with any other animal of a lesser health status (an animal with a potentially lower level of health as a result of specific diseases) since leaving Great Britain
APHA will assess this information to decide the conditions of import and if the consignment will have to be returned through any point of entry or a BCP.

APHA will issue you with a written authorisation. The consignment cannot be returned until you have received this authorisation. You must comply with the conditions of the authorisation.

Returning all other rejected consignments

To return consignments of ungulates or captive bred birds from an EU BCP, or cattle from a point of entry in Northern Ireland, you must:
- submit an import notification on the import of products, animals, food and feed system (IPAFFS)
- email the APHA imports team (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/contact-apha) to tell them you’ve submitted an IPAFFS notification
In the title of the email:
- state that the message is about an IPAFFS notification for the return of a consignment
- include the unique notification number that IPAFFS generates when you submit a notification
APHA will assess this information to decide:
- what you’ll need to do to return your consignment
- if the consignment will need to return through any point of entry or a BCP - you must update your import notification on IPAFFS (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/import-of-products-animals-food-and-feed-system) if your return route changes
APHA will give you a written authorisation. The consignment cannot be returned until you have this authorisation. You must comply with the conditions of the authorisation.