Check risk categories for animals and animal products imported from the EU to Great Britain
Source: gov.uk (2025-03-26)

Use this guidance to find the risk category and inspection rate for imports of live animals and animal products from the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein to Great Britain.

To import live animals or animal products from the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein into Great Britain, you need to:
- find the Border Target Operating Model (BTOM) risk category (#find-the-btom-risk-category-for-animals-and-animal-products) for the commodity you’re importing
- follow the sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) rules (#risk-category-rules) for that import risk category
The BTOM (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-border-target-operating-model-august-2023) categorises live animals, germinal products, products of animal origin (POAO) and animal by-products (ABPs) as high risk, medium risk or low risk. Each category has different requirements.

This guidance applies to animals and animal products imported from the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein only. Read separate guidance on BTOM risk categories for:

animals and animal products imported from non-EU countries (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/risk-categories-for-animal-and-animal-product-imports-from-non-eu-countries-to-great-britain)

plant and plant product imports (https://planthealthportal.defra.gov.uk/trade/imports/target-operating-model-tom/risk-categorisations)

How to find the BTOM risk category for animals and animal products

Use the documents on this page to find the risk category for a commodity you’re importing.

The tables give a summary of how different types of animals and animal products will be categorised. They do not provide the risk categories for specific commodity codes.

You can use the spreadsheet on this page to find the risk category for a specific commodity you’re importing. You can search using a commodity code or browse the spreadsheet list of commodities.

What to do if you can’t find your commodity risk category

If the spreadsheet does not give the risk category for the commodity you’re importing, or indicates that it could be either medium or low risk, refer to the tables for more information about how that type of commodity will be categorised.

Updates to commodity risk categories

Risk factors will be reviewed regularly. Commodities may be moved into higher or lower BTOM risk categories in future to reflect changing levels of risk.

You’ll be notified in advance if there is a change to the BTOM risk category of a commodity you have imported.

Composite products

All composite products from the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein are either:
- in the low BTOM risk category
- not placed in a BTOM risk category because it is exempt from official import controls
Some composite products may become medium risk following future risk assessments.

Find out if your product is a composite, and if it is exempt from import controls (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/import-or-move-composite-products-from-the-eu-and-northern-ireland-to-great-britain).

Rules for each BTOM risk category

There are 3 BTOM risk categories:
- low risk
- medium risk
- high risk
If your consignment is in the low BTOM risk category

Use the import of products, animals, food and feed system (IPAFFS) (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/import-of-products-animals-food-and-feed-system) to notify authorities before the goods arrive in Great Britain.

You will need the IPAFFS commodity code, rather than the Trade Tariff commodity code, to enter your details into IPAFFS. You can get the IPAFFS code from the spreadsheet on this page.

You do not need a health certificate.

Low BTOM risk category consignments must come with a commercial document from the supplier.

Low risk consignments will not be subject to routine documentary, identity and physical checks. However, checks may still be undertaken where intelligence indicates a specific risk.

Your goods must enter Great Britain through a point of entry with a border control post (BCP) (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/uk-border-control-posts-animal-and-animal-product-imports) that is designated to check your commodity.

For EU goods entering Great Britain through west coast ports, there will be a different implementation date for intelligence-led checks and for the requirement to enter through a port with a BCP. There is more detail in the Border Target Operating Model (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-border-target-operating-model-august-2023).

If your consignment is in the medium BTOM risk category

Use IPAFFS (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/import-of-products-animals-food-and-feed-system) to notify authorities before the goods arrive in Great Britain.

You will need the IPAFFS commodity code, rather than the Trade Tariff commodity code, to enter your details into IPAFFS. You can get the IPAFFS code from the spreadsheet on this page.

Your consignment must have a health certificate (https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/health-certificates-for-animal-and-animal-product-imports-to-great-britain) issued by the competent authority in the country where the goods originate.

Products in the medium BTOM risk category:
- will need to enter Great Britain through a point of entry with a BCP that is designated to check them
- may be subject to documentary, identity and physical import checks
For EU goods entering Great Britain through west coast ports, there will be a different implementation date for identity and physical checks and for the requirement to enter through a port with a BCP. There is more detail in the Border Target Operating Model. (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-border-target-operating-model-august-2023)

If your consignment is in the high BTOM risk category

Use IPAFFS (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/import-of-products-animals-food-and-feed-system) to notify authorities before the goods arrive in Great Britain.

You will need the IPAFFS commodity code, rather than the Trade Tariff commodity code, to enter your details into IPAFFS. You can get the IPAFFS code from the spreadsheet on this page.

Your consignment must have a health certificate (https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/health-certificates-for-animal-and-animal-product-imports-to-great-britain) issued by the competent authority in the country where the goods originate.

Consignments in the high BTOM risk category are subject to physical import checks and identity checks.

Find out how to complete a health certificate to export animals and animal products to Great Britain (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/how-to-complete-a-health-certificate-for-imports-to-great-britain).

If your consignment is in the medium or high BTOM risk categories, but there is no health certificate for your goods

If a health certificate does not exist for the goods you want to import from the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein, you may need an import licence or authorisation.

Contact the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) Animal Imports team (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/contact-apha#animal-imports) if:
- there’s no licence for your animal or germinal product
- you’re not sure if you need a licence
If you are importing a medium-risk ABP, but there’s currently no health certificate for your goods, you will require a commercial document. Find out more about importing ABPs from the EU to Great Britain (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/import-animal-by-products-from-the-eu-to-great-britain).

Inspection rates of imported goods

Some imports are subject to identity (ID) checks and physical checks. The percentage of times identity and physical checks happen (the inspection rate) depends on the risk category of the commodity being imported:
- high risk commodities are inspected every time the commodity is imported (inspection rate 100%)
- medium risk commodities are inspected 1% to 30% of the time the commodity is imported - the specific inspection rate (M1, M2 or M3) depends on the commodity and country
- low risk commodities are not subject to routine inspection, but may be subject to non-routine or intelligence-led checks
These rules, as set out in the UK Official Controls Regulations (EU) 2017/625 and Regulation (EU) 2019/2129, are applicable to EU and European Free Trade Association (EFTA) countries.

How risk levels are determined

Risk categorisation is a dynamic process drawing on the most current data and reflecting changes in:
- disease status
- animal and public health hazard analysis
- compliance history
- data associated with disease outbreak in the exporting country
- transmission data
- risk mitigation treatments and restrictions
- compliance data
These factors underpin risk categorisation and inspection rates (the percentage of time identity checks and physical checks will take place). Taking these factors into account, the following 3 risk levels have been introduced for medium risk commodities:
- M1: consequence of non-compliance with import conditions is likely to be manageable or acceptable (baseline inspection rate 1%)
- M2: consequences of non-compliance with import conditions, including any of the factors mentioned above, could pose a significant risk to public or animal health (baseline inspection rate between 10% and 15%)
- M3: consequence of non-compliance with import conditions is likely to pose a significant risk to biosecurity or public health (baseline inspection rate 30%)
The frequency rates of identity checks and physical checks will be determined by ministers in Great Britain and agreed by the Animal Disease Policy Group (ADPG). The frequency rates will be determined taking into account a range of factors including:
- risks to human, animal or plant health, animal welfare or the environment, associated with different types of animals and goods
- information collected by the competent authorities
- the controls already performed on the animals or goods
- history of compliance (including of the operator and exporter)
- data and information collected by computer management system
- available scientific assessments
- any other information regarding the risk associated to the categories of animals and goods
The frequency rates of identity checks and physical checks may change in response to local risk factors and factors specified in the Official Controls Regulation.

Imports from the Faroe Islands and Greenland

The BTOM risk categories for the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein will also apply to the Faroe Islands and Greenland.

The Faroe Islands and Greenland follow EU SPS rules for certain commodities, such as fishery products. Imports of these commodities into Great Britain from the Faroe Islands and Greenland will follow the same process as imports from the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein.

Other imports from the Faroe Islands and Greenland will continue to follow import rules for non-EU countries.

Get help

If you have any questions about notifying imports of animal products or which BTOM risk category your product is in, email the APHA imports team at xxx@xxx.xx (mailto:xxx@xxx.xx).