Bird flu (avian influenza) movement licences
Use a licence to move poultry, poultry by-products, eggs, material or mammals in, out or within a bird flu disease control zone.
In bird flu disease zones, certain movements of the following are not permitted:
- poultry
- other captive birds
- eggs
- poultry products or materials associated with their keeping
- mammals from or to premises where poultry or other captive birds are kept
This is to control further disease spread.
Some low risk activities or movements are possible, provided that all conditions of the general licence are met by the person responsible. If it is not possible to meet the conditions, or if the activity or movement is not covered by a general licence, you can apply for a specific licence.
These licences only allow activity or movement during outbreaks of avian influenza strains starting ‘H5N’ - for example, H5N1 and H5N5. These licences cannot be used during an outbreak of any other strains of HPAI, such as H7N9.
Check what zone you’re in on the bird flu disease zone map.
Find all bird flu cases and disease control zones in England.
General licences
General licences allow a movement or activity that would otherwise be prohibited in a bird flu disease control zone. You need to check that you meet and comply with the conditions of the general licence. If you do, you do not need to apply for a specific licence. You can rely on the general licence as providing authority for the movement or activity.
General licences are not applicable for the movement of anything onto or from premises which have been served a restriction notice by the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA).
The following general licences are available in Great Britain:
Meat from poultry within a protection zone in England and Wales
To reduce animal health risks, food business operators have to follow specific rules for any meat produced from poultry or farmed game birds originating within a protection zone. Other poultry meat (from poultry not originating within the protection zone) is unaffected.
Meat produced from poultry or farmed game birds originating within a protection zone can be moved or sold, subject to several conditions. These include a requirement that the health mark is replaced with a specific mark which must remain with it throughout any processing or repackaging. These conditions are set out in General Licence EXD249(HPAI)(EW).
Under some specific circumstances – set out in General Licence EXD 264(HPAI)(EW) – the recipient of poultry meat is permitted to remove the specific mark temporarily for production, and in some circumstance not to re-apply it.
The legal requirements are set out in each general licence.
Designated slaughterhouses
Slaughterhouses that can slaughter poultry from a highly pathogenic avian influenza disease control zone under licence.
If you are slaughtering on-farm, your premises must be designated. To become a designated on-farm slaughter facility, you must:
- have correctly registered as a premises with APHA
- apply to APHA by completing and returning the designation approval form (email outbreak.licensing@apha.gov.uk to request the form)
- register with the Local Authority for the current year’s slaughter
- undergo a premises inspection
You will need to apply for a specific licence to move birds to designated on-farm slaughter facilities, even though they are within your premises.
Specific licence
A specific licence covers a movement or activity into, within or from a bird flu disease control zone that is prohibited by a declaration, when not covered by a general licence. A specific licence will normally allow a one-off movement and will be subject to strict conditions based on disease control risk.
Updates to this page
Last updated 11 December 2024 + show all updates
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Added general licence for the movement of poultry carcases for disposal from premises in a protection zone in England (EXD339(HPAI)(E)).
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Information added about on-farm slaughtering, including that your premises need to be designated, how to become a designated facility, and that you need a specific licence in order to move birds to designated on-farm slaughter facilities.
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Added 'General licence for the movement of mammals (excluding dairy cows) from or to premises in a protection zone or surveillance zone where poultry or other captive birds are kept (EXD247(HPAI)(EW))' and 'General licence for the movement of samples for salmonella testing from premises in the protection zone or surveillance zone (EXD314(HPAI)(GB))'.
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Links for general licences, and guidance and licences for meat from poultry within a protection zone have been updated.
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Added the list of designated slaughterhouses that can slaughter poultry from a highly pathogenic avian influenza disease control zone under licence.
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No general licences are available at this time. You can currently apply for specific licences for movements or activities.
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First published.