Guidance

Cattle movements: exemptions from pre-movement or post-movement bovine TB testing

Updated 1 February 2024

Applies to England, Scotland and Wales

Check the tables to see if your cattle are exempt from pre-movement or post-movement testing for bovine tuberculosis (TB) before and after you move them. You should keep records of all movements affected by these exemptions for 3 years. You may need to provide these records for:

• anyone buying your cattle
• evidence in the event of enforcement action

Exemptions that apply in England and Wales

Table 1. Pre-movement testing exemptions in England and Wales

Exemption from bovine TB pre-movement testing	Evidence to keep
Cattle moving from herds in England that are routinely TB tested every 4 years (‘4-yearly testing’).	Letter from the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) to the cattle keeper stating the routine TB testing interval for their herd.
Cattle moving from herds in England that have changed from routine TB testing every 4 years (‘4-yearly testing’) to more frequent testing for public health reasons: - open farms - producers or retailers of raw milk	Letter from APHA to the cattle keeper stating the routine TB testing interval for their herd.
Cattle at an artificial insemination (AI) centre in England.	Approval licence issued by APHA.
Cattle less than 42 days old.	Cattle passports.
Cattle moving directly to: - slaughter (including moving through a collecting centre) - market from where all animals go directly to slaughter - pre-movement exempt finishing units (EFUs) - pre-movement exempt markets (EMs) - approved TB finishing units (AFUs) - approved TB collection centres - their original premises from a market if not sold (Wales-only)	On-farm cattle movement records and market records, such as market catalogues.
Cattle moving to an exempt agricultural show (the cattle must return to their original premises or go to slaughter). A show is exempt if: - cattle do not stay at the showground for more than 24 hours - in England, cattle are kept outside (they cannot be housed in any covered area with sides, including a marquee) - in Wales, cattle are kept outside (they cannot be housed in any covered area with or without sides, including a marquee)	Declaration from showground that they are exempt from testing.
Cattle moving for veterinary treatment (the animal must return to its original premises or go to slaughter).	Records of veterinary treatment. On-farm cattle movement records. On-farm medicines records.
Cattle moving under a specific written exemption from APHA.	Exemption in writing from APHA.
Cattle 42 days old and over moving to and from common land in England in annual (or more frequent) testing areas must be pre-movement tested unless exempt. When testing at the common land is not possible or practical, APHA may agree to the following exceptions: - cattle keepers moving cattle back from the common land and post-movement testing cattle on their premises because testing on common land is impractical - an APHA agreed TB control plan for the common land gives the same level of assurance that testing would provide (in these cases, APHA would consider licensing cattle movements without pre-movement testing). Commoners Associations should contact APHA to set up local TB control plans	Documentary evidence of rights of common. Evidence of a TB control plan for the common land, approved by APHA, that includes the commitment from cattle keepers to record the movement of cattle to and from the common land.
Cattle 42 days old and over moving to and from common land in Wales must be pre-movement tested, unless exempt. If TB testing at the common is not possible, movement of cattle back to the main holding may be allowed under a licence from APHA. Post-movement, or 6-monthly testing may be possible, dependent on three factors: - the holding is adjacent to the common - the cattle keeper is the sole cattle grazier of the common - the adjacent holding operates an open gate policy meaning animals are free to move between the holding and the adjacent common grazing Cattle keepers should contact APHA as early as possible to discuss their plans to graze cattle on common land if testing at the common land is not possible.	Documentary evidence of rights of common.

Table 2. Post-movement testing exemptions in England and Wales

Exemption from bovine TB post-movement testing	Evidence to keep
Cattle moving to the low risk area (LRA) of England, the annual surveillance testing parts of the edge area of England, the low TB area of Wales, or the intermediate TB areas of Wales directly to: - a market from where all animals go directly to slaughter - an EM - an approved collecting centre - a licenced finishing unit (LFU) - an AFU - an EFU (England-only) - a market or the approved collection centre outside the LRA or annual surveillance testing parts of the edge area, the intermediate TB areas or the low TB area from a holding in the LRA, the annual surveillance testing parts of the edge area, the intermediate TB areas or the low TB area and back to a holding in the LRA, the annual surveillance testing parts of the edge area, the intermediate TB areas or the low TB area of Wales	On-farm cattle movement records and market records, such as market catalogues.
Cattle moving from the LRA of England to the low TB area or the intermediate TB areas of Wales (cattle moving from the annual surveillance testing parts of the edge area of England or low TB area of Wales to the LRA of England are not exempt). Cattle from the edge area of England to the intermediate TB areas of Wales.	Movement records on cattle passports.
Cattle slaughtered within 120 days of arriving at a premises in the LRA, the annual surveillance testing parts of the edge area, the intermediate TB areas or the low TB area.	On-farm cattle movement records.
Cattle moving for veterinary treatment (the animal must return to its original premises or go to slaughter).	Records of veterinary treatment. On-farm cattle movement records. On-farm medicines records.
Cattle moving to an exempt agricultural show (the cattle must return to their original premises or go to slaughter). A show is exempt if: - cattle do not stay at the showground for more than 24 hours - in England, cattle are kept outside (they cannot be housed in any covered area with sides, including a marquee) - in Wales, cattle are kept outside (they cannot be housed in any covered area with or without sides, including a marquee)	Declaration from showground that they are exempt from testing.
Cattle moving from a non-exempt agricultural show to a certified quarantine unit under a general licence (Wales-only).	Read TB Eradication Programme Frequently Asked Questions and Answers for evidence.
Cattle born into and moving from a herd which is Cattle Health Certification Scheme (CHECS) TB accredited at Level 10, meaning free of bovine TB for 10 years (Wales-only).	Certificate of level 10 CHECS herd from the cattle keeper with ear tag details of the cattle that are moved.
Cattle moving under a specific written exemption from APHA.	Exemption in writing from APHA.

Table 3. Moving cattle from receiving premises in the LRA of England, the annual surveillance testing parts of the edge area of England, the intermediate TB area of Wales or the low TB area of Wales, before completing a post-movement test

Exemption	Evidence to keep
Moving a bovine animal to: - slaughter directly or through a slaughter gathering or market - an AFU - an LFU (England-only) - an EFU (England-only)	On-farm cattle movement records and market records, such as market catalogues.
Cattle moving under a specific written exemption from APHA.	Exemption in writing from APHA.
Cattle moving from a certified quarantine unit in Wales under a general licence to a non-exempt agricultural show.	Read bovine TB: moving cattle to a non-exempt show for conditions of the general licence.

Pre-movement testing Exempt Markets (EMs) in England and Wales

In England, EMs sell cattle that have not been pre-movement tested. Market operators can also accept pre-movement tested cattle into an EM.

In Wales, EMs sell cattle from annually or more frequently tested herds that should have been pre-movement tested but are not.

You cannot move cattle from EMs unless moving directly to:

• slaughter
• an EFU (England-only)
• an AFU in an annual (or more frequent) testing area in England
• an AFU in the High TB area of Wales
• their original premises, except if the origin herd is tested every 4 years (‘4-yearly testing’) in England when no return is allowed

See a list of the EMs for cattle in England and Wales.

For more information contact APHA or your local market operator.

Pre-movement testing exempt finishing units (EFUs) in England

EFUs operate in England but not in Wales. They allow beef producers to buy animals that have not been pre-movement tested to finish them for slaughter. EFUs meet strict conditions to minimise the risk of disease spread from the premises so must be approved by APHA.

Operators can also accept pre-movement tested cattle and exempt cattle.

You cannot move cattle from EFUs unless moving to slaughter. This can be directly to the slaughterhouse or through an approved slaughter market or collecting centre.

See a list of the EFUs in England.

Exemptions that apply in Scotland

Table 1. Pre-movement testing exemptions in Scotland

Exemption from bovine TB pre-movement testing	Evidence to keep
Cattle sent to Scotland directly for slaughter. Cattle moved for further fattening before slaughter need a pre-movement test.	Cattle movement records.
Cattle moving to shows or exhibitions for less than 24 hours and returning to their original premises. Some show organisers may request cattle are TB tested before going to the show.	Cattle movement records.
Cattle born and kept in a low incidence area, including cattle that are moved from premises in a low incidence area to an agricultural show or market in a high incidence area.	Cattle movement records.

Table 2. Moving cattle from receiving premises in Scotland before completing a post-movement test

Exemption from bovine TB post-movement testing	Evidence to keep
Cattle slaughtered within 120 days of arriving at a premises in Scotland.	On-farm cattle movement records.
Cattle moving for veterinary treatment (the animal must return to its original premises, be killed or go directly to slaughter).	Records of veterinary treatment. On-farm cattle movement records. On-farm medicines records.
Cattle moving under licence from a veterinary inspector.	Copy of the licence issued by APHA.