Guidance

Import animal products for human consumption from the EU to Great Britain

Guidance for businesses that import meat, dairy, eggs and animal products for human consumption. Check import rules, restrictions and what documents you need.

From:
Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs
Published
15 June 2021
Last updated
21 January 2025 — See all updates

Products covered by this guidance

This guidance explains the import rules for any food and drink that contains products of animal origin (POAO). For example:

  • meat
  • eggs
  • dairy
  • honey
  • gelatine

These rules apply to products that originated in the EU. They also apply to non-EU products if they either:

  • passed sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) import controls in the EU
  • were processed in the EU

Processing means any action that substantially alters the initial product, including heating, smoking, curing, maturing, drying, marinating, extraction and extrusion.

Follow different guidance to import: 

Products with multiple ingredients

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

Composite products contain processed 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:

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 animal products to Great Britain from approved establishments and from 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 statutory 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 

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 from the country of export.

Products from non-EU countries need an EU health certificate if they:

  • were last processed in the EU
  • passed SPS import controls in the EU

The certificate should be from the country of export.

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 

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

If the exporter creates a GB health certificate using a 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 IPAFFS.

Import licences 

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

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

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

Commercial documents for low risk products – what exporters should include

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

  • description of what’s in the consignment, for example ‘cooked meat’
  • 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’s 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 (IPAFFS notifications)

You must submit an import notification on IPAFFS 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 import is expected to arrive at the point of entry. 

When you submit your import notification in IPAFFS, you’ll 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 products that originated or were last processed outside the EU, and passed SPS import checks on entry to the EU, choose the EU country of export for your IPAFFS notification. Select the EU country of export for both the country of origin and country of dispatch.

For products that originated in the EU or were last processed in the EU, choose the EU country for your IPAFFS notification. Select the country where the product was last processed as the country of origin.

Add information about the business you’re importing from 

Follow these steps to add the approved business: 

  1. Sign in or register to use IPAFFS.
  2. On the ‘Traders addresses’ page, select ‘Add a place of origin’, then select ‘Create a new place of origin’.
  3. In the ‘Place of origin name’ field, enter the full name of the exporting business, then its authorisation number.
  4. In the ‘Place of origin’ fields, enter the full address, telephone number, country and email address for the business.
  5. Save these details – 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 ‘additional details’.

Import notifications if there’s a new or emerging disease outbreak 

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: 

  1. Download and fill in the import notification form for POAO under safeguard measures. Email it to the APHA imports team at APHAGBimports@apha.gov.uk. Use the email subject: ‘Urgent – POAO safeguarding UNN required’.
  2. APHA will give you a UNN. Give this to the EU exporter or official veterinarian (OV) 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 APHA at APHAGBimports@apha.gov.uk. Include the UNN in the email subject heading. For example: ‘Import notification – POAO under safeguard measures CHEDP.GB.YYYY.XXXXXXX’.
  5. APHA will email you an updated form with the UNN and the health certificate.

Import products made of more than one commodity type 

If you are importing a product that contains different commodity types with different import requirements, you need to submit separate import notifications on IPAFFS 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 HRFNAO and animal products, you need to:

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

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

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

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

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

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

Get help

If you need technical support with IPAFFS:

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 border control post (BCP) if it is called for sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) checks.

All goods must enter Great Britain through a point of entry that has a relevant 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 qualifying Northern Ireland goods.

Checks at airports

If you’re 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’re importing the goods through a port, you’ll find out if you need checks either through the IPAFFS system or the Goods Vehicle Movement Service (GVMS).

If your transporter is using GVMS to clear customs, they should use the check if you need to report for an inspection service to find out.

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

If IPAFFS says your consignment does not need 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. 

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

Find out what happens at 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°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°C.

Move products from Northern Ireland to Great Britain

You can move products from Northern Ireland to Great Britain if they’re qualifying Northern Ireland goods. 

You should contact the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) if you’re moving POAO under safeguard measures from Northern Ireland to Great Britain.

Get help

Contact APHA’s imports team if you’re not sure about anything. 

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

Updates to this page

Published 15 June 2021
Last updated 21 January 2025 + show all updates

  1. We've added links to the import information notes for products of animal origin.

  2. Information has been added on importing products made from more than one commodity type.

  3. Updated to reflect changes to border and documentary checks that come into force on 30 April 2024.

  4. Updated the section 'Notify the authorities in Great Britain' so that traders know what they need to do for 30 April, and so that consignments arriving from the EU are not subject to higher inspection rates.

  5. Added information on importing chilled and deep frozen meat preparations, minced meat and mechanically separated meat from 30 April 2024, including which countries are approved to export them.

  6. Added a link to the new compound products page.

  7. Information about 'country of origin' has been clarified.

  8. The guidance has been updated to include current information about the Border Target Operating Model risk categories, health certificates and common health entry documents.

  9. A prompt has been added to prepare for new import controls which begin on 31 January 2024.

  10. Removed out-of-date guidance. Clarified what's in a commercial document and that every import will need one. Added new sections for 2024 changes due to the Border Target Operating Model.

  11. Removed references to changes to import controls previously due to come into effect on 1 July 2022, as these have been postponed. The page will be updated in autumn 2022 with new dates for import controls.

  12. Import controls on EU goods to Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales) planned from July will not be introduced in 2022. The controls that have already been introduced remain in place. This page will be updated in autumn 2022.

  13. Updated the section 'If you need help with your customs declaration'.

  14. Added a 'If you need help with your customs declaration' section to the bottom of the page.

  15. Updated with helpline for import notifications.

  16. Guidance updated to show change in rules from 1 January 2022 for imports from the Republic of Ireland to Great Britain

  17. Updated list of POAO you cannot import from 1 July 2022.

  18. Updated to show changes to dates when import rules apply to imports from the EU to Great Britain.

  19. Updated with new dates for the introduction of controls on imports of products of animal origin.

  20. Updated 'If you need help' section with a link to the imports webinar page.

  21. First published.

Sign up for emails or print this page

Contents

Related content