Importing horses from 1 January 2021
Rules for importing horses and other equines from 1 January 2021.
From 1 January 2021, the rules for importing equines from the EU to the UK will not change straightaway, although there will be a new system to notify the UK authorities.
There will be no immediate change to the current entry documentation for horses which enter the UK:
- from France using a Commercial Document (DOCOM)
- from Ireland without any animal health documentation
Other horses from the EU will continue to be able to travel using a health certificate. Registered horses can also continue to travel using veterinary health attestations.
Equines originating in the EU will not have to enter the UK via a border control post (BCP).
Horses in the UK for racing or competition
EU owners returning horses to the EU can use a streamlined re-entry process for registered horses that have been in the UK for less than 30 days for racing or competition. Under EU rules, these horses will need a health certificate or veterinary health attestation from their own country proving when the animal left the EU.
In this streamlined re-entry process, animals still need an export health certificate (EHC) and equine ID but do not need to have blood tests or meet the same residency and isolation requirements.
Read guidance on exporting horses from 1 January 2021.
Notifying the UK authorities
Although the documents you need to import will not change, the process to notify the UK authorities will change.
If you import from a non-EU country you’ll need to use the IPAFFS system.
Equines imported from the EU and travelling with a health certificate or DOCOM should use the IV66 form.
As now, notification will not be required for horses:
- travelling with a veterinary health attestation
- travelling from Ireland with no animal health documentation
Read the rules and processes for importing animals and animal products from 1 January 2021.