Guidance

Moving non-qualifying Northern Ireland goods from Northern Ireland to Great Britain

How to move non-qualifying Northern Ireland goods that need sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) controls from Northern Ireland to Great Britain.

From:
Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs
Published
3 February 2025

Non-qualifying Northern Ireland goods are goods that do not meet the requirements to be qualifying Northern Ireland goods, such as goods from the EU.

From 24 February 2025, non-qualifying Northern Ireland goods that enter Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales) from Northern Ireland will move under SPS controls. For example, they will need to complete a pre-notification on the import of products, animals, food and feed system (IPAFFS) and provide relevant sanitary or phytosanitary certificates.

Qualifying Northern Ireland goods continue to benefit from unfettered market access if they enter Great Britain directly from Northern Ireland or indirectly through Ireland.

SPS controls on non-qualifying Northern Ireland goods

Find guidance on how to import:

Point of entry into Great Britain

Some goods that enter Great Britain from Northern Ireland will have to use certain points of entry, depending on the category of goods. Live animals can enter Great Britain from Northern Ireland through any point of entry.

The following products must enter England through a border control post (BCP) designated for these goods, or Heysham:

  • products of animal origin (POAO)
  • germinal products
  • animal by-products
  • hay and straw
  • food that contains both products of plant origin and processed products of animal origin

The products above can enter Wales and Scotland through any point of entry.

Plants and plant products must enter Great Britain from Northern Ireland through a BCP designated for these goods, or through the following ports:

  • Ayr
  • Barrow
  • Barry
  • Cardiff
  • Cairnryan
  • Ellesmere Port
  • Fishguard
  • Garston
  • Greenock
  • Heysham
  • Holyhead
  • Lancaster
  • Liverpool
  • Mersey Wharf
  • Newport
  • Pembroke
  • Port Talbot
  • Royal Portbury (Bristol)
  • Seaforth Grain Terminal
  • Silloth
  • Swansea (from July 2025)
  • Workington

Goods under temporary measures

Goods moving from Northern Ireland that are under a temporary measure to increase SPS controls must enter:

  • England through a BCP designated for these goods, or Heysham
  • Scotland through a BCP designated for these goods, or Cairnryan
  • Wales through any point of entry

Get help

For more information on importing animal products, email the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) imports team at imports@apha.gov.uk.

For more information on plant imports in England and Wales, email planthealth.info@apha.gov.uk or phone 0300 1000 313.

For more information and contact details for plant imports in Scotland, read the Scottish government’s plant health guidance.

Updates to this page

Published 3 February 2025

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