Import risk categories for animals and animal products imported from the EU to Great Britain, from 31 October 2023

From 31 October 2023, to import live animals or animal products from the EU and European Free Trade Association (EFTA) states into Great Britain, you’ll need to:

• find the Target Operating Model (TOM) risk category for the commodity you’re importing
• follow the sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) rules for that import risk category

The TOM categorises live animals, germinal products, products of animal origin (POAO) and animal by-products (ABPs) as high risk, medium risk or low risk. Each category has different requirements.

How to find the TOM risk category for animals and animal products

You can use the 2 documents on this page to help you find the risk category for a commodity you’re importing.

TOM risk categories: summary tables

Use the TOM risk categories for animal and animal product imports from the EU to Great Britain: summary tables to find out about TOM risk categories for live animals, POAO and ABPs.

The tables give a summary of how different types of animals and animal products will be categorised. They do not provide the risk categories for specific commodity codes.

TOM risk categories: searchable list with commodity codes

Use the spreadsheet on this page (‘TOM risk categories for animal and animal product imports from the EU to Great Britain: searchable list with commodity codes’) to find the risk category for a specific commodity you’re importing. You can search using a commodity code or browse a list of commodities.

The list includes live animals and POAO. It does not include all ABPs and composite products.

If the list does not give the risk category for the commodity you’re importing, or indicates that it could be either medium or low risk, refer to the summary tables for more information about how that type of commodity will be categorised.

Composite products

From October 2023, all composite products from the EU and from EFTA states will be either:

• in the low TOM risk category (some products will have a further risk assessment and may become medium risk, but not before April 2024)
• not placed in a TOM risk category because it is exempt from official import controls.

Find out if your product is a composite, and if it is exempt from import controls.

Rules for each TOM risk category

There are 3 TOM risk categories:

• low
• medium
• high

If your consignment is in the low TOM risk category

Use the import of products, animals, food and feed system (IPAFFS) to notify authorities before the goods arrive in Great Britain.

You do not need a health certificate.

Low TOM risk category consignments must come with a commercial document from the supplier.

Some ABPs currently need a facilitation letter to import from the EU. From 31 October 2023 you’ll no longer need a facilitation letter for these products if they are in the low TOM risk category.

If your consignment is in the medium TOM risk category

Use IPAFFS to notify authorities before the goods arrive in Great Britain.

From 31 October 2023 the consignment must have a health certificate issued by the competent authority in the country where the goods originate.

From 31 January 2024 products in the medium TOM risk category may be subject to physical import checks.

If your consignment is in the high TOM risk category

Use IPAFFS to notify authorities before the goods arrive in Great Britain.

The consignment must have a health certificate issued by the competent authority in the country where the goods originate.

Most consignments in the high TOM risk category are already subject to physical import checks. These checks will continue in the same way after 31 October 2023.

If your consignment is in the medium or high TOM risk categories, but there is no health certificate for your goods

If a health certificate does not exist for the goods you want to import from the EU, you may need an import licence or authorisation.

Contact the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) Animal Imports team if:

• there’s no licence for your animal or germinal product
• you’re not sure if you need a licence

If you are importing a medium-risk ABP, but there’s currently no health certificate for your goods, you will require a commercial document.

Review of TOM risk categories

Risk factors will be reviewed regularly. Commodities may be moved into higher or lower TOM risk categories in future to reflect changing levels of risk.

You’ll be notified in advance if there is a change to the TOM risk category of a commodity you have imported.

Imports from the Faroe Islands and Greenland

The TOM risk categories for EU and EFTA countries will also apply to the Faroe Islands and Greenland.

The Faroe Islands and Greenland follow EU SPS rules for certain commodities, such as fishery products. From 31 October, imports of these commodities into Great Britain from the Faroe Islands and Greenland will follow the same process as imports from EU and EFTA countries.

Other imports from the Faroe Islands and Greenland will continue to follow import rules for non-EU countries.

TOM risk categories for products from non-EU countries

TOM risk categories for imports of animals and animal products from non-EU countries will be published in summer 2023.

TOM risk categories for plants and plant products

To find TOM risk categories for plants and plant products, visit the UK Plant Health Information Portal.

Get help

If you have any questions about notifying imports of animal products or which TOM risk category your product is in, email the APHA imports team at imports@apha.gov.uk.