Risk categories for animal and animal product imports from non-EU countries to Great Britain
Import risk categories under the Border Target Operating Model (TOM) for animals or animal products you’re importing from a non-EU country to Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales), and the import rules for each category.
Applies to England, Scotland and Wales
Documents
Details
From 30 April 2024, to import live animals or animal products from non-EU countries into Great Britain, you’ll need to:
- find the Border 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.
This guidance applies to imports from non-EU countries only.
There is separate guidance on TOM risk categories for imports from the EU.
Permitted countries
Exporting countries need approval to send animals and animal products to Great Britain. This is also referred to as having ‘market access’. See details of non-EU countries approved to export animals and animal products to Great Britain.
TOM risk categories for non-EU countries only apply to countries that have been subject to a risk assessment. These are:
- Argentina
- Australia
- Botswana
- Brazil
- Canada
- Chile
- China
- Ecuador
- India
- Israel
- Japan
- Namibia
- New Zealand
- Nicaragua
- Singapore
- South Africa
- South Korea
- Thailand
- Turkey
- Ukraine
- United States
- Uruguay
- Vietnam
In the TOM risk category summary tables, the phrase ‘all permitted countries’ means all countries from this list that have been approved to export a particular animal or product to Great Britain.
Other countries that have market access but have not been subject to a TOM risk assessment will continue to follow existing import processes.
How to find the TOM risk category for animals and animal products
The TOM risk category summary tables on this page can help you find the risk category for a commodity you’re importing.
TOM risk categories: summary tables for non-EU imports
Use the 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.
Composite products
From 30 April 2024 all composite products from permitted non-EU countries will be categorised as one of the following:
- in the medium TOM risk category
- in the low TOM risk category, if shelf stable at ambient temperature and sterilised
- 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
Continue to use the import of products, animals, food and feed system (IPAFFS) to notify authorities before the goods arrive in Great Britain.
From 30 April 2024 you will not need a health certificate.
Your goods must continue to enter Great Britain through a point of entry with a border control post (BCP) that is designated to check your commodity.
From 30 April 2024 low risk consignments will not be subject to routine documentary, identity and physical checks. However, checks may still be undertaken where intelligence indicates a specific risk.
Low TOM risk category consignments must come with a commercial document from the supplier.
If your consignment is in the medium TOM risk category
Continue to use IPAFFS to notify authorities before the goods arrive in Great Britain.
From 30 April 2024 your consignment will continue to need a health certificate issued by the competent authority in the country where the goods originate.
From 30 April 2024 products in the medium TOM risk category will continue to enter through a BCP and be subject to documentary, identity and physical import checks.
The rate at which identity and physical checks take place may change. New check rates will be confirmed as soon as they are available, but indicative rates are set out in the Border Target Operating Model.
If your consignment is in the high TOM risk category
Continue to use IPAFFS to notify authorities before the goods arrive in Great Britain.
From 30 April 2024 your consignment will continue to need 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 documentary, identity and physical import checks. These checks will continue in the same way after 30 April 2024.
Find out how to complete a health certificate to export animals and animal products to Great Britain.
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, you may need an import licence or authorisation.
Contact the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) Animal Imports team if:
- there’s no licence or authorisation for your animal or germinal product
- you’re not sure if you need a licence or authorisation
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.
TOM risk categories for products from EU countries
TOM risk categories for imports of animals and animal products from EU and European Free Trade Association (EFTA) countries are available here: Import risk categories for animals and animal products imported from the EU to Great Britain.
TOM risk categories for plants and plant products
To find TOM risk categories for plants and plant products imported from non-EU countries, 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.