Check import risk categories and related rules for animals and animal products imported from non-EU countries to Great Britain, from 30 April 2024

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 (BTOM) risk category for the commodity you’re importing
• follow the sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) rules for that import risk category

The BTOM 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.

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.

BTOM 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 summary tables for animal and animal product imports from non-EU countries to Great Britain, 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 BTOM risk assessment will continue to follow existing import processes.

How to find the risk category for animals and animal products

The BTOM risk category summary tables on this page can help you find the risk category for a commodity you’re importing.

BTOM risk categories: summary tables for non-EU imports

Use the summary tables for animal and animal product imports from non-EU countries to Great Britain to find out about BTOM 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 risk category
• in the low risk category, if shelf stable at ambient temperature and sterilised
• not placed in a 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 risk category

There are 3 BTOM risk categories:

• low
• medium
• high

If your consignment is in the BTOM low 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 risk category consignments must come with a commercial document from the supplier.

If your consignment is in the BTOM medium 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 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 (BTOM).

If your consignment is in the high 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 BTOM high risk category are already subject to documentary, identity and physical import checks. These checks will continue in the same way after 30 April 2024.

If your consignment is in the medium or high 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

Updates to commodity risk categories

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

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

Import risk categories for products from EU countries

Check the import risk categories for imports of animals and animal products from the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein.

Import risk categories for plants and plant products

Check the BTOM risk categories for plants and plant products imported from non-EU countries.

Get help

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