Official veterinary surgeon (OVS) notes

Added OVS note 2026/48: Outbreak of bluetongue virus in Slovakia.

Added OVS note 2026/47: Outbreak of foot and mouth disease in Namibia.

Amended note '16 September 2026: Wood packaging material compliance for exports to the EU'. The email address exports@apha.gov.uk is no longer in use. We have added a link to the contact form.

Added OVS note 2026/46: Outbreak of foot and mouth disease in Namibia.

Added OVS note 2026/45: Outbreak of foot and mouth disease in Namibia.

Added OVS note: 2026/44: Wood packaging material (WPM) compliance for exports to the EU.

Added OVS note: 2026/43: Tropilaelaps mite restrictions: Türkiye.

Added OVS note 2026/42: Tropilaelaps mite restrictions: Türkiye.

Added OVS note 2026/41: Outbreak of lumpy skin disease in Israel.

Added OVS note 2026/40: Amendments to IINs ABP/2A and ABP/2B.

Added OVS note 2026/39: ASF in Finland: Implementation of regionalisation measures and restrictions.

Added OVS note 2026/38: To remind Official Veterinarians and Pet Checkers of the importance of conducting thorough inspections of animals at the point of entry to Great Britain for signs of myiasis.

Added OVS note 2026/37: Clarification on GBHC092X processed petfood (other than canned).

Added OVS note 2026/35: Clarification on the application of Specific Condition 1 to animal by-products and derived products containing porcine material from the United States of America.

Added OVS note 2026/34 20 July 2026: Clarification on imports of untreated foetal bovine serum to Great Britain, additional guidance on processing FBS in countries affected by Lumpy Skin Disease.

Added OVS note 2026/33: Import of live equines from South Africa.

Added OVS note 2026/32: Imports of untreated foetal bovine serum (FBS) to Great Britain (GB)

Added OVS note 2026/31: Notification of changes to Australia’s export certification for edible meat and meat products.

Added OVS note 2026/30: Outbreak of small hive beetle in Lazio, Italy.

Added OVS note 2026/29: Outbreak of small hive beetle in Honduras.

Added OVS note 2026/28: 02 June 2026: Lifting of HPAI-related restrictions from Australia.

Added OVS note 2026/27: 02 June 2026: Aujeszky’s disease in the United States of America.

Added OVS note 2026/26: Insertion of a closing date in Greece’s entry in the 'fresh meat of ungulates' list following outbreaks of foot and mouth disease

Added OVS note 2026/25: Outbreak of Aujeszky’s disease in the United States of America.

Added OVS note 2026/24 - Amendments to process for returning consignments rejected at EU BCPs.

Added OVS note 2026/23: Amendment to supplementary guarantee ‘H’ in the fresh meat of ungulates list to facilitate correct certification of Brazilian beef.

Added OVS note 2026/22: Outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza in Chile.

Added OVS note 2026/21: Outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza in Chile.

Added OVS note 2026/20: Outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza in Chile.

Added OVS note 2026/19: Outbreak of foot and mouth disease in Greece.

Added OVS note 2026/18: Outbreak of foot and mouth disease in Greece.

Added OVS note 2026/17: Suspected outbreak of foot and mouth disease in Greece.

Added OVS note number 2026/16: Insertion of a closing date in Cyprus’ entry in the 'fresh meat of ungulates' list following an outbreak of foot and mouth disease.

Added 10 March 2026: Military action in the Middle East – emergency measures (update).

Added 10 March 2026: Clarification on how trading partners have been advised by Defra to complete certain GB health certificates.

Added '06 March 2026: Military Action in the Middle East – Emergency Measures'

Added OVS note 2026/12: Outbreak of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Due to a recent outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza in Bosnia and Herzegovina, consignments from Bosnia and Herzegovina of fresh meat of poultry and poultry meat products (unless subject to heat treatment ‘D’ or higher) should be held. More information about this has been added.

Added OVS note 2026/10: Recognition of peste des petits ruminants disease freedom for Hungary.

Added OVS note number: 2026/09: outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza in Argentina.

Added OVS note number 2026/07: Outbreak of foot and mouth disease in Cyprus.

Added OVS note 2026/08: Recognition of foot and mouth disease freedom for Slovakia.

Added OVS note: Outbreak of Foot and Mouth disease in Cyprus

Added OVS note 2026/05: Clarification on completion of certain certificates for germinal products for entry to Great Britain.

Added OVS note 2026/03: Outbreak of Sheep Pox and Goat Pox in the Republic of North Macedonia

Added OVS note 2026/04 : Outbreak of Foot and Mouth Disease in Botswana

Added OVS note number: 2026/02, requested by DEF SPS STRATEGY & CO-ORDINATION, ANIMAL IMPORTS & EU TRADE

Added OVS note 2026/01: Outbreak of bluetongue virus in Ireland.

Added OVS note 2025/80: Outbreak of peste des petits ruminants in Croatia.

Added OVS note 2025/79: Outbreak of peste des petits ruminants in Croatia.

Added OVS note 2025/77: Outbreak of peste des petits ruminants virus in Croatia. Added OVS note 2025/78: Updates to IPAFFS risk rules for porcine animal by-products from ASF-restricted EU zones.

Added OVS note 2025/76: ASF in Spain - Implementation of regionalisation measures and restrictions

Added OVS note 2025/75: Lumpy skin disease in Spain: Update to rules for importing bovine germinal products (semen, ova and embryos).

Added OVS note 2025/74: Lifting of HPAI-related restrictions from Argentina.

Added OVS note 2025/71: Lumpy skin disease in Italy and France: Rules for importing bovine germinal products (semen, ova and embryos).

Added OVS note 2025/73: Recognition of Equivalence of US Poultry Clean Compartment Programme.

Added OVS Note 2025/72: Notification of transition of Australia’s animal by-products export certification to NEXDOC.

Added OVS Note 2025/70: Outbreak of bluetongue virus in Lithuania

Added OVS note 2025/68: Outbreak of lumpy skin disease in Spain and OVS note 2025/69: Outbreak of sheep pox and goat pox in Serbia.

Added OVS note 2025/67: Outbreak of lumpy skin disease in Spain.

Added OVS note 2025/64: Brucella canis testing requirements for commercially imported dogs from Romania; OVS note 2025/65: Tropilaelaps mite restrictions: Ukraine; and OVS note 2025/66: Outbreak of lumpy skin disease in Spain.

Added OVS note 2025/63: Outbreak of sheep pox and goat pox in Serbia.

Added OVS note 2025/62: Recognition of foot and mouth disease freedom for Hungary.

Added OVS note 2025/61: Lumpy skin disease in France and Italy – Update on restrictions on certain thermised milk and milk products

Added OVS note 2025/60: Digital signatures for ABP importer declarations.

Added OVS note 2025/58: Outbreak of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza in Argentina and OVS note 2025/59: Updates to personal import restrictions from the EU Single Market Area.

Added OVS note 2025/57: Lumpy skin disease in Japan, France and Italy – changes to treatment requirements for susceptible animal by-products.

Added OVS note 2025/56: Updates to personal import restrictions from the EU Single Market Area.

Added OVS note 2025/55: Import of any animal feed products containing former foodstuffs.

Added OVS note 2025/54: Known omission in certificate GBHC676 (import of aquatic animals)

Added OVS note 2025/53: Intermediate products – interpretation for imports.

Added OVS note 2025/51: lifting of HPAI-related restrictions from Bosnia and Herzegovina and OVS note 2025/52: lumpy skin disease in France and Italy - lifting of restrictions on certain thermised milk and milk products.

Added OVS note 2025/50: Outbreaks of lumpy skin disease in France and Italy.

Added OVS note 2025/49: Lifting of HPAI-related restrictions from the Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul.

Added OVS note 2025/48: Outbreak of lumpy skin disease in France.

Added OVS note 2025/45: Frogs’ legs and snails.

Added OVS note 2025/46: Outbreak of sheep and goat pox in Romania and OVS note 2025/47: Outbreak of lumpy skin disease in Italy.

Added OVS note 2025/44: Outbreak of lumpy skin disease in Italy.

Added OVS note 2025/43: lifting of FMD-related commercial import restrictions for Austria.

Added OVS note 2025/42: outbreak of foot and mouth disease in Eswatini.

Added HTML attachment for OVS note 2025/41 outbreak of peste des petits ruminants in Albania.

Added OVS note 2025/40: Outbreak of peste des petits ruminants in Albania.

Added OVS note 2025/39: Removal of classical swine fever restrictions on certain Bulgarian products.

Added OVS note 2025/38: How trading partners should complete certain GB health certificates.

Added OVS note 2025/37: Approval of France’s HPAI vaccination programme for commercial ducks.

Added OVS note 2025/36: Importation of products of animal origin (POAO) from China.

Added OVS note 2025/35: Outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza in Brazil

Added OVS note 2025/34: Recognition of foot-and-mouth disease freedom for Germany.

Added OVS note 2025/33: Quarterly updates to GB model export health certificates for animals and animal products.

Added OVS note 2025/32: Optional use of importer declarations for certain ABPs from EU countries.

Added OVS note 2025/31: Update on import restrictions related to bovine offal from Japan due to an outbreak of lumpy skin disease.

Added OVS note 2025/30: restrictions on the import of bovine embryos from Israel due to ongoing outbreaks of foot and mouth disease.

Added OVS note 2025/29: controls on personal imports from the EU single market area of meat and dairy products from FMD-susceptible animals.

Added OVS note 2025/28: insertion of closing dates in Austria’s entry in the 'fresh meat of ungulates' list following an outbreak of foot and mouth disease.

Added OVS note 4 April 2025: amendments to import information note ABP/26.

Added OVS notes for: - personal imports of products from FMD-susceptible animals from certain third countries and territories (OVS note 2025/24) - restrictions on FMD-susceptible commodities from Austria (OVS note 2025/25) - supporting documentation for imports of certain animal by-products originating from Germany (OVS note 2025/26)

Added OVS note 2025/23: Regionalisation of Germany for imports of commodities from FMD-susceptible animals.

Added OVS note 2025/22: Recognition of controlled housing conditions for EU member states and OVS note 2025/21: Insertion of closing dates in Hungary's and Slovakia's entries in the 'fresh meat of ungulates' list following an outbreak of foot and mouth disease in Hungary.

Added the personal imports of products from FMD-susceptible animals from certain third countries and territories OVS note (2025/20).

Added the outbreak of foot and mouth disease in Hungary OVS note (OVS note 2025/19).

First published.