Moving live animals to Northern Ireland

Find out what steps you need to take when moving live animals to Northern Ireland.

Contents

Import controls

Some goods have additional rules because they can affect health, safety, or the environment. These are known as controlled goods.

You can check if your goods are controlled by searching for them on the Northern Ireland Online Tariff. Any applicable controls will be in the ‘EU Import Controls’ section.

Live animals are controlled goods when they are brought into Northern Ireland.

To move live animals, you must have the correct documents including:

licences
health certificates

When live animals arrive in Northern Ireland from outside the EU, they must be checked at an EU Border Control Post (BCP).

Note: Northern Ireland follows the same Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) rules as the EU. This means that live animals entering Northern Ireland from Great Britain have the same checks and requirements as live animals entering the EU from a non-EU country.

You can find further information on importing live animals and products of animal origin

Key steps for moving live animals

1. Get an Export Health Certificate (EHC)

An EHC is an official document confirming that live animals and animal products meet the health requirements of the destination country.

Each live animal moving into Northern Ireland must have its own EHC.

Use the Find an export health certificate guidance to find the right document.

When live animals are moved from the EU via Great Britain to Northern Ireland, you will need an Intra-Trade Animal Health Certificate (ITAHC), issued by the EU in TRACES, instead of an EHC.

A paper copy of the ITAHC issued by the EU country sending the animals must always accompany the shipment.

2. Tell authorities before shipping (Pre-notification)

You must notify the relevant authorities (Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) for movements into GB and Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) for movements into NI) before live animals are shipped.

This is known as pre‑notification, which creates a document called a Common Health Entry Document for live animals (CHED‑A).

Depending on the type of movement, you must submit the pre‑notification using one or both of these systems:

TRACES, for all live animal movements into Northern Ireland
IPAFFS, in addition when the movement is from the EU to Northern Ireland through Great Britain

TRACES

TRACES is an EU system used to pre-notify the authorities in Northern Ireland about live animal movements.

Before shipping live animals, you must:

register for TRACES NT (opens in a new tab)TRACES NT (opens in a new tab)
submit the required movement details before the animals travel at least 24 hours before arrival
make sure you have the correct health certificates and licences

You can watch how to create a CHED and follow the instructions for business pre-notifying the arrival of a consignment at a Northern Ireland Point of Entry

Import of Products, Animals, Food and Feed System (IPAFFS)

IPAFFS is a system used to pre-notify the UK authorities about live animal movements from the EU to Northern Ireland via Great Britain (you must do this in addition to notifying TRACES).

Before shipping live animals, you must :

register for IPAFFS on GOV.UK
pre-notify IPAFFS authorities of your movement at least 24 hours before arrival
attach a copy of the ITAHC to your IPAFFS notification

You can watch a step-by-step video with guidance on completing an IPAFFS pre-notification.

See Import of products, animals, food and feed system (IPAFFS)

More information about moving live animals from the EU to Northern Ireland via Great Britain is available in Transits from the EU through Great Britain to EU or non-EU countries.

If you do not pre-notify authorities before the movement, your live animals may be held at the port for inspection.

Moving endangered animals

If the live animals are endangered species, additional rules apply.

You must follow the UK government guidance on moving endangered animals.

EU Border Control Post (BCP) checks

When live animals arrive in Northern Ireland, they must be inspected by officials at a BCP.

Before the movement, make sure the entry point in Northern Ireland you plan to use accepts the type of live animals you are bringing.

You can find more information about the inspection process in the UK government guidance Export or move live animals to the EU or Northern Ireland.

Further information about the overall requirements and processes for moving live animals to Northern Ireland is available in the government guidance Export or move live animals..

Next steps after checks

Once all checks are completed and approved, the decision is recorded in Part 2 of the CHED‑A. You’ll receive this decision electronically, and the animals can continue to their destination.

You or your customs agent must then submit a standard declaration, or a supplementary declaration if you’re using the Simplified Customs Declaration Process (SCDP) for ferry movements from Great Britain to Northern Ireland. This is done through the Trader Support Service.

When completing the declaration, include the IPAFFS pre-notification document (CHED-A) using the correct document code. Guidance on the required text and format is available in Documents and Other Reference Codes (Union) of the Customs Declaration Service.

Key takeaway points

To bring live animals into Northern Ireland, you must:

register on TRACES NT
submit a pre‑notification (CHED-A) on TRACES NT, and IPAFFS if travelling from the EU through Great Britain
prepare and upload health certificates (EHC / ITAHC)
use an approved Northern Ireland Point of Entry (POE)
pass documentary, identity and physical inspections
receive approval recorded in Part 2 of the CHED-A
submit customs declarations through the Trader Support Service
follow animal welfare, transport, and certification rules

Trader Support Service