Check import risk categories and related rules for animals and animal products imported from the EU to Great Britain, from 31 January 2024
Import risk categories under the Border Target Operating Model (BTOM) for animals or animal products you’re importing from the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein to Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales), and the import rules for each category.
Applies to England, Scotland and Wales
Documents
Details
From 31 January 2024, to import live animals or animal products from the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein 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.
This guidance applies to animals and animal products imported from the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein only. Read separate guidance on:
How to find the BTOM 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.
1. BTOM risk categories: summary tables
Use the summary tables to find out about BTOM risk categories for imports of live animals, POAO and ABPs from the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein to Great Britain.
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 - for that, you will need to use the searchable list with commodity codes (see below).
2. BTOM risk categories: searchable list with commodity codes
Use the spreadsheet on this page (‘BTOM risk categories for animal and animal product imports from the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein 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. (See next section if you can’t find the risk category for your commodity.)
What to do if you can’t find your commodity risk category
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.
Updates to commodity risk categories
Risk factors will be reviewed regularly. Commodities may be moved into higher or lower BTOM risk categories in future to reflect changing levels of risk.
You’ll be notified in advance if there is a change to the BTOM risk category of a commodity you have imported.
Composite products
From January 2024, all composite products from the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein will be either:
- in the low BTOM risk category (some products will have a further risk assessment and may become medium risk, but not before April 2024)
- not placed in a BTOM 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 BTOM risk category
There are 3 BTOM risk categories:
- low risk
- medium risk
- high risk
If your consignment is in the low BTOM risk category
Use the import of products, animals, food and feed system (IPAFFS) to notify authorities before the goods arrive in Great Britain.
You will need the IPAFFS commodity code, rather than the Trade Tariff commodity code, to enter your details into IPAFFS. You can get the IPAFFS code from the spreadsheet on this page (‘BTOM risk categories for animal and animal product imports from the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein to Great Britain: searchable list with commodity codes’).
You do not need a health certificate.
Low BTOM risk category consignments must come with a commercial document from the supplier.
Low risk consignments will not be subject to routine documentary, identity and physical checks. However, from 30 April 2024 checks may still be undertaken where intelligence indicates a specific risk.
From 30 April 2024 your goods must enter Great Britain through a point of entry with a border control post (BCP) that is designated to check your commodity.
For EU goods entering Great Britain through west coast ports, there will be a different implementation date for intelligence-led checks and for the requirement to enter through a port with a BCP. There is more detail in the Border Target Operating Model.
If your consignment is in the medium BTOM risk category
Use IPAFFS to notify authorities before the goods arrive in Great Britain.
You will need the IPAFFS commodity code, rather than the Trade Tariff commodity code, to enter your details into IPAFFS. You can get the IPAFFS code from the spreadsheet on this page (‘BTOM risk categories for animal and animal product imports from the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein to Great Britain: searchable list with commodity codes’).
From 31 January 2024 your consignment must have a health certificate issued by the competent authority in the country where the goods originate.
From 30 April 2024 products in the medium BTOM risk category:
- will need to enter Great Britain through a point of entry with a BCP that is designated to check them
- may be subject to documentary, identity and physical import checks
For EU goods entering Great Britain through west coast ports, there will be a different implementation date for identity and physical checks and for the requirement to enter through a port with a BCP. There is more detail in the Border Target Operating Model.
If your consignment is in the high BTOM risk category
Use IPAFFS to notify authorities before the goods arrive in Great Britain.
You will need the IPAFFS commodity code, rather than the Trade Tariff commodity code, to enter your details into IPAFFS. You can get the IPAFFS code from the spreadsheet on this page (‘BTOM risk categories for animal and animal product imports from the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein to Great Britain: searchable list with commodity codes’).
Your consignment must have a health certificate issued by the competent authority in the country where the goods originate.
Most consignments in the high BTOM risk category are already subject to physical import checks. These checks will continue in the same way after 31 January 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 BTOM 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, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein, 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.
Imports from the Faroe Islands and Greenland
The BTOM risk categories for the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein 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 January 2024 imports of these commodities into Great Britain from the Faroe Islands and Greenland will follow the same process as imports from the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein.
Other imports from the Faroe Islands and Greenland will continue to follow import rules for 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.
Last updated 21 February 2024 + show all updates
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The searchable list with commodity codes has been updated.
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Added links to new APHA import information notes (ABP/20 and ABP/46) in Table 3k of the summary tables.
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We have made some textual changes as part of our ongoing review of this information. In the risk category spreadsheet, we’ve updated some risk category descriptions, where there is more than one potential risk category for a single commodity. This is intended to make the risk categories easier to understand. The risk categories in each case remain the same. In the risk category summary tables, we have provided clarification on fishery species that are associated with histamine, by amending the following phrase "histamine (for example, scombroids)" to "histamine (that is, species of the families Scombridae, Clupeidae, Engraulidae, Coryfenidae, Pomatomidae, or Scombresosidae)".
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We have updated this guidance. The latest version of Combined Nomenclature (CN) for the year 2024 came into effect on 1 January 2024. In response, we have updated a number of Trade Tariff commodity codes in the spreadsheet to make sure the guidance aligns to this release. As part of an ongoing review, we have made improvements to the spreadsheet by: - revising the risk category descriptions for some of our commodities, where there is more than one possible risk level for a commodity - adding instructions on how to search the spreadsheet using Excel functionality - reordering the columns in the commodity list worksheet, to bring the risk level and risk category descriptions together - adding additional columns to signpost related information; improving our instructions As part of this review, we have also improved signposting on our landing page to make it easier to access key information.
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We have uploaded a new version of the risk categorisation spreadsheet to include the following changes: 1. We have rearranged the instructions tab to make the information clearer. 2. We have updated the following commodity codes on Tab 3 (Commodity list) to include a POAO risk categorisation: 1504101000, 1504109100, 1504109900, 1504201010, 1504201090, 1504209000. 3. We have added IPAFFS codes to a number of commodities currently included in the searchable commodity list on Tab 3. (The remaining IPAFFS codes will be added in due course.)
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We've updated the BTOM risk categorisation spreadsheet as follows: 1. We amended the comments for commodity code 3502907000 to expand its intended uses 2. For commodity codes 0410101000, 0410109900 and 0410900000, we changed the ABP risk categorisation from medium or low, to medium.
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We have removed the paragraph in the rules under the heading 'If your consignment is in the low TOM risk category' that stated 'Some ABPs currently need a facilitation letter to import from the EU. From 31 January 2024 you’ll no longer need a facilitation letter for these products if they are in the low TOM risk category'. This is because it was misleading. Facilitation letters may currently be required for various imports, not just low risk ABPs. But they will no longer be required for any risk category, from 31 January 2024.
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We have updated the document 'TOM risk categories for animal and animal product imports from the EU to Great Britain: searchable list with commodity codes'. As part of a review, we’ve revised the comments of some animal by-product (ABP) products with regards to the use of fish oils, and beeswax and other insect waxes. It should now be clear that when fish oil is imported to be used as feed material, it is medium risk whereas if fish oil is imported for use outside the feed chain, it is low risk. It should also now be clear that only beeswax (and not other insect waxes), which is imported to be used for technical and cosmetic purposes other than feeding to farmed animals, is low risk but that this excludes beeswax for apiculture use, which is medium risk. We have also provided additional commodity code information for a further 130 codes. These mostly cover animal by-product (ABP) goods.
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We've updated the risk categories spreadsheet. 51 aquatic commodity codes have been updated with new comments and more detailed descriptions. The risk categories for these commodities vary, depending on whether they are imported as a live animal or as a product of animal origin.
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We’ve made the following updates to the to the risk categorisation spreadsheet (‘searchable list with commodity codes’): 1. The following commodity codes have been added: - 0302499000 - Other herring - fresh or chilled, excluding fish fillets and other fish meat of heading 0304 - 0308220000 - Frozen - sea urchins (Strongylocentrotus spp., Paracentrotus lividus, Loxechinus albus, Echinus esculentus) - 1212999510 - Bee pollen - 1517909300 - Edible mixtures or preparations of a kind used as mould-release preparations, not margarine, other than containing by weight more than 10% but not more than 15% of milkfats - 1517909990 - Other edible mixtures of fats or oils, other than containing by weight more than 10% but not more than 15% of milkfats 2. Added a note (note 3) to the Notes tab, which defines ‘non-raw’ in relation to dairy and colostrum-based products.
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We’ve updated the guidance in line with the revised implementation timeline set out in the Border Target Operating Model. We’ve also provided more detail about risk categorisation of live aquatic animals; live fish; infant formula, follow-on formula, food for special medical purposes and baby food; wool, hair and feathers. We’ve added further clarification about the criteria for non-raw dairy products, live aquatic animals, fishery products and bivalve molluscs.
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We have updated the risk category for commodity: '1604199190 - Fillets of other fish species - raw, merely coated with batter or breadcrumbs, whether or not pre-fried in oil, frozen' from Medium to Medium or Low. This commodity is in the low-risk category if it meets the wild caught requirements outlined in the notes section of the spreadsheet.
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We've updated the comments section in the TOM risk categories spreadsheet for 7 egg product commodity codes: 0407901000, 0407909000, 0408118000, 0408198100, 0408198900, 0408918000, and 0408998000. These commodities are only low risk if shelf-stable at ambient temperature.
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We've add information about how TOM risk categories will apply to imports from the Faroe Islands and Greenland.
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We've added a searchable list of commodities to help you find the TOM risk category for specific commodities. You can search the list using a 10-digit commodity code. We've also expanded the criteria for wild caught fish in the summary tables document. This clarifies that a product cannot be classed as wild caught if it has been subject to processing, as defined in Article 2 of Retained EU Regulation 852/2004.
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We've added some extra information to the Target Operating Model (TOM) risk categories for animal and animal product imports. We've added more detail about how live aquatic animals and wild caught fish are categorised. We've also added further commodities and clarifications to the following tables: - Table 3b. Blood and blood products - Table 3h. Pet food and products for the manufacture of pet food - Table 3j. Wool, hair and feathers - Table 3k. Other ABP
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First published.