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Exporting pet food from the UK

Pet food made from animal by-products needs an export health certificate, applied for through APHA's EHC Online and signed by an official vet. Exporters to the EU must be listed with the EU, and the goods are checked at an EU border control post. Non-EU destinations may also ask for a certificate of free sale.

Updated · Each section links to the official source it comes from

Main certificate
Export health certificate for feed and pet food made from animal by-products
Exports to the EU
EU establishment listing, through APHA's ABP team
Border checks
An EU border control post that accepts pet food
Certificate of free sale
Rural Payments Agency, where the destination asks
Transit through the EU
EU transit certificate plus the destination EHC

Before the goods leave

The questions to answer, in the order they usually come up.

  1. 1Is there an EHC for this pet food and destination in APHA's finder? Read more
  2. 2For the EU: is the establishment listed, and which border control post will take it? Read more
  3. 3Does the destination ask for a certificate of free sale? Read more
  4. 4Will the goods transit the EU on the way to another country? Read more
  5. 5Who lodges the export declaration, and is proof of origin needed? Read more

The rules, by area

What each area covers, the texts that set it, and what the official pages say.

Export health certificates

The certificate that confirms a pet food export meets the destination's animal and public health conditions.

  • An EHC is needed to export animal feed and pet food made from animal by-products (ABP) from Great Britain.
  • APHA's finder lists certificates by destination; for example certificate 4924 covers dry, semi moist or canned pet food to Japan, and 6424 covers pet food, supplements and premixes to the USA whose only animal ingredients are vitamins and minerals.
  • Exporters in England, Scotland and Wales apply through EHC Online; the exporter and the official vet or inspector both need a Government Gateway and a Defra account.
  • In Northern Ireland, applications are uploaded for DAERA, using the latest version of the EHC.
  • If no EHC exists, the exporter asks the destination's competent authority for its import conditions and contacts APHA, which arranges an EHC.

How we help: Compliant Always keeps each EHC with the shipment and lot it covers, and shows before a shipment which certificate the route needs and what is missing. Ask about this

Pet food going to the EU or Northern Ireland

Listing, border checks and transit for pet food leaving Great Britain for the EU.

  • An EHC is needed to export pet food from Great Britain to the EU and to transit through the EU and Northern Ireland; moving it to Northern Ireland needs one unless it is eligible for the Northern Ireland Retail Movement Scheme.
  • Exporters of animal feed or pet food containing ABP need to be listed as an approved business with the EU; APHA's ABP team handles listing requests.
  • The goods are checked at an EU border control post or Northern Ireland point of entry that accepts feed or pet food containing ABP, and the import agent notifies it through TRACES in advance.
  • Goods that fail on animal or public health grounds are destroyed; others are destroyed or returned to Great Britain.
  • Feed containing ABP that transits the EU to a non-EU country needs an EU transit certificate, an EHC for the final destination, and an EU importer responsible during transit.

How we help: Compliant Always keeps the listing details, EHC and transit certificate with each consignment, so the documents the border post asks for are together. Ask about this

Certificates of free sale

Evidence that the pet food is on free sale in the UK, where an overseas authority asks for it.

  • A certificate of free sale may be needed for exports to non-EU countries; the destination says whether it is.
  • The Rural Payments Agency issues certificates of free sale for products for animal consumption through its online service.
  • A manufacture and free sale certificate for products for animal consumption also needs a schedule of analysis.
  • Applying is free, takes about 10 working days, and certificates do not expire unless the destination sets a time limit.

How we help: Compliant Always keeps the certificate of free sale and the schedule of analysis behind it with the products they cover, dated. Ask about this

Export declaration and origin

Clearing the goods to leave the UK and supporting a lower duty rate for the buyer.

  • An export declaration is submitted on CDS, and the invoice and any certificates travel with the goods.
  • Exporters from Great Britain need an EORI number starting GB.
  • Where a trade agreement gives the goods a lower duty rate, the exporter gives the buyer proof of origin and keeps the supporting records for at least 4 years.

How we help: Compliant Always keeps the declaration, invoice and origin evidence for each shipment together, ready when the buyer or HMRC asks. Ask about this

Who answers for what

WhoWhat they answer forHow we help
ExporterThe EHC application, listing, the export declaration and proof of origin.Each shipment's certificates and declarations kept together and dated.
ManufacturerMaking the pet food from permitted animal by-products and the records the certifier checks.Ingredient and process records ready before the inspection.
Official vet or inspectorInspecting the consignment and signing the EHC.Supporting documents in one place for the certifier.
Import agent in the EUNotifying the border control post through TRACES, and responsibility during EU transit.The certificate details the agent needs, from the record.

Great Britain and Northern Ireland

Most export guidance here is written for Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales). Exporters in Northern Ireland apply to DAERA for export health certificates, do not need one to export to the EU, and follow EU dual-use rules under the Windsor Framework.

An EORI number starting GB is needed to export from Great Britain; moving goods to or from Northern Ireland may need one starting XI.

Where are the goods going?

Most of what pet food have to meet is set where they are sold. Each guide sets out the rules on arrival, with the official source for each.

Questions businesses ask

Do I need an export health certificate to export pet food from the UK?
Yes, if the pet food is made from animal by-products. Check APHA's EHC finder for a certificate for the product and destination; if none exists, ask the destination's competent authority for its import conditions and contact APHA.
Does my pet food business need to be listed to export to the EU?
Yes. Exporters of animal feed or pet food containing animal by-products need to be listed as an approved business with the EU. Contact APHA's ABP team on 03000 200 301 to request listing.
What happens to pet food at the EU border?
It is checked at an EU border control post that accepts feed or pet food containing ABP, after the import agent notifies it through TRACES. Goods failing on health grounds are destroyed; others may be returned.
Is there an export health certificate for pet food to Japan?
Yes. APHA publishes certificate 4924 for dry, semi moist or canned pet food to Japan. In Great Britain you apply through EHC Online; in Northern Ireland you upload the application for DAERA.
What certificate do I need for pet food to the USA with only vitamin and mineral animal ingredients?
APHA publishes certificate 6424 for pet food, supplements and premixes exported to the USA where the only animal ingredients are vitamins and minerals.
Do I need a certificate of free sale to export pet food?
Only if the destination asks; non-EU countries sometimes do. The Rural Payments Agency issues them free in about 10 working days, and a manufacture and free sale certificate for animal products also needs a schedule of analysis.
Can pet food transit the EU on the way to another country?
Yes. Feed containing ABP needs an EU transit certificate from the EHC finder, an EHC for the final destination, and an EU importer who takes responsibility for the consignment during transit.
Do I need an EHC to move pet food from Great Britain to Northern Ireland?
Yes, unless the goods are eligible to move under the Northern Ireland Retail Movement Scheme.
Who signs a pet food export health certificate?
An official vet or local authority inspector named in the application, who inspects the consignment and signs the EHC. Official vets are authorised by APHA.
How does Compliant Always help with exporting from the UK?
Our team reads the rules for the routes you ship. Compliant Always shows which export documents apply to your product, keeps them with the shipment beside what the destination asks for, and watches the sources for changes. It shows what the requirements say and what your documents show; you decide.

Sources

Compliant Always is a product of Lettuce Labs LLC. It shows what requirements say and what your documents show. It is not legal advice, and you decide.

Tell us what you make, and we will show you the rules for it.

Name the product and the markets you sell in. We will come back to you with what applies in the UK and what your paperwork needs to show.

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