Bringing poultry from Sweden to other EU Member States
There are rules that you need to take into consideration when bringing poultry and hatching eggs from Sweden to other countries. The rules may vary depending on the intended use of the poultry. You can read general information here. To find out all of the rules, you need to read the legislation.
What counts as poultry
Poultry are birds that have been raised or confined for breeding, meat or egg production or for stocking. You may also keep birds, for example, to participate in shows and competitions or for raising and sale. They are then called captive birds.
Hatching eggs are fertilised eggs intended for hatching.
Register as a transporter
If you are transporting poultry between countries, you must register as a transporter. Registration of transporters is not the same as a permit for transports for business purposes. You register as a transporter using our e-service.
Plan the transport carefully
Please note that there may be areas with restrictions due to infectious animal diseases. There may then be special rules for transport in such an area. It is therefore important that you find out whether there are restrictions on where your animals are located or where they are to be transported to.
Plan the transport carefully so that the animals do not get stuck somewhere on the way. It is also important that you look up what rules apply for transport of animals when trading with animals.
Bringing poultry or hatching eggs to EU Member States, Norway, Andorra, the Faroe Islands or Switzerland
The establishment must be registered
If poultry or breeding material is to be moved from your establishment to another EU Member State or Norway, Andorra, the Faroe Islands or Switzerland, it is important that your establishment is registered at least 4 weeks before the animals or breeding material are moved.
This is because the Swedish Board of Agriculture must enter the information about the establishment in the EU-wide computer system Traces, which is used in connection with the transport of animals.
Certain types of poultry establishments or hatcheries must be approved
Certain types of poultry establishments or hatcheries, which are moving poultry or hatching eggs to another EU Member State, must also be approved establishments.
The Swedish Board of Agriculture is responsible for the approval of your establishment. In order to have your establishment approved, it must meet the requirements that apply to, among other things, biosecurity, premises, and equipment.
There must be a health certificate
When you bring poultry and hatching eggs from Sweden, you must have a health certificate showing that they are healthy. This must be available in the EU’s common trading database, Traces.
You must contact an official veterinarian in good time, who will issue the health certificate. In this way, the movement will be registered and controlled. The health certificate signed by the veterinarian shows that the animals have been approved in compliance with the applicable health requirements.
The certificate is valid for 10 days from and including the date of issue.
You do not need a health certificate when you travel with racing pigeons for sporting events to another EU Member State. Read more about this further down on this page.
Further rules for moving out poultry and hatching eggs
There are further rules for moving out poultry or hatching eggs to EU Member States, Norway, Andorra, the Faroe Islands and Switzerland. Here, you can read general information about these rules. It is your responsibility as the animal owner, to ensure that the rules are met, but you must always contact an official veterinarian to certify that this is the case.
Breeding poultry and productive poultry
A number of rules apply when you are moving breeding poultry and productive poultry:
- Breeding poultry and productive poultry for meat production or eggs for consumption, must have been kept in an approved establishment since hatching or for at least six weeks before they are sent off.
- Poultry which are born in captivity for the purpose of maintaining the stock of feathered game, shall have been kept in an approved establishment since hatching or for at least 21 days before travelling.
- Poultry shall come from flocks which have tested negative for Salmonella and Mycoplasma according to special rules.
- If the animals come from a flock which is included in the monitoring programme for low pathogenic avian influenza, there must not have been any confirmed cases of infection during the last three weeks before they are sent away.
- Poultry which are born in captivity for the purpose of maintaining the stock of feathered game, may only have had contact with birds subject to the same animal health rules during the past 21 days before the poultry can travel. This means, for example, that if the poultry are at an approved establishment, they may only have had contact with poultry from approved establishments.
- Ducks and geese shall have been tested for highly pathogenic avian influenza.
Poultry for slaughter
When moving poultry for slaughter, the birds shall have been kept at a registered establishment since hatching or for at least 21 days before they can travel.
Day-old chickens
There are more rules when you intend to move day-old chickens:
- The chickens must come from an approved hatching establishment.
- The chickens shall have been hatched from eggs that comply with the requirements for hatching eggs which you can read under the heading Eggs for hatching from poultry.
- The chickens shall have been hatched from eggs which come from flocks controlled by an official veterinarian.
Simpler rules when you intend to move fewer than 20 poultry
The rules are simpler when you are moving less than 20 poultry. The simpler rules apply for all species except ostriches. The rules for ostriches are the same regardless of how many ostriches you are going to move from Sweden.
When you are intending to move fewer than 20 hatching eggs, the following rules apply:
- The poultry shall have been kept in a registered establishment since hatching or for at least 21 days before they are sent .
- If the animals come from a flock which is involved in the monitoring programme for low pathogenic avian influenza, there must not have been any confirmed cases of infection during the last three weeks before they are sent .
- The poultry must not have been in contact with poultry from other flocks, during the last 21 days before being sent away. They may only have had contact with birds subject to the same animal health rules. This means, for example, that when poultry have been tested for certain diseases, they may only come in contact with poultry that has been tested for the same diseases.
- Ducks and geese shall have been tested for highly pathogenic avian influenza. This is not needed, however, if they are going to be sent directly for slaughter.
- Poultry shall come from flocks which have tested negatively for Salmonella and Mycoplasma according to special rules.
Hatching eggs from poultry
A number of rules apply when you are moving hatching eggs:
- The hatching eggs must come from an approved establishment.
- The hatching eggs must come from flocks that have been kept in one or more approved establishments since hatching or for at least six weeks before the collection of the eggs.
- The hatching eggs must come from flocks that have tested negatively for Salmonella and Mycoplasma in accordance with special rules.
- The hatching eggs must be labelled with the approval number of the original flock’s establishment.
- The hatching eggs must have been disinfected.
Simpler rules when you intend to move fewer than 20 hatching eggs
The rules are simpler when you are moving fewer than 20 hatching eggs. The simpler rules apply for all species except for hatching eggs from ostriches. The rules for hatching eggs from ostriches are the same regardless of how many hatching eggs you are intending to move from Sweden.
When you are moving out fewer than 20 hatching eggs, the following rules apply:
- The hatching eggs must come from a registered establishment.
- The hatching eggs must come from flocks that have been held in a registered establishment since hatching or for at least at least 21 days before collection of the eggs.
- The hatching eggs must come from flocks that have tested negatively for Salmonella and Mycoplasma in accordance with special rules.
Captive birds
Captive birds are birds that are kept for other reasons than the poultry which have been raised or kept for breeding, meat or egg production or for releasing. These may be those that are kept for shows and competitions or for raising and sale.
There are a number of rules when you are intending to move captive birds out of Sweden:
- There must be a health certificate.
- The birds shall have been kept at a registered establishment since hatching or for at least 21 days before they are sent.
- If the birds have been brought into Sweden from a country outside the EU, they shall have been in quarantine at an approved quarantine centre in Sweden before being moved to another EU Member State. At this moment, there are no approved quarantines in Sweden so this must be done in another EU-country before arriving to Sweden.
- Pigeons shall have been vaccinated against Newcastle disease and must come from an establishment where they vaccinate their pigeons.
Captive birds for shows
When you are moving captive birds out of Sweden which are to partake in a show, the same rules apply as to other captive birds. In addition, the person responsible for the show must ensure that this is done:
- All birds participating in the show must be registered to enter the show in advance.
- All birds participating in the show must be subject to the same animal health rules, if the birds come from the country in which the show takes place. If this is not possible, the birds from the country in which the show takes place shall be kept in separate premises, so that they do not come into contact with birds from other countries.
- A veterinarian shall verify the identity of the birds before they may enter the show.
- A veterinarian shall monitor the condition of the birds when they arrive at the show and during the duration of the show.
It is not necessary to obtain a new animal health certificate before your birds travel home from the show. When the birds are to be moved back to the country from which they came, the veterinarian at the show can certify that the health status of the birds has not been compromised during the show. This certificate must be attached to the animal health certificate which was written before the birds left their home country. A requirement is that the journey home is completed within the period of validity of the animal health certificate.
Hatching eggs from captive birds
There are a number of rules when you are intending to move hatching eggs from captive birds.
- The hatching eggs must come from a registered establishment.
- The hatching eggs must come from flocks that have been kept at a registered establishment.
Racing pigeons for sporting events
This applies, when you are transporting pigeons to another EU Member State, in order to release the pigeons and let them fly home:
- The pigeons shall have been vaccinated against Newcastle disease and must come from an establishment where they vaccinate their pigeons.
- You, as the person who is responsible for the pigeons in the country from which they come, must write a self-declaration, stating that the pigeons meet all the requirements. Each country shall have a template for the self-declaration, which must be used. The self-declaration must accompany the animals when they travel. There does not have to be a health certificate written by a veterinarian.
- If the animals have been brought into Sweden from a country outside the EU, they must have been in quarantine at an approved quarantine facility in Sweden before they travel to another EU Member State.
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