Bringing poultry from Sweden
There are rules that you need to take into consideration when bringing poultry and hatching eggs from Sweden to other countries. The rules differ according to whether you are bringing poultry and hatching eggs to EU Member States or to countries outside the EU. The rules may also 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.
Exporting poultry and hatching eggs to countries outside the EU
This section describes what rules apply when you are exporting poultry and hatching eggs to a country outside the EU.
If the animals or the hatching eggs are going to Norway, Iceland, Northern Ireland, Switzerland, Andorra, the Faroe Islands, Gibraltar, Greenland, Liechtenstein, Monaco or San Marino, the same rules apply as for movement to another EU Member State. Read more under the heading Moving poultry or hatching eggs to EU Member States, Norway, Andorra, the Faroe Islands and Switzerland.
This is what you need to do
Find out what the rules are in the destination country
In order to export or bring animals to a country outside the EU (other than Norway, Iceland, Northern Ireland, Switzerland, Andorra, the Faroe Islands, Gibraltar, Greenland, Liechtenstein, Monaco or San Marino), you need to find out which requirements apply in the destination country. Contact the embassy or the veterinary authorities of the destination country well in advance in order to find out:
- Whether it is possible to travel with the animals or export them to the destination country
- Which rules apply in the country to which the animals are travelling
- Whether you need to apply for anything in particular, e.g. an import licence
- Whether the animals must be quarantined or vaccinated before being transported
- Which health certificates are required, or which requirements must be met
- Whether any particular permit is required
Obtain a health certificate
Contact an official veterinarian well in advance to ascertain whether there is any negotiated health certificate which is valid in the country to which you are travelling or selling your animals. If there is a negotiated certificate it should be used.
If there is no negotiated certificate, you should contact the authorities in the destination country and find out which certificates they accept or what requirements must be met. If they only accept their own country's certificate, make sure your official veterinarian gets it well in advance. Never use a previously saved certificate without checking with the receiving country that the certificate is still valid and it is the latest version.
If you have only been informed about the requirements that must be met in order to be allowed to export to the country, it is you as the exporter who must write the certificate and insert the current requirements, as well as verify in writing with the recipient country that the final version is approved.
You must then give the information and the certificate to your official veterinarian in writing well in advance of the planned export.
The Swedish Board of Agriculture’s logo must not be used for a non-negotiated certificate.
The official veterinarian can always refuse to sign a health certificate if the requirements of the certificate are not met or if it is written in a language that the official veterinarian does not understand.
Please note that when a non-negotiated or general certificate is used, the export takes place at the exporter's own risk. Neither the Swedish Board of Agriculture nor the official veterinarian can provide any guarantees that the certificate will be accepted.
In the case of hatching eggs and day-old chicks, you can ask whether they accept the Swedish Board of Agriculture’s general export certificate. In that case, an official veterinarian can issue such a certificate. EGEN
If applicable, submit an export application
If your export of animals must be negotiated with the authorities in the destination countries, you should submit an export application using our e-service. Once the export application has been received, negotiations with the destination country will be managed by the Swedish Board of Agriculture. Keep in mind that negotiations may take a long time (usually several years) to complete. It is not a solution for a one-time export.
The export application is primarily aimed at those who intend to export large quantities and frequently. Note that received export applications are prioritized by the Swedish Board of Agriculture.
Find out if there are any export restrictions
Before you travel with animals or export them to countries outside the EU, you need to find out if any export restrictions apply due to contagious animal diseases.
Find out what rules apply for the transport
It is also important that you find out what rules and requirements apply to the transport.
Submit a customs declaration
If you sell animals to a country outside the EU, you must submit an electronic customs declaration to the Swedish Customs.
If the animals are returning to Sweden later
If you are bringing back animals that you have previously travelled with or exported to a country outside the EU, you need to find out what rules apply.
Contact us if you have questions
You are welcome to send us an e-mail if you have any questions.
New rules for bringing animals or animal products to the United Kingdom
Here, you can find out what rules apply when you are bringing animals or animal products to the United Kingdom, but you must also read the general rules that apply when exporting to countries outside the EU.
As of 1 January 2021, new rules apply to trade with the United Kingdom. The ministry responsible for these rules is the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA). If you have any questions, please contact them.
The rules are described in the guide Border Operating Model.
The UK is implementing the new rules in several phases throughout 2021 and 2022. The conditions for exports to the United Kingdom may change, and it is therefore important that anyone carrying out exports stays up-to-date via the DEFRA’s website.
What you need to do as an exporter
Companies that are exporting to the UK need to, among other things:
- In collaboration with the importer, find out which certificates should accompany the consignment.
- Ensure that you have access to the web-based system Traces in order to record the details required for the certificate.
- Check that the dispatching establishment is registered or approved, and that the transporter meets applicable requirements.
- If the transport to the UK will pass through other EU Member States, you must also check what applies when exporting to other EU Member States.
- Contact an official veterinarian in good time!
Health certificates and pre-registration
The importer to the UK should pre-register live animals, breeding materials and products from animals from the EU with the UK system Import of Products, Animals, Feed and Food Systems (IPAFFS). This must be done at the latest one business day prior to the expected arrival. A health certificate must always accompany the consignment. Physical controls may be carried out.
The health certificate has been developed by UK authorities and is available in the EU computer system Traces or on DEFRA’s website. It is your responsibility as an exporter to find out which certificate must be used, and for that reason it is important that you, potentially with the help of the importer, find out what is required by checking DEFRA’s website. You can also read more on their website about how the various parts of the certificate are filled in and which information is mandatory, and which is optional.
This applies to exports to the United Kingdom:
- The importer must register the consignment in the UK through the IPAFFS computer system
- The consignment will receive a unique notification number (UNN) in IPAFFS, which has the format IMP.GB.2021.1XXXXXX.
- A health certificate issued by an official veterinarian in Sweden must always accompany the consignment.
- The importer in the UK must provide the UNN number to the exporter or to the official veterinarian in Sweden, who will record the number in the health certificate.
- The exporter must provide the importer with an electronic copy of the health certificate so that it can be uploaded to IPAFFS.
- The exporter is responsible for ensuring that the original health certificate accompanies the consignment.
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