Travel and trade with horses between countries
There are specific rules that you must consider when travelling with or trading with horses and horse semen, ova and embryos. The rules differ depending on whether you are trading with EU Member States or countries outside the EU. The rules also vary depending on whether the horses are being brought into Sweden or out of Sweden. This page provides an overview of the rules that apply.
Transports between countries
Register as a transporter
If you are transporting horses to or from Sweden, you must be registered as a transporter. Registration as a transporter is not the same as the transporter’s permit required to transport animals as part of your economic activities. You can register as a transporter using our e‑service.
Documentation
All horse transports that take place across national borders are subject to documentation requirements. Here are the different forms of documentation that may be required for your particular transport:
Journal
When you are transporting horses between countries, you should keep records of the transport. You can keep these records on paper or in a digital format, and you are to keep the records for at least 3 years. The records should contain information about
- which establishments were visited
- which horses were transported.
If the transport is subject to the requirement for transport documents, the above journal information can be added to the transport documents.
Transport documents
Horses transported in connection with economic activities and when the transport exceeds 50 kilometres from the animals' holding must also be accompanied by transport documents. The transport documents must contain the following information:
- origin and owner of the animal
- place of dispatch
- date and time of dispatch
- intended destination
- expected transport time.
There is a form for transport documents that you can use. However, you can also write the information in a book or similar, and you must be able to show it to the authority. If the transport is covered by the requirement for a journey log, the journey log is considered a transport document and you do not need to fill in both.
Journey log
When you transport unregistered horses abroad and the transport is in connection with economic activity and takes longer than 8 hours, you must have a journey log in the vehicle. Unregistered horses are horses that do not have a FEI license or are registered in the main section of a studbook approved by the EU. On our page for animal transporters, you can find more information about what to do when your transport is subject to the journey log requirement.
Clean and disinfect the transport vehicle
When horses are transported between EU Member States or to and from countries outside the EU, the equipment in which the horse is transported must be cleaned and disinfected after each journey.
Plan the transport carefully
When you travel to and trade with certain countries, there may be infectious animal diseases which may restrict where you are able to transport your horses. This may mean that you cannot move them within or out of such an area. Make sure you find out what applies in the country to which your horses are to be transported.
Also make sure that you plan the transport carefully so that the horses are not held up somewhere along the way, and find out which rules apply for transport of horses in the country to which you are travelling. The rules differ between countries.
Travelling with or moving horses between countries
Horses between EU countries, Norway, Iceland, Northern Ireland, Switzerland, Andorra, the Faroe Islands, Gibraltar, Greenland, Liechtenstein, Monaco or San Marino
In this section, you can find information about the rules that apply when you are travelling with a horse or moving a horse between EU countries, Norway, Iceland, Northern Ireland, Switzerland, Andorra, the Faroe Islands, Gibraltar, Greenland, Liechtenstein, Monaco or San Marino.
The establishment must be registered
Establishments with horses must be registered.
If horses are to be moved from the establishment to another EU country or to Norway, Iceland, Northern Ireland, Switzerland, Andorra, the Faroe Islands, Gibraltar, Greenland, Liechtenstein, Monaco or San Marino, it is important that the establishment has been registered for at least 4 weeks before the horses are due to move.
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 conjunction with the transport of animals.
Your establishment must also be registered if you are bringing in horses from other EU Member States.
When you register the facility, you must answer YES to the question whether you will move animals or breeding material between the facility and other countries.
Registering horses at a facility (location)
You must register the horses or other equines that you plan to keep at the facility for 30 days or more. You do not need to register
- horses that visit your facility for less than 30 days
- horses that stay in Sweden for training, competition or breeding for a maximum of 90 days
- stallions that stay in Sweden for a breeding season. If a horse is moved to another facility and stays there for 30 days or more, it must be registered at the new facility. It will then be automatically removed from the register at the old facility. You register the horses in our e-service. You need the horse's UELN number to register it. You must submit your information and receive a receipt in the e-service for the registration to be completed.
The horse must have a horse passport
When you travel with or move a horse between EU Member States, you must always bring the horse passport. An exception to this requirement is foals under 6 months of age who are travelling with lactating mare, and who will be away from the establishment where they were born for a maximum of 30 days. However, these foals must be microchipped prior to departure.
Additional registration of the horse
If the imported horse is to remain in Sweden, you must register it with an organization that issues horse passports. This is called additional registration. Horses that are in Sweden for a period shorter than 90 days for training, competition or breeding do not need to be registered in Sweden. Stallions that are in Sweden for a breeding season do not need to be registered in Sweden either.
If horse is not additionally registered, it cannot travel with exemptions from health certificates, i.e. DOCOM certificates or with self-declaration for border movements.
Get a health certificate
In order to be able to travel with or move horses between EU Member States, Norway, Andorra and the Faroe Islands, you must have a health certificate. The certificate shall be issued by an official veterinarian in the country which the horse is leaving. The certificate must be issued no earlier than 48 hours prior to loading. Importing animals carries a certain disease risk for the importing country. This risk can be represented by listed or non-listed diseases and the extent of their biological and economic consequences.
When clinically examining a horse to be moved, the veterinarian must check all other animals living in the same stable and assess whether there are signs of infection or disease that may affect the health status of the animal to be moved. The veterinarian will register the certificate in the EU-wide system Traces. The certificate is valid for a one-way trip and for a maximum of 10 days. If you are returning home, even if this is within 10 days, you will need a new certificate.
Health certificate with a validity of 30 days
The health certificate is typically valid for 10 days after the date of issue. The health certificate may be valid for 30 days provided that the horse holds an FEI licence or is normally kept in an establishment with a low-risk status. In Sweden, at present this option is only applicable to horses with an FEI licence.
Derogation from health certificates
1. Movement of horses with DOCOM certificate
On 1 September 2024, a possibility was introduced to move registered horses between Nordic countries without a health certificate. You need to register the movement in the e-service Traces. Read more below.
The rules are common to Sweden, Denmark, Norway and Finland.
The following conditions must be met in order to be able to move horses with a DOCOM certificate:
- The horse must be registered at the facility it is travelling from in Sweden. If the horse comes from another country, the horse must first be additionally registered with a Swedish horse breeding organisation. If the horse is not registered at the facility it is travelling from, the horse cannot travel with a DOCOM certificate and a health certificate is required.
- The horse is a registered horse, i.e. is entered in the main section of a studbook or has an FEI license (formerly FEI passport)
- The horse will participate in competitions, exhibitions, cultural events or similar events in Denmark, Finland or Norway. If the purpose of the movement is something else (e.g. sale, insemination), a health certificate is required.
- A maximum of 10 days may elapse between the horse leaving the establishment of origin and the horse returning to the establishment of origin.
A DOCOM certificate is valid for both the outward and return journey. The DOCOM certificate must accompany the horse throughout the journey, either printed out in paper form or saved digitally on, for example, a mobile phone. You can register several horses in one and the same DOCOM certificate if they make the same journey and they live on the same establishment.
Before filling in the DOCOM certificate in Traces, you must register your establishment with horses in the establishment register. It is important that you have ticked that you will move horses between countries, if you have not already done so. Also check that the horses in question are registered on the establishment.
You also need to follow the rules under the heading Transport between countries, for example, you need to be a registered transporter.
2. Moving horses near the Norwegian border
If you are moving your horse across the border between Sweden and Norway, a health certificate is not always required if the movement takes place near the border. In this case, the following municipalities and counties are defined as close to the border:
Municipalities and counties in Norway
Municipalities: Bamle, Skien, Kongsberg, Øvre Eiker, Modum, Ringerike, Søndre Land, Nordre Land, Lillehammer, Øyer, Ringebu, Stor-Elvdal, Alvdal, Tynset, Rennebu, Orkanger, Ørland, Åfjord, Osen, Flatanger, Nærøysund and all municipalities east of these.
Counties: Oslo, Nordland and Finnmark County
Municipalities and counties in Sweden
Municipalities: Kiruna, Gällivare, Jokkmokk, Arjeplog, Sorsele, Storuman, Vilhelmina and Dorotea
Counties: Jämtland, Dalarna, Värmland and Västra Götaland County
More requirements for moving horses without a health certificate near the Norwegian border
There are also additional requirements for a movement without a health certificate near the border to be permitted:
- The purpose of the movement must be for the horse to be used for recreational purposes or to participate in an exhibition, sports or cultural event or similar event or to work or graze near the border.
- The horse is moved from the facility where the horse is normally kept and where the horse is registered. Both the facility of origin and the facility of destination must be located near the border.
- The horse must not have come into contact with horses with a contagious disease for at least 15 days prior to the movement or after it left the establishment of origin.
- The horse must be accompanied by a self-declaration which, in addition to the information listed above, also contains a written declaration that the horse has not come into contact with horses with a contagious disease for at least 15 days prior to the movement.
- The horse must return to the country of origin within 10 days of crossing the border for the first time unless it has been moved to graze, in which case it must have returned to the country of origin within 30 days.
Horses from countries outside the EU
This section describes what rules apply when you travel with a horse or buy a horse which you are bringing into Sweden from countries outside the EU.
You are only permitted to travel with or bring a horse to Sweden from certain countries outside the EU. In order to be permitted, the country or the part of the country from which the horse comes must be included in Annex IV to the EU regulation.
The establishment must be registered
Establishments with horses must be registered. If horses are being brought into your establishment from countries outside the EU, the establishment must have been registered for at least 4 weeks prior to the horses arriving.
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 conjunction with the transport of animals.
The horse must have valid identification documents
When you are travelling with or bringing a horse into Sweden from countries outside the EU, the horse must have a horse passport or other valid identity document.
Horses from certain countries must have a competition passport or be registered in a breeding book
From certain countries, horses may only be brought into the country if they are registered in the main section of a breeding book which is included on the European Commission’s list of breeding bodies, or if they have an international competition passport (FEI passport).
The horse needs a health certificate
The horse needs to have a health certificate issued by an official veterinarian showing that it is healthy. The certificate shall be issued on the same day as the horse is loaded, in the country from which the horse is coming. The health certificate must state which tests or analyses, if any, must be done before the horse is transported to Sweden. The certificate is valid for 10 days.
You must retain the health certificate for 6 months so that you are able to present it to an official veterinarian in the case, for example, of infection tracing.
Different health requirements from different countries
The requirements on tests and analyses vary depending on which diseases are present in the country from which the horse is being transported. In order to find out what applies in any given case, you need to find out which sanitary group the country or the zone, from which the horse comes, is in. The countries and zones from which you may bring in animals are listed in the EU regulation.
- Animals must be brought in via an approved border control station
You may only bring in animals from countries outside the EU via an approved border control post. Sweden do not have a border control station, so animals must be imported via another EU country.
When you bring in animals, you must notify the border control veterinarian at least one working day in advance of arrival to the border control post. You must also report the animals to the border control post in the Trace system via a CHED (Common Health Entry Document). The person who creates the CHED can be a private person, a company importing the animals, or a company in charge of organisation of shipping.
If the import takes place via another EU country, it must be reported to the border control post where the animals enter the EU. When the animals cross the border into Sweden, you must report the entry to customs.
Notify the customs office
When you are travelling with or bringing a horse into Sweden from countries outside the EU, you must notify the entry to the relevant customs office when you cross the border into Sweden.
If the horse is staying in Sweden
If the horse is staying in Sweden or any other EU Member State for more than 90 days, you must either obtain a horse passport for the horse, or make a supplemental registration.
Horses travelling to countries outside the EU
This section describes what rules apply when you are travelling with a horse or selling a horse to a country outside the EU.
If the animals are going to Switzerland, Norway, Andorra or the Faroe Islands, the same rules apply as when you are taking animals to another EU Member State. You can read more under the heading Horses to EU Member States, Switzerland, Norway, Andorra or the Faroe Islands.
The horse must have a horse passport
When you are travelling with or exporting a horse from Sweden to countries outside the EU, you must always bring the horse passport. Foals that accompany lactating mare for a temporary stay in a country outside the EU do not need to have a horse passport, as it is sufficient that the foal is microchipped. This only applies if the country to which the foal is going permits it.
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.
If they accept other certificates, you can ask whether they accept the Swedish Board of Agriculture’s general certificate for the export of horses. In that case, an official veterinarian can issue such a certificate.
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.
Bringing in semen, ova and embryos from horses from other countries
Semen, ova and embryos from EU Member States, Norway, Iceland, Northern Ireland, Switzerland, Andorra, the Faroe Islands, Gibraltar, Greenland, Liechtenstein, Monaco or San Marino
This section describes what rules apply when you purchase semen, ova or embryos from horses from other EU Member States.
You need a permit for insemination and activities involving embryos
In order to trade with semen, ova and embryos, you must have a permit for activities involving insemination and embryos. The semen must come from semen collection centres which are approved for intra-EU trade.
Health certificates and zootechnical certificates
There must be a health certificate that accompanies the consignment in its original form. The rules for sampling for trade in breeding material have been amended several times since 2010. Different requirements are therefore imposed depending on when the breeding material was collected. Since frozen, older breeding material is still traded, there are several different Traces certificates:
- Certificate model EQUI-SEM-A-INTRA semen collected, processed and stored after 20 April 2021 and dispatched from the semen collection centre where it was collected.
- Certificate model EQUI-SEM-B-INTRA is used for semen collected after 30 September 2014 and before 21 April 2021 and dispatched after 20 April 2021 from the semen collection centre where it was collected.
- The model certificate EQUI-SEM-C-INTRA shall be used for semen collected after 31 August 2010 and before 1 October 2014 and dispatched after 20 April 2021 from the semen collection centre where it was collected.
- The model certificate EQUI-SEM-D-INTRA shall be used for consignments of stored semen collected, processed and stored before 1 September 2010 and dispatched after 20 April 2021 from the semen collection centre where it was collected.
- Model certificate EQUI-OOCYTES-EMB-A-INTRA, for consignments of oocytes and embryos of equidae collected or produced, processed and stored after 20 April 2021 and dispatched by the embryo collection team or embryo production team that collected or produced the oocytes or embryos.
- Model certificate EQUI-OOCYTES-EMB-B-INTRA, for consignments of stored oocytes and embryos of equidae collected or produced, processed and stored after 30 September 2014 and before 21 April 2021 and dispatched after 20 April 2021 by the embryo collection team or embryo production team that collected or produced the oocytes or embryos.
- Model certificate EQUI-OOCYTES-EMB-C-INTRA, for consignments of stored oocytes and embryos of equidae collected or produced, processed and stored and stored after 31 August 2010 and before 1 October 2014 and dispatched after 20 April 2021 by the embryo collection team or embryo production team that collected or produced the oocytes or embryos.
- Model certificate EQUI-OOCYTES-EMB-D-INTRA, for consignments of stored oocytes and embryos of equidae collected or produced, processed and stored before 1 September 2010 and dispatched after 20 April 2021 by the embryo collection team or embryo production team that collected or produced the oocytes or embryos.
The movement of all germinal products from establishments processing or storing germinal products must be accompanied by one of the above certificates. The health certificate issued at the original establishment where the germinal products are collected must be attached to the GP health certificate.
9. Model certificate EQUI-GP-PROCESSING-INTRA, for consignments of germinal products dispatched after 20 April 2021 from a germinal product processing establishment 10. Model certificate EQUI-GP-STORAGE-INTRA, for consignments of germinal products dispatched after 20 April 2021 from a germinal product storage station.
10. Model certificate EQUI-GP-STORAGE-INTRA, for consignments of germinal products dispatched after 20 April 2021 from a germinal product storage station.
The consignment has to be accompanied by a health certificate in the original. The certificate must be issued by an official veterinarian in the country from which the animal is coming no earlier than 24 hours before loading. If the offspring produced with the breeding material is to be entered into a breeding book, there must also be a lineage certificate.
Semen, ova and embryos from countries outside the EU
This section describes what rules apply when you import or buy semen, ova and embryos from horses from countries outside the EU.
You may only import semen, ova and embryos from countries outside the EU if those countries are approved for import.
You need a permit for insemination and activities involving embryos
In order to trade with semen, ova and embryos, you must have a permit for activities involving insemination and embryos. The semen must come from semen collection centres which are approved by the EU.
The semen and embryos must have been stored in an approved semen collection centre or embryo collection and production team before being imported into Sweden.
Health certificates and zootechnical certificates
The consignment has to be accompanied by an official health certificate in the original. The health certificate must be issued by an official veterinarian in the country from which the animal is coming no earlier than 24 hours before loading.
If you import semen and want to enroll offspring in the studbook, a lineage certificate must also accompany the semen.
Import via an approved border control post
When you are importing semen, ova and embryos from countries outside the EU, except Norway, the import must pass through an approved border control post. You must notify the veterinarian at the border control post of the import, at the latest one day in advance.
Bringing semen, ova and embryos from horses to other countries
Semen, ova and embryos to EU Member States, Norway, Iceland, Northern Ireland, Switzerland, Andorra, the Faroe Islands, Gibraltar, Greenland, Liechtenstein, Monaco or San Marino
Your establishment must be approved for intra-EU trade with semen, ova and embryos.
You need a permit for insemination and activities involving embryos
In order to trade with semen, ova and embryos, you must have a permit for activities involving insemination and embryos.
Health certificates and zootechnical certificates
There must be a health certificate that accompanies the consignment in its original form. The rules for sampling for trade in breeding material have been amended several times since 2010. Different requirements are therefore imposed depending on when the breeding material was collected. Since frozen, older breeding material is still traded, there are several different Traces certificates:
- Certificate model EQUI-SEM-A-INTRA semen collected, processed and stored after 20 April 2021 and dispatched from the semen collection centre where it was collected.
- Certificate model EQUI-SEM-B-INTRA is used for semen collected after 30 September 2014 and before 21 April 2021 and dispatched after 20 April 2021 from the semen collection centre where it was collected.
- The model certificate EQUI-SEM-C-INTRA shall be used for semen collected after 31 August 2010 and before 1 October 2014 and dispatched after 20 April 2021 from the semen collection centre where it was collected.
- The model certificate EQUI-SEM-D-INTRA shall be used for consignments of stored semen collected, processed and stored before 1 September 2010 and dispatched after 20 April 2021 from the semen collection centre where it was collected.
- Model certificate EQUI-OOCYTES-EMB-A-INTRA, for consignments of oocytes and embryos of equidae collected or produced, processed and stored after 20 April 2021 and dispatched by the embryo collection team or embryo production team that collected or produced the oocytes or embryos.
- Model certificate EQUI-OOCYTES-EMB-B-INTRA, for consignments of stored oocytes and embryos of equidae collected or produced, processed and stored after 30 September 2014 and before 21 April 2021 and dispatched after 20 April 2021 by the embryo collection team or embryo production team that collected or produced the oocytes or embryos.
- Model certificate EQUI-OOCYTES-EMB-C-INTRA, for consignments of stored oocytes and embryos of equidae collected or produced, processed and stored and stored after 31 August 2010 and before 1 October 2014 and dispatched after 20 April 2021 by the embryo collection team or embryo production team that collected or produced the oocytes or embryos.
- Model certificate EQUI-OOCYTES-EMB-D-INTRA, for consignments of stored oocytes and embryos of equidae collected or produced, processed and stored before 1 September 2010 and dispatched after 20 April 2021 by the embryo collection team or embryo production team that collected or produced the oocytes or embryos.
The movement of all germinal products from establishments processing or storing germinal products must be accompanied by one of the above certificates. The health certificate issued at the original establishment where the germinal products are collected must be attached to the GP health certificate.
9. Model certificate EQUI-GP-PROCESSING-INTRA, for consignments of germinal products dispatched after 20 April 2021 from a germinal product processing establishment 10. Model certificate EQUI-GP-STORAGE-INTRA, for consignments of germinal products dispatched after 20 April 2021 from a germinal product storage station.
10. Model certificate EQUI-GP-STORAGE-INTRA, for consignments of germinal products dispatched after 20 April 2021 from a germinal product storage station.
The consignment has to be accompanied by a health certificate in the original. The certificate must be issued by an official veterinarian in the country from which the animal is coming no earlier than 24 hours before loading. If the offspring produced with the breeding material is to be entered into a breeding book, there must also be a lineage certificate.
Semen, ova and embryos to countries outside the EU
In order to export semen, ova and embryos to countries outside the EU, it is required that collection and storage was carried out at an establishment approved for these activities. Your establishment must be approved for intra-EU trade with semen, ova and embryos. You must also have a permit for activities involving insemination or embryos. The semen must come from semen collection centres which have been granted an EU approval by the Swedish Board of Agriculture.
Contact the country to which you are exporting
Please note that the export of animals requires careful preparation. Contact the embassy or the veterinary authorities of the destination country in good time in order to find out:
- Whether it is possible to export to the country
- Which rules apply in the country
- Whether any particular permit is required
- Whether you need to apply for anything in particular, e.g. an import licence
- Which health certificates are required, or which requirements must be met
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.
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 semen, ova or embryos to a country outside the EU, you must submit an electronic customs declaration to the Swedish Customs.
If the semen, ova or embryos are returning to Sweden later
If you are bringing back semen, ova or embryos 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.
Revision date: 2025-04-07