Travel and trade with horses between countries
There are specific rules that you must take into account when travelling with or trading in 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.
Keep records
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.
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. There may also be restrictions on animal transports due to the coronavirus. 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.
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 their dam, 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.
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 showing that the horse is not infected with an infectious disease. 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. The veterinarian will register the certificate in the EU-wide system Traces. The certificate is valid for 10 days.
If the horse is competing or taking part in certain events, the certificate is not always required
The horse will not require a health certificate when it travels between these countries if the horse
- is registered at an establishment in Sweden, Denmark, Finland or Norway and
- is recorded in the main section of a breeding book or holds an international competition passport (FEI passport) and
- is participating in certain competitions or events in Sweden, Denmark, Finland or Norway.
This applies when the horse is participating in
- harness racing
- thoroughbred horse racing
- competition within the events covered by FEI regulations
- breeding evaluation or performance test.
If a horse is travelling without a health certificate between Sweden, Denmark, Finland, and Norway to compete in such competitions, the following rules apply:
- A maximum of 10 days may elapse between crossing the border out of the country of origin and crossing the border back into the country of origin.
- When travelling to the competition, you must be able to show that the horse is competing by showing, for example, an entry list.
- When you are returning home, you must be able to show that the horse participated in the competition by showing, for example, a list of results or some other document.
You must also bring a document where you certify the following:
- the place of origin, which must be a registered establishment
- the destination
- resting places
- the means of transports and details of the transporter - remember that the transporter must be registered
- the identification number of the horses, known as UELN numbers
- an assurance that the animals are not coming from an establishment which is currently restricted, or which has experienced abnormal mortality without an established cause of death, and that the animals have not been in contact with animals which are under movement restrictions.
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.
Supplemental registration of the horse
If the horse is staying in Sweden, you must register it with an organisation which issues equine passports. This is referred to as a supplemental registration. Horses that are in Sweden for a period shorter than 90 days for training, for a competition or for breeding do not need to be registered in Sweden. Stallions that are in Sweden for a breeding season also do not need to be registered in Sweden.
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 in Sweden or in 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 their dam 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
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 zootechnical 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.
Health certificates and zootechnical certificates
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 zootechnical certificate.
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
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 zootechnical 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.
