Animal and Plant Health Agency
T +44 (0)3000 200 301
Centre for International Trade – Carlisle
Eden Bridge House
F +44 (0)20 8026 0498
Lowther Street
Carlisle
www.GOV.UK/apha
CA3 8DX
Import information notes are technical documents containing import requirements,
and are for use by veterinary staff.
Please be aware that import conditions may be updated due to changes in policy or
legislation. Please ensure that you check the current version of the Importer
Information Note online.
Please note that any links to legislation provided in this document are for information
purposes only and may not be the most recent version. Please see the EU
legislation paragraph below for further information regarding how to find consolidated
versions of the legislation.
Import Information Note (IIN) - import conditions for pet invertebrates (other
than bees and crustaceans), amphibians and reptiles (IIN BLLV/8)
1. Scope
The conditions for importing pet invertebrates (other than bees and crustaceans),
amphibians and reptiles.
2. Limits on the number of animals imported as pets
Regulation (EU) No 576/2013 (as amended) sets out the rules for importing pet
animals. This Regulation only permits 5 animals per person to be imported as pets
from countries outside the EU. Norway, Switzerland and Liechtenstein are treated as
EU countries under this legislation. If you wish to bring in more than 5 animals you
will need to meet the requirements for commercial imports (see IIN/BLLV/9).

Regulation (EU) No 576/2013
3. Pet invertebrates (except bees & crustaceans)
Invertebrates are animals that do not have a backbone, e.g. ants, beetles and
worms. There are no animal health import requirements for pet invertebrates. These
animals can be brought into Great Britain as long as they are accompanying their
owner and a letter from a vet or the owner saying that the animals are fit and healthy
to complete the journey.
However, many invertebrates have the potential to be serious plant pests in Europe
and are therefore prohibited under plant health rules.
4. Pet crustaceans
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The Animal and Plant Health Agency is an Executive Agency of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
working to safeguard animal and plant health for the benefit of people, the environment and the economy.
(Rev 07/16)
For information on importing pet crustaceans (such as crabs and shrimps) into
England and Wales you should contact CEFAS (The Centre for Environment,
Fisheries and Aquaculture Science).

Fish Health Inspectorate
For information on importing pet crustaceans (such as crabs and shrimps) into
Scotland, you should contact Marine Scotland.

Marine Scotland
5. Pet bees
You can find information on importing bees from the Food and Environmental
Research Agency (Fera).

Fera
6. Pet reptiles
Reptiles are cold-blooded, egg-laying vertebrates, e.g. snakes and tortoises.
There are no animal health import requirements for pet reptiles. These animals can
be brought into the Great Britain as long as they are accompanied by their owner
and a letter from a vet or the owner stating that the animals are fit and healthy to
complete the journey.
7. Pet amphibians
Amphibians are animals that live on land and breed in water, e.g. frogs and toads.
There are no animal health import requirements for pet amphibians. These animals
can be brought into Great Britain as long as they are accompanied by their owner
and a letter from a vet or the owner saying that the animals are fit and healthy to
complete the journey.
8. Imports from countries outside of the EU
Up to 5 pet invertebrates, pet reptiles and pet amphibians which are accompanied by
their owner do not need to undergo veterinary checks on entry into Great Britain and
therefore they do not need to be imported via a Border Inspection Post (BIP).
However you should contact the airline/shipping line to ensure that they are prepared
to carry the animal(s).
Commercial consignments, unaccompanied pets and consignments of more than 5
pets imported from outside of the EU (except Norway, Switzerland and
Liechtenstein) into the Great Britain must be through a BIP and meet the commercial
import conditions.
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The Animal and Plant Health Agency is an Executive Agency of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
working to safeguard animal and plant health for the benefit of people, the environment and the economy.
(Rev 07/16)
9. Welfare of animals during transport
Importers are reminded that they must comply with rules on the welfare of animals
during transport. For information on the rules see GOV.UK.

Welfare of animals during transport
10. Deaths of animals in transit
If an imported animal dies in transit to, or at a port or airport in Great Britain, the
person in charge of the animal must report the death to the local Regional
Operations Director/Field Team Leader/Director of Operations (Scotland). The
carcase of the animal can only be disposed of in accordance with any directions
given by a veterinary inspector.
11. Endangered species
The import of some species of animals may require export and import certificates
under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES).
CITES permits must be issued in advance of import and they can take up to 6-8
weeks to process. Applicants should be aware of this when applying for their
permits. Those species requiring CITES permits must be moved in compliance with
CITES guidelines for the transport and preparation for shipment of live animals.
For further information please contact the APHA – Wildlife Licensing and
Registration Service (WLRS)

GOV.UK website – CITES pages
12. Safeguard measures
Situations where emergency safeguard action has been taken at very short notice, to
prohibit or restrict the importation of certain animals/products from certain countries
following an outbreak of serious disease in those countries may not be covered.
Details of safeguard measures can be found in our Topical Issues page on the
website.

Topical issues
Alternatively you can keep up to date with amendments to legislation by checking the
European Commission’s website.

European Commission’s website
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The Animal and Plant Health Agency is an Executive Agency of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
working to safeguard animal and plant health for the benefit of people, the environment and the economy.
(Rev 07/16)
13. EU Legislation
Consolidated texts, which integrate the basic instruments of Union legislation with
their amendments and corrections in a single, non-official document, are available.
Each consolidated text contains a list of all legal documents taken into account for its
construction.
You can search for consolidated texts by using the simple search option on the
European Commission website. Once you have selected the relevant legislation,
click the ‘linked documents’ tab, and then scroll down to ‘all consolidated versions’
and select the most recent version.

Simple search
Please note that the consolidated text may not contain the latest amendment to the
legislation, as it takes several weeks for this to be updated.
Texts provided in this section are intended for information only. Please note that
these texts have no legal value. For legal purposes please refer to the texts
published in the ‘Official Journal of the European Union’.

Official Journal of the European Union
14. Contacts for other important advice and guidance
Importers should note that the information given relates only to animal health and
public health conditions of import. It does not give guidance on other conditions that
may need to be met.
15. Contact for further information on import requirements
For further information regarding import requirements, contact the APHA Imports
team:
Centre for International Trade - Carlisle
Eden Bridge House
Lowther Street
Carlisle
CA3 8DX
Email: [email protected]
Telephone: 03000 200 301
Fax: 0208 0260 498
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The Animal and Plant Health Agency is an Executive Agency of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
working to safeguard animal and plant health for the benefit of people, the environment and the economy.
(Rev 07/16)