News and Announcements

New import controls are now live 

As of 00:01 30 April 2024 traders must now:    

·         Ensure goods arrive through a port with an appropriately designated Border Control Post (BCP) or Control Point (CP) for your commodity type    

·         If called, present the consignment for documentary, physical and identification inspections at the BCP or CP    

Traders must comply with the requirement to pay any inspection fees and other charges and failure to do so will result in action being taken. 

Compliance with the new regime is a legal requirement.

From 30 April any urgent BTOM/import queries for plants and plant products across England & Wales should be directed to the Animal & Plant Health Agency (APHA), by email, in the first instance: phsi-importers@apha.gov.uk  

Alternatively, you can contact them by telephone: +44 (0) 3000 200 301    

From 30 April any urgent BTOM/import queries for animal products should be directed to the Port Health Authority (PHA) at your nominated Border Control Post (BCP).    

Find your PHA contact details at your nominated BCP on this map.

Resources to help you comply 

Our detailed guidance has been updated with information on how to comply with your new legal responsibilities for:   

·         importing live animals and animal products to Great Britain   

·         importing plants and plant products from the EU to Great Britain   

·         importing plants and plant products from non-EU countries to Great Britain  

Visit our YouTube channel and watch recordings of our previous webinars for traders.  

Read our summary of common errors. Ensuring you do not repeat these common errors can help reduce the need to undergo in-person documentary checks at the border.

IPAFFS transport identification guidance

When making an IPAFFS notification notifiers should declare trailer unit number and where applicable/possible the Vehicle Registration Number (VRN).

·         For accompanied loads trailer unit number should be provided and where possible the VRN

·         For unaccompanied loads trailer unit number should be provided

This can be declared on the ‘Transport to the Border Control Post (BCP)’ tab in IPAFFS and should be provided in the ‘Transport identification’ field, as seen in the screen shot below:

This information will help APHA and SASA to identify consignments through port operator’s systems. If you are unable to provide this information at the point the notification is submitted, you will need to amend the notification when this information becomes available. Failure to provide this information may lead to delays of your consignment, while APHA or SASA work with the notifier to identify the consignment.

Use the quick links below to take you to guidance on key topics: 

Leaflets to help businesses prepare for a new approach to importing goods to GB under the BTOM. 

Check import risk categories, inspection rates and related rules for animals and animal products imported from the EU to Great Britain 

Find out the commodity code of your product Trade Tariff  

Find out what a composite product is, and how to import or move composite products from the EU to Great Britain. 

Find out what compound products are, and how to import or move them from the EU to Great Britain. 

Find out how to import or move food and drink from the EU to Great Britain. 

Information on what a BCP is and the sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) checks that take place there.  

Border control posts and charges for importing live animals, animal products, plants and plant products.  

Common user charge rates and how the charge applies to imports entering Great Britain through the Port of Dover and Eurotunnel. 

Information about health certificates 

Model health certificates for exports of live animals and animal products to Great Britain. 

Information about import notifications.    

Using the import of products, animals, food and feed system (IPAFFS). 

HMRC guidance about importing SPS controlled goods.  

UK Plant Health Information Portal - UK Plant Health Information Portal (defra.gov.uk)