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Importing & exporting horses — we preplan the journey and the paperwork.
UK & Europe
The key is preplanning
Transporting your horse across Europe by road may not be as complicated as you think — as long as you organise and control the horse transport documentation every step of the way. Preplanning is the key, as each country's legislation differs. When travelling through several countries, each country's horse transport documentation will need to be completed separately, while booking ferries or the Euro Tunnel well in advance.
We preplan the journey and complete the relevant horse transport documentation for customers. The key is that each country's legislation differs; when travelling through several countries, each country's documentation will need to be completed separately. Ferries or the Euro Tunnel will also be booked to fit into the timeline.
Country by Country
Each country's legislation differs, so the paperwork is completed separately for every border you cross. Here's what to know for each destination.
Northern Ireland
Taking your horse into Northern Ireland is easy, because you just book your lorry on a ferry and off you go.
Republic of Ireland
Make sure you inform the ferry company that there will be a horse on your lorry, as the vet in the port will need to be informed. Horses will be quickly inspected to ensure they are fit to travel. Especially relevant: there must be no loose hay or straw on your lorry when you board the ferry to the Republic of Ireland. If there is, they will make you unload the horses at the dock and thoroughly clean out your lorry. Loose shavings and sealed bags of haylage and feed are acceptable.
France
Registered horses transporting to an FEI competition in France will need a DOCOM and their passport. The Tripartite Agreement (TPA) contains a section for horses entered in FEI competitions in France to apply for a certificate called a DOCOM from an approved horse transporter — this helps simplify the administration. A DOCOM lasts for 10 days; for longer trips the transporter in France can issue a return DOCOM with the relevant dates. The DOCOM means these health-checked horses will be exempt from obtaining and paying for health papers signed by a veterinarian. They are granted high health status because of their compliance with vaccination requirements and FEI Veterinary Regulations.
Rest of Europe
Horses travelling to the rest of Europe, and non-FEI competition horses to France, Spain, Holland, Belgium, Germany etc, will require an export licence and a health certificate. It is also good to have a Route Plan to show the horses are being transported under the terms of the Welfare of Animals (Transport) Order 1997. Horses travelling to or through Switzerland or Norway are subject to customs clearance and will need to travel on an ATA Carnet. This allows them to travel free of taxes or duties.
Worldwide
Some countries outside Europe have specific quarantine and blood test requirements. For example, shipping horses to the USA will require blood tests for infectious anaemia (via the Coggins Test), glanders, dourine and piroplasmosis, also a test for CEM for mares and stallions, and a period of quarantine before they leave the UK. Contact your vet, DEFRA or a specialist horse shipping company for the current requirements for any specific country.
The Documents Explained
The main documents you may need for an international journey, and what each one is for.
Licence required to take your horse or pony out of the UK. The ferry company will ask for this at the port when you arrive to board the ferry. You can apply for this yourself from DEFRA; include the proof of value for ponies.
You can apply to DEFRA yourself, or get your vet to apply, for the health certificate for the country your horse is travelling to. The certificate will be sent directly to your vet and you will need to make an appointment for the horse to be inspected no more than 48 hours before it leaves the UK. The ferry company will ask to see this at the port but will return it to you. You will need this in your destination country. You will need a health certificate to be issued and signed in your destination country to be able to return to the UK (not applicable for France or Ireland).
A form which you partially complete and then send off with your application for a health certificate. DEFRA will stamp the first section and send it back with the health certificate for you to complete during the journey. Do not allow any official to keep this en route. You must take this home and keep it for 6 months in case DEFRA want to inspect it.
The Carnet is a temporary export document that eliminates the need for a Customs declaration at border points and the deposit of a guarantee, bond or cash deposit in the country of temporary importation. It can be used for a trip covering more than one country and includes numerous exits and re-entries in the country of origin during the period of validity of the document (i.e. one year). Available from the Chamber of Commerce.