On 1 January 2022, new requirements were introduced for importing some goods subject to Sanitary and Phytosanitary controls, such as meat or dairy, to Great Britain from the European Union.

Traders are now required to pre-notify when importing most Products of Animal Origin from the EU into Great Britain.

Businesses, or a representative acting on their behalf, importing these goods from the EU may need to pre-notify authorities that their consignment will be entering the country.

What has changed and what do I need to do?

The UK government is phasing in controls on imports of products of animal origin for human consumption that come from the EU, including meat, fish, eggs, dairy and honey.

Since 1 January 2022, traders are now required to pre-notify when importing these goods from the EU into Great Britain. This is a legal requirement.

The act of pre-notifying involves giving notice to the competent authority (often the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA)) that your goods will be coming into Great Britain. This can be done on the Import of Products, Animals, Food and Feed System (IPAFFS). You can register for the IPAFFS IT System on GOV.UK.

At the moment, you don’t need to pre-notify authorities when moving these goods from the island of Ireland into the UK. There is further guidance on the GOV.UK website.