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International trade: Imports - General Licences

Certain animals and products of animal origin that are not covered by European Union regulations require an import licence to be imported into Great Britain.

Many animals and products of animal origin can be imported under a “general” licence. A general licence is a published document and importers do not need to apply for their own copy.

Importers that wish to import a commodity which is covered by a general licence should familiarise themselves with the licence conditions. They should also refer to relevant Importer Information Notes and may wish to contact the Imports Policy Branch for further guidance and to satisfy themselves that they are complying with the rules.

Some animals and products of animal origin can only be imported under a specific licence. The importer must apply to Defra for a licence and we will consider it on the basis of the application.

The following table shows recently published general licences. If you wish to import a commodity which is not covered below then you may need to apply for a specific licence and should contact the Imports Policy Branch for further details:

Further information is available on our help page about downloading or reading Adobe Acrobat Adobe Acrobat PDF icon documents.

General licence number
Commodity
Country of origin
Date issued
Status
IMP/GEN/2008/05 Adobe Acrobat PDF icon (100 KB) Ovine and caprine embryos Australia, Canada, Switzerland, Chile, Greenland, Croatia, Iceland, New Zealand, Saint Pierre and Miquelon and the USA

12/09/08
Active
IMP/GEN/2008/04 Adobe Acrobat PDF icon (100 KB) Ovine and caprine semen Australia, Canada, Switzerland, Chile, Greenland, Croatia, Iceland, New Zealand, Saint Pierre and Miquelon and the USA 12/09/08
Active
IMP/GEN/2008/03 Adobe Acrobat PDF icon (100 KB) DNA, plasmid DNA or RNA other than sequences which could be used to reconstitute a pathogen All non EU countries 18/07/08
Active
POAO/GEN/2008/01 Adobe Acrobat PDF icon (100 KB) Blood products   18/07/08
Active
IMP/GEN/2008/02 Adobe Acrobat PDF icon (90 KB) Gelatine for manufacture of paintballs Canada 18/07/08
Active
IMP/GEN/2008/01 Adobe Acrobat PDF icon (64 KB) Bovine semen Northern Ireland 10/04/08
Active
IMP/GEN/2007/07 Adobe Acrobat PDF icon (64 KB) Wild caught animals All countries 14/12/07
Active
IMP/GEN/2007/06 Adobe Acrobat PDF icon (69 KB) Decorative feathers All countries 01/08/07
Active

EQU/148/GEN/6 Adobe Acrobat PDF icon (92 KB)

Hay and straw Australia, Canada, Czech Republic, Hungary, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Romania, Slovak Republic, Switzerland, USA 02/08/96
Active

EQU/148/GEN/10 Adobe Acrobat PDF icon (130 KB)

Hay and straw South Africa 02/08/96
Active

IMP/GEN/2007/5 Adobe Acrobat PDF icon (63 KB)

Porcine semen Northern Ireland 24/07/07
Active

IMP/GEN/2007/2 Adobe Acrobat PDF icon (108 KB)

All non EU countries, except when a composite product contains a milk product in which case the milk product must comply with the appropriate conditions of origin overleaf. All non EU countries 28/03/07
Active

IMP/GEN/2007/1 Adobe Acrobat PDF icon (62 KB)

bread; cake; chocolate; confectionary (including sweets); unfilled gelatine capsules; food supplements packaged for the final customer containing small amounts of animal products and those including glucosamine, chondroitin or chitosan; meat extracts and meat concentrates; pasta & noodles not mixed or filled with meat products; soup stock and flavourings packaged for the final consumer containing meat extracts, meat concentrates, animal fats or fish oils, powder or extracts. All non EU countries 28/03/07
Active

IMP/GEN/2006/450 Adobe Acrobat PDF icon (62 KB)

 Semen of the ovine/caprine species Northern Ireland
25/05/06
Active

TAY/GEN/2005/912 Adobe Acrobat PDF icon (65 KB)

 Pet health feed/supplements containing milk, egg or gelatin which are not pet food in the scope of Regulation (EC) No 1774/2002 Countries outside the EU which are on the EU animal health approved list for the primary product type of milk, egg or gelatin
16/12/05
Active

TAY/GEN/2005/894 Adobe Acrobat PDF icon (58 KB)

 Pet health feed/supplements containing honey, fish products, invertebrates, dicalcium/tricalcium phosphate, meat extracts or flavourings and which are not pet food in the scope of Regulation (EC) No 1774/2002 All non EU countries
16/12/05
Active

IMP/GEN/2004/18 Adobe Acrobat PDF icon (148 KB)

 Cattle aged 15 days and over Northern Ireland
05/01/05
Active

IMPGEN/04/12 Adobe Acrobat PDF icon (94 KB)

 Semen, embryos or ova of the bovine, ovine, caprine, porcine or equine for research purposes Member states & Norway
23/07/04
Active

IMPGEN/04/11 Adobe Acrobat PDF icon (52 KB)

 Empty blown ostrich/emu egg shells All Countries
20/07/04
Active

IMPGEN/04/10 Adobe Acrobat PDF icon (51 KB)

 Laboratory test kits All countries
02/07/04
Active

IMPGEN/2004/9 Adobe Acrobat PDF icon (116 KB)

 Pigs for breeding & production Northern Ireland
02/06/04
Active

IMPGEN/2004/8 Adobe Acrobat PDF icon (44 KB)

 Poultry & hatching eggs Northern Ireland
22/06/04
Active

IMPGEN/2004/7 Adobe Acrobat PDF icon (48 KB)

 Captive birds Northern Ireland
22/06/04
Active

IMPGEN/04/5 Adobe Acrobat PDF icon (51 KB)

 Finished cosmetic products USA/Canada/New Zealand/Australia
10/06/04
Active

IMPGEN/04/2 Adobe Acrobat PDF icon (53 KB)

 Hides and skins of ungulates that have undergone the complete process of tanning, wet blue hides and skins of ungulates, pickled pelts and limed hides All countries
28/05/04
Active

IMP/2004/1 Adobe Acrobat PDF icon (124 KB)

 Ruminating ungulates Northern Ireland
17/03/04
Active

TAY/GEN/2004/456 Adobe Acrobat PDF icon (57 KB)

 Meat and meat products (including poultry and game meat), milk and milk products for personal consumption The Faroe Islands, Greenland, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Switzerland
12/05/04
Active

TAY/GEN/2004/455 Adobe Acrobat PDF icon (57 KB)

 Powdered infant milk, infant food and special foods required for medical reasons for personal consumption All non EU countries
12/05/04
Active

TAY/GEN/2004/454 Adobe Acrobat PDF icon (61 KB)

 Eggs and egg products for personal consumption Authorised third countries
12/05/04
Active

TAY/GEN/2004/272 Adobe Acrobat PDF icon (56 KB)

 Finished diets for laboratory rodents or primates USA
05/03/04
Active

TAY/GEN/2004/228 Adobe Acrobat PDF icon (52 KB)

 Animal tissue fixed in formalin, intended for educational, research, exhibition and museum purposes All countries
11/03/04
Active

IMP/2003/3 Adobe Acrobat PDF icon (112 KB)

 Ruminating ungulates from “Balai” approved premises EU Member States & Norway
18/12/03
Active

IMP/2003/2 Adobe Acrobat PDF icon (132 KB)

 Ruminating ungulates EU Member States & Norway
18/12/03
Active

TAY/GEN/2003/1636

 Civet musk for technical use All countries
03/12/03
Active

TAY/GEN/2003/1268 Adobe Acrobat PDF icon (19 KB)

Game trophies of ungulates and birds having undergone a complete taxidermy treatment ensuring their preservation at ambient temperatures, and game trophies of species other than ungulates and birds All countries
01/10/03
Active
IMP/GEN/2003/1180 Adobe Acrobat PDF icon (100 KB) Treated skins/furs All countries
06/10/03
Active

IMP/2002/1 Adobe Acrobat PDF icon (84 KB)

 Cattle for breeding Channel Islands
17/12/02
Active

L/99/1 Adobe Acrobat PDF icon (156 KB)

 Pigs for slaughter Northern Ireland
1/03/99
Active

S&G/97/1 Adobe Acrobat PDF icon (68 KB)

 Sheep and goats Channel Islands
09/07/97
Active

L/96/2 Adobe Acrobat PDF icon (56 KB)

 Sheep and goats Northern Ireland
03/10/96
Active
TAY/GEN/94/1144 Adobe Acrobat PDF icon (19 KB) Leather, manufactured bone and horn articles, manufactured glue, oils and waxes of animal origin and catgut. All counties
21/12/94
Active

L/91/1 Adobe Acrobat PDF icon (76 KB)

 Cattle Isle of Man
05/09/91
Active

L/89/2 Adobe Acrobat PDF icon (96 KB)

 Goats Isle of Man
20/04/89
Active

L/86/2 Adobe Acrobat PDF icon (68 KB)

 Pigs Isle of Man
03/02/86
Active

Page last modified: 23 September, 2008

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs