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Consultation on changes to Horse Passports legislation: Questions and Answers

About the consultation

Q1. What is the consultation about?

A1. Defra is consulting on implementation of the new EU regulations that will lead to changes to current Horse Passports legislation in England.  Welsh Assembly Government, Scottish Office of Agriculture, Environment and Fisheries, and   Department for Agriculture and Rural Development Northern Ireland are conducting parallel consultations in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland

Q2. What are the new rules and who will be affected?

A2. The consultation document sets out full details of the changes. The main feature is the requirement for foals to be microchipped from 1 July 2009. The new rules will be of interest to a wide range of stakeholders (e.g. owners, keepers, veterinary surgeons, transporters etc.).

Q3. How do I respond to the consultation?

A3. You can send your responses/comments by the following methods:

  • By email to: horse.passports@defra.gsi.gov.uk
  • By post to: Horse Passports Team, Defra,  Area 5A, 9 Millbank, c/o Nobel House, 17 Smith Square London, SW1P 3JR
  • By fax to: 0207 238 3082
Q4. What is the closing date for the consultation?

A4. Responses to the consultation should be received by noon Monday 2 February 2009.

Q5. What does the consultation package consist of?

A5. The consultation package includes the following:

  • Consultation document.
  • A partial impact assessment for implementation of the revised Equine Identification (Horse Passport) Regulations.
  • List of consultees.
  • Letter to consultees.
  • Efficiency criteria for Passport Issuing Organisations document
Q6. Who can respond to the consultation?

A6. Anyone is welcome to contribute to the consultation.

Q7. What are the next steps following the consultation?

A7. Twelve weeks after closure of the consultation Defra will issue a summary of responses received. Defra will take account of the responses in developing the domestic Regulations necessary to implement the new rules on 1 July 2009 (dependant on Ministerial clearance and Parliamentary approval).

About the passport regulations

Q8. I have not yet applied for a passport, am I breaking existing regulations or can I still apply?

A8. Existing Horse Passports regulations require all owners to obtain a passport for each horse they own. This includes ponies, donkeys, and other equidae. Owners cannot sell, export, slaughter for human consumption, use for the purposes of competition or breeding, a horse which does not have a passport. See Q&A 13 for details of how to apply for a passport.

Q9. Will the microchip help prevent theft?

A9. Many owners already microchip their horses as a security measure.  Microchipping can act as a deterrent and help to identify stolen or ill-treated animals.

Q10. How much does it cost to microchip a horse?

A10. Average cost of having a horse implanted with a microchip including a call out fee is about £60.00.

Q11. My horse has a passport, does it need to be microchipped and do I need new documents?

A11. Passports issued before 1 July 2009 under the existing rules will remain valid so a new passport and microchipping will be not be required when the new rules are introduced on 1 July 2009.

Q12. What will be the penalties for failing to correctly identify animals under the new rules after 1 July 2009?

A12. Failure to correctly identify animals under the new rules could lead to a fine of up to £5000. Foals born after 30 June 2009 will have to have a passport and microchip by 31 December in the year in which they are born or 6 months after birth, whichever is the latest. Animals born before 1 July 2009 which, at that date, do not have a passport under the existing rules will have to have a passport and microchip by 31 December 2009.

Q13. Where do I apply for a passport for my horse?

A13. You can apply to one of the Passport Issuing Organisations (PIOs) that have been authorised by Defra or the devolved administrations (Welsh Assembly Government, Scottish Office of Agriculture, Environment and Fisheries, and   Department for Agriculture and Rural Development Northern Ireland) to issue horse passports. Some of these organisations deal with only one particular breed of horse; others will issue passports for all types of horses.

A list of recognised Organisations and Associations that have been authorised to issue horse passports in the UK which are recognised under Commission Decision 92/353/EEC and under Domestic Passport Regulations, can be found on the following website www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/id-move/horses/index.htm

Information may also be obtained from the Defra helpline Tel: 08459 335577.

If your passport is urgently required, you may wish to check the processing time with the PIO.

You can find answers to other frequently asked questions regarding horse passports legislation on our homepage.

Page published: 10 November 2008