New import controls now Live

What changes have been implemented?

• The introduction of health certification on imports from the EU/EFTA of medium risk:
  - animal products​​​​​​
  - plants
  - plant products
• The introduction of health certification on imports of high-risk food and feed of non-animal origin via the EU/EFTA listed here.
• The introduction of import notifications for EU/EFTA products (i.e. not Qualifying Northern Irish Goods) from the island of Ireland to Great Britain. 
• The introduction of the Common Health Entry Document (CHED) import notification in place of the IMP for import notifications of EU/EFTA imports of Products of Animal Origin (POAO) and for High Risk Food and Feed of Non-Animal Origin (HRFNAO) imported into GB via the EU/EFTA. 

How to comply with changes that are now in place:  

1.Register for IPAFFS online on GOV UK if you haven’t already done so. The person or business completing the CHED Part 1 import notification must have a UK address to register for IPAFFS. 

2. Know your risk category – use the online guidance to find the risk category of your commodity  

3. Ensure that your EU supply chain are providing you with health certificates and/or phytosanitary certificates – find out more here.  

4. From today, GB authorities encourage the use of a digitally signed and verifiable GB export health certificate (EHC) in place of the paper version of the certificate for live animals and POAO imports from EU and EFTA countries where the PDF health certificate can be electronically verified. We will accept verifiable PDF certificates from TRACES and other EU/EFTA MS systems listed on GOV UK. You can still use a paper GB health certificate. 

5. Correctly submit your import notification in IPAFFS:  

•  Click here to watch the webinar recording for Importing HRFNAO via the EU to GB: the new CHED Part 1 notification. 
• Click here to watch the webinar recording for Importing animal products from the EU to GB: New CHED Part 1 notification.  
• Read our guidance in Import Notifications.   

6. Read our introductory information leaflets for businesses on health certificates and import notifications.  

7. Please click here to practice making CHED import notifications in the IPAFFS training environment. 

BTOM SPS Q&A Published  

To further support traders in preparing for BTOM SPS changes, a commonly asked Questions and Answers (Q&A) document has been published. See gov.uk here.