Currently, when transporting equines within the EU, transporters are required to hold the following documentation:

• Valid Transporter Authorisation (Renewed every 5 years)
• Valid Certificate of Competence (Valid for life)
• Valid Vehicle Authorisation (Renewed every 5 years)
• Have logged a ‘Journey log’ (Required for every international movement but not for registered horses)

Vehicle Authorisations and Driver Certificates of Competence need to be obtained before a transporter is issued with an Authorisation.

In January 2018, the European Commission confirmed that in the event of a no deal scenario when the UK exits the EU, they will no longer accept Transporter Authorisation, Certificates of Competence or Vehicle Approval Certificates issued by the UK authority.

Any transporter wishing to transport live animals into the EU will need to obtain new transport documentation issued by one of the EU27 Members States, which will then be valid in all Member States’ territories. The length of time it will take to obtain authorisations will vary between Member States though in the UK a fully completed application is processed within 10 days.

– UK transporters wishing to transport live animals in the EU would need to appoint a representative within an EU country and apply to their relevant government department to obtain a valid Transporter Authorisation, Certificate of Competence, Vehicle Approval Certificate and, where necessary, a Journey Log;

– If Journey logs are required, they would need to be obtained from both APHA and the EU country that is the initial point of entry into the EU for export. Exporters would need to present their transport documentation at a Border Inspection Post in the EU;

– UK-issued transport documentation would remain valid for transport within the UK only.