APHA – Animal and Plant Agency - Getting it right at the border

This newsletter covers the latest operational updates on requirements and border controls for importing live animals, germinal products, products of animal origin and animal by-products into Great Britain.

In this newsletter:

Lumpy skin disease: import of germinal products from Spain
Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza Argentina update
GOV.UK One Login
Borders Directorate Communications – new email address
Useful contacts

Lumpy skin disease: import of germinal products from Spain

Following an assessment, Defra has announced that restrictions on germinal products of bovine origin from Spain have been amended to include a six-month closing date. This means that the export of bovine germinal products can take place if they were collected in Spain before 3 April 2025, subject to all other relevant import conditions being met. Exports of products collected on or after this date continue to be restricted.

Please see these changes reflected in the ‘bovine semen’, and ‘bovine embryos’ lists of EU and EFTA countries approved to export animals and animal products to Great Britain

Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) disease-free status: Argentina

Defra has announced that, following an assessment, Great Britain has lifted the import restrictions that were implemented in August 2025 due to an outbreak of HPAI in Argentina. This means that:

Imports of poultry, ratite and wild game bird meat may resume.
The treatment category for relevant meat products has been amended from ‘D’ to ‘A’, meaning no specific heat treatment is required.

Read the ‘Poultry and poultry products’ and ‘Meat products’ lists of Non-EU countries approved to export animals and animal products to Great Britain.

See Imports, exports and EU trade of animals and animal products: topical issues – GOV.UK.

GOV.UK One Login

GOV.UK One Login has been enabled as an alternative method for accessing your Defra Trade account.

This new sign-in option has been developed to offer a more accessible and secure way for users to access government services, featuring two-step verification for enhanced security.

If you currently use a Government Gateway account, you may continue to do so until further notice. We will notify you in advance when Government Gateway is no longer supported, at which point GOV.UK One Login will become the required method for signing in.

We encourage users to create their GOV.UK One Login. You can find more information here.

Borders Directorate Communications – new email address

We’ve updated our email address as part of our transition from Defra to APHA. Going forward, all communications from the Borders Directorate will come from: NBO-communications@apha.gov.uk

Please make sure to update your records and add the email address to your address book in order to continue receiving messages from us.

Useful contacts

Imports of animal products: for urgent questions about imports of animal products, including germinal products, contact the Port Health Authority or Local Authority at the Border Control Post (BCP) for the goods’ point of entry. Find the BCP and the PHA/LA contact information on this map or list.

Imports of live animals: for urgent questions about imports of live animals, contact APHA.

Imports of plants and plant products: for urgent questions regarding imports into England and Wales, contact the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA), by email, in the first instance –

phsi-importers@apha.gov.uk. Alternatively, you can contact them by telephone: +44 (0) 3000 200 301

If you need technical help with IPAFFS, please call the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) helpline on 0330 041 6999 or email APHAServiceDesk@apha.gov.uk (not 24 hours)