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Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
U.S. Department of Agriculture
Notice: If you have any questions or concerns regarding the procedures and requirements for exporting animals, you should contact the VS Field Office covering the area from which the animal will be exported, the area in which your office is located.
This country allows USDA Accredited Veterinarians to use USDA’s online Veterinary Export Health Certification System (VEHCS) to complete health certificates.
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USDA Accredited Veterinarian Signature
Electronic Signature Accepted
USDA APHIS Veterinary Medical Officer Signature
Digital Endorsement NOT Accepted The health certificate bears the original ink signature and embossed seal
Before going to VEHCS: Scroll below this banner to view animal-specific requirements.
To process some health certificates, VEHCS may need the USDA Accredited Veterinarian to upload the completed fillable PDF version found below. Either save a copy of the PDF below, or return to this page for the health certificate, if prompted by VEHCS.
USDA Accredited Veterinarians, log in here if you wish to use VEHCS.
USDA Accredited Veterinarians, help with using VEHCS is available on the VEHCS Help Page. To walk yourself through issuing a health certificate in VEHCS, click here.
NOTE:The printed paper endorsed health certificate must accompany each shipment. You can arrange to have your endorsed health certificate returned via pick-up or by mail (a pre-paid, pre-addressed return label must be provided during certificate submission).
Italy - Summary of Requirements for Live Animals
Italy is a Member State of the European Union. Bilingual health certificates are available for some commodities/species (see below). If the bilingual certificate for that species or commodity is not listed below, please refer to the English version on the European Union web page. It is the responsibility of the exporter to obtain a bilingual certificate if it is not listed below.
The European Union (EU) has updated all of their harmonized health certificates in accordance with their Animal Health Law. The new export health certificates are posted on the EU IRegs. Please continue to check the EU IRegs regularly for the most up-to-date information regarding live animal exports to the EU.
It is the responsibility of the exporter to obtain a bilingual certificate if it is not available on the relevant Member State IRegs page. If you need to create a bilingual version of a harmonized EU certificate, please contact LAIE@usda.gov with your request, and we will provide you the necessary documents.
Note: Some of the health certificates posted below may have had non-relevant statements removed (rather than lined out) as allowable in EU legislation. This is strictly to simplify/shorten the documents.
EQUI-X - Health certificate for the entry into the Union of consignments of domestic equidae not intended for slaughter - March 2022
EQUI-TRANSIT-X - Health certificate and model declaration for transit through the Union of equine animals not intended for slaughter - March 2022
Cattle
Bovine - Semen - Dispatched from Semen Collection Center
BOV-SEM-A-ENTRY - Health certificate for the entry into the Union of semen of bovine animals collected, processed and stored in accordance with Regulation (EU) 2016/429 and Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/692 after 20 April 2021, and dispatched from a semen collection centre where the semen was collected - March 2022
BOV-SEM-B-ENTRY - Health certificate for the entry into the Union of stocks of semen of bovine animals collected, processed and stored in accordance with Council Directive 88/407/EEC, as amended by Council Directive 2003/43/EC, after 31 December 2004 and before 21 April 2021, and entered into the Union after 20 April 2021, and dispatched from a semen collection centre where the semen was collected - April 2021
Bovine - Germinal Products (Semen/Embryos/Oocytes) - Dispatched from Germinal Product Storage Center or Germinal Product Processing Establishment
BOV-GP-STORAGE-ENTRY - Health certificate for the entry into the Union of consignments of germinal products listed below, dispatched after 20 April 2021 from the germinal product storage centre - March 2022:
semen of bovine animals collected, processed and stored in accordance with Regulation (EU) 2016/429 and Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/692 after 20 April 2021;
stocks of semen of bovine animals collected, processed and stored in accordance with Council Directive 88/407/EEC, as amended by Council Directive 2003/43/EC, before 21 April 2021 and after 31 December 2004;
stocks of semen of bovine animals collected, processed and stored before 1 January 2005 in accordance with Council Directive 88/407/EEC applying until 1 July 2004;
oocytes and embryos of bovine animals collected or produced, processed and stored in accordance with Regulation (EU) 2016/429 and Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/692 after 20 April 2021;
stocks of in vivo derived embryos of bovine animals collected, processed and stored in accordance with Directive 89/556/EEC before 21 April 2021;
stocks of in vitro produced embryos of bovine animals produced, processed and stored in accordance with Directive 89/556/EEC before 21 April 2021, conceived using semen complying with requirements of Council Directive 88/407/EEC;
stocks of in vitro produced embryos of bovine animals produced, processed and stored in accordance with Directive 89/556/EEC before 21 April 2021, conceived using semen coming from semen collection or storage centres approved by the competent authority of the exporting country
For species not listed, the requirements are not known. However, exporters wanting to ship livestock and/or germplasm, whose requirements are not listed above, should have the interested party (importer/buyer) in the country of destination apply for an Import Permit at the appropriate ministry. This Import Permit will most likely outline the specific requirements.