Export Animal Products to European Union
Member States of the European Union (EU)
Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France (including French Guiana), Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden.
Although they are not officially members of the European Union, the following countries are believed to follow the below same requirements as the European Union for imports: United Kingdom, Norway, Switzerland, Greenland, and Iceland.
Additional information for individual EU countries may also be available on the country requirements page, if the EU does not have harmonized requirements for an import, or if the specific importing country has different or additional requirements. Please be certain to check not only the below links but also the pages for the specific EU destination country and the EU country of the Border Control Post (BCP) (if different than the destination country). Important additional country-specific information may be available under the pages for the specific EU countries.
Harmonized certificates for the European Union, including those available under the individual EU Member Country pages, should not be transferred to letterhead prior to endorsement. The certificates should instead be printed by the endorsing office onto VS Security Paper prior to endorsement.
- Export Certificates Must be Endorsed Prior to Shipment from the listed U.S. facility [in the case of harmonized certificates, this is the facility noted Section I.11 of the certificate]. The EU has reiterated that required certificates must be dated on or before shipment. VS will not pre-date export certificates. Exporters must get their certificates prior to shipment.
- Common Veterinary Entry Document (CVED): The CVED is not a document prepared or endorsed in the United States. The CVED is prepared by the EU importer (or in the case of shipments transiting the EU, by the individual responsible for the consignment while it is in the EU) and submitted to the EU border control post (BCP). The BCP finalizes the CVED prior to release of the shipment for movement within the EU. APHIS does not endorse CVEDs.
- Border Control Post (BCP) (1.24 MB) [also known as Border Control Posts (BCP)]: Codes to utilize in European Union harmonized certificates: 2009/821/EC as amended January 2019
- "Delete as Appropriate" Statements: Statements noted as “Delete as Appropriate” on certificates to the European Union may not be deleted in their entirety. Rather, they should be lined-out. The line-out must be done electronically prior to final printing of the certificate. European Union authorities have indicated that the “line-out” must appear in the same “font” and color as the rest of the certificate. I.E., it must be printed at the same time as the certificate. Most Adobe and Word programs allow the user to “strike-out” text prior to printing.
Line-outs do not need to be individually initialed and sealed/embossed as long as they are made prior to printing of the certificate (as long as they are in the same font/print as the certificate itself). As always each page of the certificate must be signed and sealed/embossed once.
Commodity Specific Information
Need Help Exporting Animal Products?
If you have any questions or concerns about the procedures and requirements for exporting animal products, or to obtain a zoosanitary certificate for an animal product, contact the APHIS Veterinary Services office covering the area from which the product will be exported, the area in which your office is located, or the area in which the product is manufactured.
Certificate Endorsement or Export Questions
For animal product export certificate endorsement or questions, select your State or Territory to email the appropriate office and include "Animal products: endorsement or question" plus your State or Territory's name in the subject line. Note: Offices may serve multiple States and Territories.
Facility Inspections or Questions
For animal product export facility inspection requests or questions, select your State or Territory to email the appropriate office and include "Facility Inspection" plus your State or Territory's name in the subject line. Note: Offices may serve multiple States and Territories.
Abomasums and derivatives (including "rennets" and "rennin") for the production of materials for human consumption
Chondroitin Sulfate, Hyaluronic Acid, other Hydrolyzed Cartilage Products, Chitosan, Glucosamine, Rennet, Isinglass and Amino Acids - August 2017 (pdf 12kb)
Collagen and gelatin (materials for the production of) - TREATED animal byproducts for the production of gelatin and collagen for human consumption (TCG)
Collagen and gelatin (materials for the production of) - UNTREATED animal byproducts for the production of gelatin and collagen for human consumption (RCG)
Fish Meal and fish oil exports to the EU
Gelatin and collagen for human consumption
Honey (and other apiculture by-products)
Milk and milk-based products intended for human consumption
Rennets/Rennin - also see "Abomasums and derivatives"
Seafood: The NOAA Seafood Inspection Program certifies U.S. seafood products for export to the European Union (EU), where you can find instructions and requirements to export seafood to the EU.
Regulation (EC) No 1069/2009 - as amended June 2019
Regulation (EU) No 142/2011 - as amended March 2022
Regulation (EC) No 999/2001 - as amended October 2020
IMPORTANT: Please read the information listed here before accessing the Commodity Specific Information.
- TRACES: Information on requirement for facilities to be listed on TRACES (June 2022) (pdf 296kb)
- Guidelines for Preparation of Regulation (EU) 142/2011 Export Certificates - December 2021 (pdf 568kb)
- Transit/Storage Certificates: Alert Regarding New EU Position on Section I.5 of Regulation (EU) 142/2011 Health Certificates for Transit/Storage Consignments - March 2012 (pdf 21kb)
- Additional information for individual EU countries may also be available, if the EU does not have harmonized requirements for an import, or if the specific importing country has different or additional requirements. Please be certain to check not only the below links but also the pages for the specific EU destination country and the EU country of the Border Inspection Post (BIP) (if different than the destination country). Important additional country-specific information may be available under the pages for the specific EU countries.
Commodity Specific Information
Facilities must be listed by APHIS in compliance with Regulation (EU) 142/2011 to export the below commodities. Any exceptions would be noted in the specific article. Please contact your VS Field Operations Veterinary Export Trade Services (aka VS Service Centers) for details on how to request any required listings and certificates.
Animal by-products for the manufacture of products for purposes other than human or animal consumption - Chapter 8
Antibodies (purified antibodies derived from cell cultures): European Union authorities have verified that purified antibodies derived from cell cultures are not considered animal by-products. No certification should be required for these purified antibodies if they are not shipped mixed with other animal-origin material. If they are contained in an animal origin medium, then the import may be subject to Regulation (EU) 142/2011 requirements.
Apiculture by-products (including beeswax)
Artemia cysts (aquatic invertebrate cysts or “eggs”) and derivatives
Blood Products - for livestock feed – Chapter 4(B)
Blood - blood products from EQUIDAE animals intended for technical purposes - Chapter 4(A)
Blood - treated blood products from livestock not including equidae animals - Chapter 4(D)
Blood - untreated blood products (not including those from equidae animals) - Chapter 4(C)
Collagen (For purposes other than human consumption) - Chapter 11
Dicalcium Phosphate - Chapter 12
Display Items (for trade shows) - APHIS facility approval not required
Egg products intended for livestock feeding - Chapter 15
Fat - Rendered Animal-Origin Fat for the Production of Biodiesel - Chapter 10(B)
Gelatin (For purposes other than human consumption) - Chapter 11
Hides - fresh or chilled hides and skins of ungulates - Chapter 5(A)
Hides - treated hides and skins of ungulates - Chapter 5(B)
Hydrolyzed proteins - Chapter 12
Insect-origin processed animal protein - not including pet foods
Intermediate Products - Importer declaration for the import from third countries and for the transit through the European Union of intermediate products to be used for the manufacture of medicinal products, veterinary medicinal products, medical devices for medical and veterinary purposes, active implantable medical devices, in vitro diagnostics medical devices for medical and veterinary purposes, laboratory reagents, and cosmetic products - Chapter 20
Invertebrate cysts (aquatic) - See Artemia cysts
Laboratory/zoo animal food (animal-origin foods for laboratory and zoo animals)
Manure including guano - Chapter 17
Milk and milk-based/derived products for Livestock Feed
Pet Food (Canned) - Chapter 3(A)
Pet Food (Chews) - Chapter 3(C)
Pet Food (Processed Pet Food Other than Canned) - Chapter 3(B)
Pet Food Ingredient: Flavoring innards (includes digests) - Chapter 3(E)
Pet Food Ingredient: Unprocessed Animal By-Products - Chapter 3(F)
Pet Supplements (Animal-Origin)
Pig Bristles - Chapter 7(A)
Research and Diagnostic samples - APHIS facility approval not required
Sea sponges (Certified by NOAA): The NOAA Seafood Inspection Program certifies sea sponges for export to the European Union. These exports are not typically under Regulation (EU) 142/2011.
Trade Samples - of Animal By-Products (Not including display items for trade shows)
Tricalcium Phosphate - Chapter 12
Trophies - Completely Finished, having been submitted to a complete taxidermy treatment
Trophies - Partially treated game trophies consisting only of hides, skins, bones, horns, hooves, claws, antlers, and/or teeth of ungulates or birds) - Chapter 6(A)
Yellow grease (used cooking oil)
Wool (See Hair/Wool)
APHIS Veterinary Services does not endorse certificates for consignments to the European Union (EU) of materials that do not contain animal-origin materials. The EU does not require APHIS Veterinary Services certificates for these commodities. (PPQ “phyto” certificates may be required for products like hay and straw- exporters should contact PPQ for more information on these certificates). If a border inspection post in the EU aks for certification that products do not contain animal-origin ingredients, it is likely that the importer is using the wrong H.S. (tariff) code to declare the import or that the product is improperly labeled. Any exceptions would be noted under the specific EU Member Country
View the European Union Commission Regulation No 206/2009 of March 5, 2009. It applies starting on May 1, 2009.
NOTE TO SME: The EU has an updated document, 2018, outlining animal products not allowed. I recommend linking directly to this document. KB
The Russian Federation has announced that shipments transiting the EU will be rejected if the container seal was broken while in the EU (as may be done by EU officials during their border inspections).
The following products are believed to be exempt from this action:
- “collectibles”
- trophies that have undergone a complete taxidermy treatment
- feed and feed additives
- water biological resources and products of their processing {e.g., fish derivatives}
- finished food and feed products in retail packaging labeled by the manufacturer medicines for animals and other preparations for veterinary use (diagnostic tools, disinfection and disinfestation agents).
Exporters shipping consignments through the EU to Russia should work with their agents in the EU and importers in Russia to confirm if their consignments will be allowed entry (e.g. if their consignments are either exempt from the new requirements or if the pertinent EU BIP will confirm that the container seal will not be broken while in the EU.