Export Aquatic Animals: APHIS-Registered Aquaculture Export Facility Inspection Program

Last Modified: March 23, 2024

This inspection program was updated and went into effect on September 18, 2023.

Some countries require exporting aquatic animal facilities to be under APHIS (official) oversight to be eligible to export. If so, your facility must be inspected and approved under the APHIS Registered Aquaculture Export Facility (RAEF) inspection program prior to shipping animals internationally.

As a reminder, RAEF is only required if the facility is exporting to a country that either 1) requires APHIS oversight (regardless of whether export testing is required or not), and/or 2) when premises freedom level testing is required to export to a country.

Select your facility type, and follow the steps to determine if facility approval is required and if so, the type of approval(s) needed. Please note that depending on the facility’s business model, approval under both facility types listed below may be needed.

Facilities that breed, produce, grow, and/or package live aquatic animals on their premises prior to international export must follow the RAEF Production Facility Approval steps.

Facilities that receive live aquatic animals from suppliers for the purposes of reboxing (i.e., changing the outer packaging materials) and/or relabeling the shipment prior to international export must follow the RAEF Reboxing/Relabeling Facility Approval steps.