Horse Transport Documentation
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Horse Transport Documents
Transporting your horse across Europe by road may not be as complicated as you think. As long as you organise and control the horse transport documentation every step of the way. Preplanning is the key, as each countries legislation differs. When travelling through several countries, each countries horse transport documentation will need to be completed seperately. While booking ferries or the Euro Tunnel well in advance.
Horse Import or Export Documents
We preplan the journey and complete the relevant horse transport documentation for customers. The key is each countries legislation differs, when travelling through several countries, each countries documentation will need to be completed seperately. Also ferries or the Euro Tunnel will also be booked to fit into the timeline .
Details Horse Transport Documents
Horse Transport Documentation to Northern Ireland.
Taking your horse into Northern Ireland is easy, because you just book your lorry on a ferry and off you go.
Horse Transport Documentation to the Republic of Ireland.
Make sure you inform the ferry company that there will be a horse on your lorry as the vet in the port will need to be informed. Horses will be quickly inspected to ensure they are fit to travel. Especially relevant there must be no loose hay or straw on your lorry when you board the ferry to the Republic of Ireland. If there is they will make you unload horses at the dock and thoroughly clean out your lorry. Loose shavings and sealed bags of haylage and feed are acceptable.
Horse Transport Documents to France.
Registered horses transporting to an FEI competition in France will need a DOCOM, and their passport. The Tripartite Agreement (TPA) contains a section for horses entered in FEI competitons in France to apply for a certificate called a DOCOM from an approved horse transporter this will help to simplify the administration. A DOCOM lasts for 10 days, for longer trips the transporter in France can issue a return DOCOM with the relevant dates. The DOCOM means that these health checked horses will be exempt from obtaining and paying for health papers signed by a veterinarian. They are granted high health status because of their compliance with vaccination requirements and FEI Veterinary Regulations.
Horse Transport Documents To The Rest of Europe.
Horses travelling to the rest of Europe and non FEI competition horses to France, Spain, Holland, Belgium, Germany etc, will require an export licence and a health certificate. It is also good to have a Route Plan to show the horse are being transported under the terms of the Welfare of Animals Transport Order 1997. Horses travelling to or through Switzerland or Norway are subject to customs clearance and will need to travel on an ATA Carnet. This allows them to travel free of taxes or duties.
Horse Transport Documents Worldwide
Some countries outside Europe have specific quarantine and blood test requirements. For example, shipping horses to the USA will require blood tests for infectious anaemia (via Coggins Test), glanders, dourine and piroplasmosis, also a test for CEM for mares and stallions, and a period of quarantine before they leave the UK. Contact your vet, DEFRA or a specialist horse shipping company for the current requirements for any specific country.
Examples of Horse Transport Documents
Export Licence: Licence required to take your horse or pony out of the UK. The ferry company will ask for this at the port when you arrive to board the ferry. You can apply for this yourself from DEFRA, include the proof of value for ponies.
TRACES Document: You can apply to DEFRA yourself or get your vet to apply for the health certificate for the country your horse is travelling to. The certificate will be sent directly to your vet and you will need to make an appointment with him or her for the horse to be inspected no more than 48 hours before it leaves the UK. The ferry company will ask to see this at the port but will return it to you. You will need this in your destination country. You will need a health certificate to be issued and signed in your destination country to be able to return to the UK (not applicable for France or Ireland).
Route Plan: A form which you partially complete and then send off with your application for a health certificate. DEFRA will stamp the first section and send it back with the health certificate for you to complete during the journey. Do not allow any official to keep this en route. You must take this home and keep it for 6 months in case DEFRA want to inspect it.
ATA Carnet: The Carnet is a temporary export document that eliminates the need for a Customs declaration at border points and the deposit of a guarantee, bond, or cash deposit in the country of temporary importation. It can be used for a trip covering more than one country and include numerous exits and re-entries in the country of origin during the period of validity of the document (i.e. one year). Available from the Chamber of Commerce.
Transport Documents
