GovWire

Importers and import agents must use IPAFFS to notify authorities in Great Britain before the following goods arrive from EU and non-EU countries:

• live animals
• germinal products
• animal by-products (ABP)
• high-risk food and feed not of animal origin (HRFNAO)
• products of animal origin (POAO)
• composite food products
• medium and high risk plants and plant products

Start now

Register for IPAFFS

Before you can use IPAFFS you must have a Government Gateway account.

If you do not have a Government Gateway account, you can set one up when you select start now.

Once youve set up your account youll be able to register for the Defra service you want to use, including the IPAFFS service.

If you already use other Defra services, you can register for IPAFFS by selecting register for more services.

If youre an import agent acting on behalf of an importer you must register for IPAFFS using your own business details. You should not select intermediaries on the Manage account screen in the IPAFFS service as this does not apply to IPAFFS users.

When you raise a notification in IPAFFS, you are responsible for the consignment from when it enters Great Britain until the authorities complete their checks.

Check import rules

Find out when you need to notify authorities about your goods and other rules you must follow to import:

• live animals and germinal products from the EU
• animal by-products from the EU
• high-risk food and feed of non-animal origin from the EU
• products of animal origin from the EU
• composite products from the EU
• compound products from the EU to Great Britain
• plants and plant products from the EU
• fish to the UK
• live animals, animal products and high risk food and feed not of animal origin from non-EU countries
• plants and plant products from non-EU countries
• live animals and germinal products to Great Britain under Balai rules

Before you start

Before you start to create a new import notification, make sure you have all your import documents in electronic format, for example PDF. Great Britain accepts verifiable PDF GB health certificates from the EU, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway for imports of:

• live animals
• animal products including germinal products, POAO and ABP

You must upload the documents to the import notification before you submit it.

Get help

If you need technical help with IPAFFS:

• call the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) helpline on 0330 041 6999
• email APHAServiceDesk@apha.gov.uk

If you need help to complete import notifications for:

• live animals, email importsriskmanagement@apha.gov.uk
• HRFNAO, email imported.food@food.gov.uk
• plants and plant products, you can read the IPAFFS for plants guidance or email phsi-importers@apha.gov.uk
• animal products, contact the port health authority (PHA) at your relevant border control post (BCP)

If you need help with your customs declaration

Contact HMRCfor help.