Reminder from Defra – IPAFFS pre-notification required for animal products from European Union (EU) into Great Britain (GB)
2021-0221
Reminder – IPAFFS pre-notification required for animal products from European Union (EU) into Great Britain (GB)
From January 2022, you must pre-notify your consignment via IPAFFS
From 1 January 2022, all Products of Animal Origin (POAO), Animal By-Products (ABP) and High Risk Foods Not of Animal Origin (HRFNAO) consignments need to be pre-notified on the Import of products, animals, food and feed system (IPAFFS).
If you haven’t done so already, please register for IPAFFS. A training video and guidance on how to create and complete a pre-notification on IPAFFS is available.
To register to use the IPAFFS system traders will need to set up a Government Gateway account and create a Defra account for the IPAFFS service.
Pre-notification
You must pre-notify your consignment at least four-hours in advance of arriving into Great Britain. The four-hour requirement will remain in place until 30 June 2022.
How to pre-notify
From 1 January to 30 June 2022, you will require the following information to complete a notification on IPAFFS:
What type of animal product or goods you’re importing (i.e., POAO, ABP, HRFNAO)
- Origin of the animal product or goods (which country it was produced, originated in)
- Commodity code (Selectable from a predefined list)
- Commodity type (Selectable from a predefined list)
- Species of the commodity (Selectable from a predefined list)
- Commodity weight (kg)
- Date of arrival into Great Britain
- Reason for importing consignment (i.e., internal market, transit, research, etc)
- Consignment’s place of destination
- Addresses and contact details for place of origin, importer and place of destination
- Details of port of entry
Further guidance has been added to the microsite.
From 1 July 2022, the information required for notifying consignments will change and additional fields will need to be completed. We will provide you with these details in due course.
Share your notification reference with your customs agent
From 1 January 2022, staged customs controls are ending on goods imported from the EU. All consignments must be accompanied by a full customs import declaration that is submitted before the goods arrive at the EU point of departure.
Depending on the system used, your customs agent will need to include your IPAFFS’ notification reference number (IMP.GB. 202X.XXXXXXX), as a licence number following the country code and licence type CVD in Box 44 on CHIEF or in the document identifier segment of DE 2/3 (Documents produced) on CDS following the country code and licence type CHD.
In box 44 or DE 2/3, the CHED document code should still be used to reflect the commodity (live animals, plants and plant products, high risk foods and animal products) that you are importing to ensure successful tariff validation.
You need to ensure that you share the IPAFFS’ notification reference number with your customs agent. Your customs agent must enter this number to submit the declaration. Failure to notify and provide this information will delay your custom agent’s ability to complete the declaration and could therefore delay the departure of your consignment.
For more information on customs requirements from 1 January 2022 please refer to gov.uk/transition.
Trader Readiness Team
Animal and Animal Imports (EU to GB)
Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs
Author
