Import and Export of Birds

This page contains information on the health certificate requirements for bird movements into and out of Ireland. It does not contain in depth information on notification or customs requirements when birds enter or exit the EU. Please see appropriate links for that information.

For information on welfare or transporter requirements (e.g. driver certification and vehicle authorisation) please see the transport webpage or contact transport@agriculture.gov.ie

For in depth information on import and export outside of the EU, including Great Britain due to Brexit, please see the Brexit webpage.

The rules for bird movements change depending on the type of bird and what the movement is for. Please read through the below carefully to ensure you are moving birds correctly. This flowchart may also be useful.

A pet bird is a companion bird that travels with the owner (or with a person representing the owner as long as it is within 5 days of the owners own travel), and the movement does not involve any change of ownership, including delivery of a persons pet, delivery of a recently purchased or rehomed animal, rehoming, selling or gifting. A maximum of five pets per person is allowed to travel as a pet.

What birds and movements are classed as pet movements?

1. A bird of any species which is kept for

a. production of meat, eggs or other products, or

b. game birds, or

c. breeding birds that are used to produce birds for production of meat, eggs or other products or

d. breeding birds used to produce game birds

are not allowed to travel under the pet travel rules within the EU, please see the section on poultry .

2. All fowl (chickens), turkeys, guinea fowl, ducks, geese, quails, pigeons, pheasants, partridges and ratites regardless of purpose, and even if they are only kept as companions or pets, are not allowed to travel under the pet travel rules within the EU, please see the section on captive birds if companions, or poultry if used for production, or racing pigeons if pigeons.

3. Birds for any commercial enterprises, for zoo’s or wildlife parks, conservation schemes etc. are not allowed to travel under the pet travel rules within the EU. Please see the appropriate section on this page, captive birds or zoo birds.

4. Pet birds not travelling with their owner, but being delivered to an owner by a commercial transport company are not allowed to travel as pet birds, please see the section on captive birds.

5. If birds are travelling for the purpose of a show or exhibition, please see section on birds for an exhibition . Please note, pet birds from non-EU countries including Great Britain must remain in quarantine at home for at least 30 days after entry into Ireland, before they are allowed to enter a show/exhibition in Ireland.

See the Pet Travel website for all information on pet birds into and out of Ireland.

Poultry are

Intra-EU movements of poultry and game birds: please contact your local Regional Veterinary Office (RVO)

Export of poultry or game birds out of Ireland: please contact your local Regional Veterinary Office (RVO)

Import of poultry, day old poultry chicks or hatching eggs from non-EU countries including Great Britain: please see here, and scroll down to your type of bird.

All racing pigeons must be vaccinated against paramyxovirus-1 (Newcastle Disease) in Ireland or before travelling to Ireland.

Racing pigeons cannot travel as pets under the pet travel rules under any circumstance.

There are different rules for racing pigeons depending on whether they are being

Racing Pigeons as Part of a Race . i.e. not staying in the country of destination

To import racing pigeons as part of a race into Ireland:

1. From non-EU countries including Great Britain, please see here and scroll down to your type of bird.

2. From other EU countries or Northern Ireland, please see the section on Captive Birds or Hobby birds. The pigeons must abide by the health conditions there (i.e. only health birds from non-restricted flocks may travel), except that the 21 day residency period is not necessary, however no health certificate is needed.

To export racing pigeons as part of a race out of Ireland:

1. To non-EU countries including Great Britain, please contact the authorities of the country of destination to confirm their most up to date requirements to enter.

2. From other EU countries or Northern Ireland, please see the section on Captive Birds or Hobby birds. The pigeons must abide by the health conditions there (i.e. only health birds from non-restricted flocks may travel), except that the 21 day residency period is not necessary, however no health certificate is needed

Racing pigeons Not as Part of a Race, i.e. for further keeping/breeding/training etc.

These birds can travel under the Captive or Hobby Bird rules, please see the appropriate section.

Companion Pigeons

Follow the instructions for Captive or Hobby Birds.

These are captive birds, birds being traded for commercial purposes, e.g. pet birds being delivered to new homes by a commercial transporter, or consignments of finches/canaries/budgies, racing pigeons for further trade and not as part of a race, birds being delivered after being bought or being transported to bird shows. They used to commonly be referred to as “Hobby birds”.

1. To IMPORT captive birds into Ireland from another EU country

2. To IMPORT captive birds into Ireland from outside the EU:

See here and scroll down to your type of bird.

3. To EXPORT captive birds out of Ireland to another EU country

4. To EXPORT captive birds out of Ireland to Great Britain

5. To EXPORT captive birds out of Ireland to another non-EU country

Each country will set their own requirements. You will need to contact the authorities in the country of destination to ask them about their health certificate requirements. Once you know the requirements, you will likely have to prepare the birds for export with your own vet, and then either your own vet or a Veterinary Inspector of DAFM, or both, will have to sign a health certificate. If you have a certificate for signing please contact your local RVO to arrange this. Contact details of the RVOs can be found here . If you have questions about the certificate you have been asked to prepare for your birds, you can contact your local RVO or livetrade@agriculture.gov.ie

The rules on welfare equally apply to commercial animals being exported from the EU. General conditions on the welfare of animals during transport can be found here , and more detailed information can be found at Transport of Live Animals . DAFMs guidelines for transport of captive birds can be found here.

Bird Movements to shows or exhibitions within the EU

Birds can only travel to a show/exhibition in another EU Member State if they fulfil the conditions as per the import of captive bred birds within the EU, including official health certification. See the section on Captive or Hobby Birds for these details.

If a large group of birds from various premises is travelling to a show/exhibition together, they may all gather together in a single registered establishment before travel, provided

They must then travel according to the rules for Captive Birds.

Please note, birds travelling as pets from non-EU countries including Great Britain must remain in quarantine at home for at least 30 days after entry before they are allowed to enter a show/exhibition in the EU.

Birds returning home from an exhibition or show be kept isolated from any other birds for 21 days after arriving home.

There are rules that the operator of the Bird Exhibition must follow.

Birds can only be moved from a bird show/exhibition in one Member State to another EU Member State if they abide by the health certification rules below:

• To return home to the country of origin after being at a show in another EU Member State,

e.g. if an Irish bird has travelled to a show in Belgium and now wants to return to Ireland:

• To travel to a new Member State other than the country of origin or the country the show is in, e.g. an Irish bird brought to a show in Belgium but sold there to someone who now wants to take the bird to Spain:

Bird Movements to shows or exhibitions outside the EU

You must contact the authorities of the country of destination to find out what their rules are for entering a show/exhibition in their country.

However, it is vital that you ensure your birds will be permitted to return to Ireland after a show/exhibition in a non-EU country including Great Britain, as once they leave the EU they must abide by the same rules as other birds entering the EU from that country. Please see here and scroll down to your type of bird. This may not always be possible.

Please see the section on zoo animals, noting that generally speaking you use the certificate available on TRACES NT for that species, so for birds the captive bird certificate would be used if there is no specific certificate for that species,

or

If your establishment is an approved confined establishment, formerly known as Balai Approved Establishment, please see the certificate available on TRACES NT for confined establishments. However, there may be additional requests in relation to disease testing or vaccination so please also contact LiveTrade@agriculture.gov.ie