ARCHIVE: Transport - Documentation

Transporter authorisation application forms

Since 5 January 2007 if you transport animals in connection with an economic activity over 65 km (approx 40 miles) you must have a valid transporter authorisation. The application forms and guidance notes are below:

Applicants for transporter authorisations are required to declare any Home Office Simple Cautions or convictions under legislation on the protection of animals (as listed in the Guidance Notes attached to the Authorisation application form) that they or anyone transporting animals under the authority of their Authorisation have, or any current Court Orders restricting them from ownership, keeping or being in control of any animals. Anyone who has been convicted or given a Home Office Simple Caution under such legislation, in the three years prior to their application, will generally be refused an Authorisation.

Further information on the action that will be taken if it is discovered that a person granted an authorisation had failed to disclose such information on their application (35 KB), is available here.

From 1 May 2008 transporters applying for a UK long journey (Type 2) Transporter authorisation for journeys of any length including those over 8 hours will where  required, have to submit additional information along with their application form.

Those that transport Cattle, Sheep, Pigs, Goats, Horses & Ponies need to submit:

  • Copies of valid competence assessment certificates
  • Copies of valid vehicle approval certificates.

Those that transport Poultry need to submit:

  • Copies of valid competence assessment certificates
  • Copies of valid vehicle approval certificates only if required by the Member State of intended destination, and transiting Member States.

Those that transport other species outside of those listed above need to submit:

  • Copies of valid vehicle approval certificates only if required by the Member State of intended destination, and transiting Member States.

Copies of ceritificates will not be returned.

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Journey Logs

Since 5 January 2007 anyone exporting farm livestock or unregistered horses is required to complete a Journey Log (WIT 7). This will need to be approved by the Specialist Service Centre for Exports in Carlisle.

Journey Log Translations

Dual language versions of the journey log form are available in English-French, English-German, English-Italian, English-Spanish and English-Dutch. These have been produced to aid statutory completion and return of journey logs by transporters where the drivers are not from the United Kingdom.

Also available are versions of the journey log in which only section 3 has been translated into French, German, Italian and Spanish, which can be used if the drivers are English but the keeper at the destination premises does not read English.

These forms can be mixed and matched if needed, provided all five sections of the Journey Log are present.

Extension sheets

Because some journeys involve a number of rests and transfer points, extension sheets to sections 1 and 4 of the journey log are available and should be used to help record the full journey. If using the extension sheets, these should include the journey log reference number and be returned to the Specialist Service Centre for Exports in Carlisle, along with your completed journey log.

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Animal Transport Certificates

These are required for journeys of any species of animals over any distance or duration EXCEPT journeys involving involving farm livestock and unregistered horses on export journeys over 8 hours which require a Journey Log instead.

The Animal Transport Certificate is required to inform the following: origin and ownership of animals; place of departure and destination; date and time of departure and expected duration of journey. NB Farmers transporting their own animals in their own means of transport on journeys of up to 50km from their holding are exempt from this requirement.

We refer to the provision of this information as an Animal Transport Certificate (ATC). This is not a new requirement and as previously there is no prescribed format for the information required to be presented. Any other document containing the required information - such as an Animal Movement Licence - may be used, if preferred. For convenience, we have produced an ATC template (PDF 15 KB).

Contingency Plans

Holders of Type 2 (long journey) authorisations must have in place contingency plans to deal with emergencies that can arise during a journey such as animals falling ill or injured, unforeseen delays, breakdowns or accidents. The Regulation requires transporters to document their contingency plans in case of emergencies and to make these available to the competent authority on request. From 1 November 2010, all new applications for Type 2 transporter authorisations will need to be accompanied by generic contingency plan information provided on form WIT27.

Also, with effect from 1 November 2010, journey organisers will be required to submit a contingency plan with each new application for a journey log. This will not be required for repeat journeys. In the case of multiple pick-ups/drop-offs only one contingency plan is required per journey to cover the whole journey. In instances where loads are split e.g. at a control post before onward travel to the destination on separate vehicles, only one contingency plan is required but separate instructions may be needed following the consignment being split.  The Contingency Plan Section 1 Journey Log template is WIT 28.

A third template has been created to facilitate submission of contingency plans for use by transporters who are transporting animals on journeys of over eight hours where an Animal Transport Certificate (or equivalent documentation) is required and not a journey log.  This template is WIT 29.

Examples of contingency plan templates shown in the main (Part 1) guidance document published in August 2010 are now superseded by these new templates.

Further information on contingency plans can be obtained from Animal Health’s WIT team on 0845 603 8395 or wit@animalhealth.gsi.gov.uk

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Page last modified: May 9, 2011