Guidance

Guidance: bovine TB pre-movement and post-movement testing

Updated 1 February 2024

Applies to England, Scotland and Wales

Throughout this guidance, the term ‘cattle’ includes farmed bison and Asiatic water buffalo.

Moving cattle from areas with high incidence rates of tuberculosis (TB) in England or Wales risks introducing TB to areas with lower incidence rates of TB. Scotland is officially TB-free so it is important not to allow TB to spread over the border.

England, Wales and Scotland have different testing rules. If you’re moving cattle between different parts of Great Britain, you need to know the TB testing requirements of the country and area.

Your cattle may need to have TB tests before and after you move them (pre-movement and post-movement tests). This reduces the risk of undetected bovine TB from spreading.

You must not book a TB test within 60 days of completion of the previous TB test as this is not a valid test.

Arranging pre-movement and post-movement tests

Before and after you move cattle, you may need to arrange and pay for pre-movement and post-movement skin tests. This is unless you have a routine surveillance test or herd test arranged or recently completed.

Check your bovine TB testing intervals. Most individual herd testing intervals are set to the testing interval of their area but some may differ. If the TB testing interval of your herd is changing, the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) will send you a TB testing interval statement.

If you do not have a routine surveillance test or herd test arranged or recently completed, you must arrange a test with your private vet. Your vet must be an Official Veterinarian (OV) registered with the APHA cattle testing panel. Your vet must be authorised to carry out TB testing.

In England and Wales, an Approved Tuberculin Tester (ATT) can test cattle, but you cannot use this test for export outside of Great Britain.

The cost of a TB test is a private transaction between you and your OV or ATT. Let your OV or ATT know as soon as cattle need testing. This will help them fit the test in so you can move your cattle when you want to.

The OV or ATT will inject tuberculins into the skin of the cattle’s neck. After 3 days, they will complete the process by checking cattle for reactions to the test.

Pre-movement testing rules

Pre-movement tests in England and Wales are valid for 60 days from the date of the injection, which is day zero of the 60-day period.

All cattle from herds in England and Wales must have tested negative to a TB test within 60 days before movement, unless:

• they are under 42 days old
• they come from a herd tested less than annually (England)
• the animal, herd or type of movement is exempt

If you’re a cattle keeper in England or Wales, you must ensure that cattle have tested negative to a TB test within 30 days before moving to Scotland. The test must not be carried out while the herd are under TB breakdown restrictions before the officially TB-free status of a herd is reinstated. These requirements apply unless cattle:

• are under 42 days old
• have lived all their life in the low risk area (LRA) of England – cattle from annual or more frequently tested herds in the LRA still need testing
• are being sent directly to slaughter
• are moving to a show or exhibition for less than 24 hours and returning to their original premises

Cattle keepers must follow their country’s rules for pre-movement testing when moving cattle to other countries within GB. The receiving keeper must also ensure that cattle comply with the testing requirements of the destination country.

Although pre-movement testing is not currently required for movements of cattle from Scotland to England or Wales, there may be times where recipients in England or Wales require cattle moving from Scotland to be pre-movement tested.

In Wales, you can use barcode labels on cattle passports to show the date of your cattle’s last negative TB test.

If a pre-movement test is positive and finds one or more reactors, movement restrictions will apply to your whole herd. Your herd will be subject to the controls applied to a breakdown herd.

In Wales, if a pre-movement test finds one or more inconclusive reactors (IRs), movement restrictions will apply to your whole herd. In England and Scotland, movement restrictions will apply to the IRs or the whole of the herd depending on the herd’s TB history.

Post-movement testing rules

In England, you must arrange post-movement tests for cattle moved to herds in the LRA from:

• the high risk area (HRA) and edge area of England
• Wales

You must also post-movement test cattle moved to the annual surveillance testing parts of the edge area from:

• the HRA and 6-monthly surveillance testing parts of the edge area of England (including any herds on annual surveillance testing from these areas)
• Wales

In Wales, you must arrange post-movement tests for cattle moved to herds in the low TB area from:

• the high and intermediate TB areas of Wales
• the HRA and edge areas of England
• Northern Ireland

You must also post-movement test cattle moved on or after 1 February 2024 to the intermediate TB areas from:

• the high TB areas of Wales
• the HRA of England (including any herds on annual surveillance testing from these areas)
• Northern Ireland

In Scotland, you must arrange post-movement tests for cattle from:

• the HRA and edge areas of England
• Wales
• Northern Ireland

You must carry out post-movement tests on cattle between 60 and 120 days after their arrival at your premises.

There are exemptions to post-movement testing cattle in England, Scotland and Wales.

You must not move cattle that need a post-movement test from your premises until they receive a negative test result, unless they are:

• going directly to slaughter (within 120 days of the movement onto your premises)
• going to a slaughter gathering (a slaughter market or slaughter collection centre) (England and Wales)
• going to an approved finishing unit (AFU) (England and Wales)
• going to a licensed finishing unit (LFU) (England-only)
• going to an exempt finishing unit (EFU) (England-only)
• moving from a certified quarantine unit under a general licence to a non-exempt agricultural show (Wales-only)
• under licence issued by an APHA inspector

You must post-movement test cattle first if slaughter is more than 120 days after arrival to the:

• LRA of England
• the annual surveillance testing parts of the edge area of England
• low TB area of Wales
• intermediate TB areas of Wales
• Scotland

When you can use government-funded test results to move cattle

Routine TB surveillance tests or herd tests paid for by the government can count as pre-movement and post-movement tests.

You can use a government-funded test as a pre-movement test if you move cattle within 60 days of a negative result. This is 60 days after the injection date of the skin test.

This does not apply to herds in Wales that have recently had movement restrictions lifted after a persistent breakdown. This is a breakdown lasting 18 months or more. The releasing test cannot be used as a pre-movement test. You must wait at least 60 days after the releasing test before cattle can be pre-movement tested.

For moves to Scotland, a government funded routine TB test can be used as a pre-movement test as long as the test is carried out within the previous 30 days.

Short interval tests or other skin tests carried out during a TB breakdown before the officially TB-free status of a herd is reinstated cannot be used.

You can use a government-funded test instead of a post-movement test if cattle have been in the LRA of England, the annual surveillance testing parts of the edge area of England, the low TB area of Wales, the intermediate TB area of Wales, or Scotland for at least 60 days at the time of the test. Tests done within 60 and 120 days are valid post-movement tests.

If cattle are herd tested before the 60 days, you’ll need to do another post-movement test.

You can discuss which animals to test with your OV, APHA veterinary inspector or ATT. They may need to see proof of the dates of the last test.

Exemptions and evidence of testing

Some cattle, herds or movements are exempt from pre-movement and post-movement tests.

You should keep evidence for at least 3 years if you move cattle exempt from TB testing.

Negative skin test results recorded on TB test charts (Form TB52c) by your OV or ATT confirm that you can move tested cattle. You must keep these charts for 3 years and 60 days as evidence of TB testing.

TB test charts also provide information on disease and testing history. Prospective buyers are likely to ask for evidence of tests and movements to help them decide on the level of TB risk they are taking on.

If you’re a buyer, you should ask for evidence of pre-movement tests within 60 days before the proposed movement date. This is unless the animal, the herd or the movement is exempt. You can also check the ibTB map showing the TB status of cattle herds in England and Wales.

Buyers in Scotland must request evidence that pre-movement tests comply with Scottish regulations. Cattle must have tested negative to a TB test within 30 days before moving to Scotland. Evidence must also show that the test was not carried out while the herd of origin was under TB breakdown restrictions.

APHA cannot give out individual herd details.

Failure to get cattle tested

APHA routinely checks cattle movements and cattle testing records. It reports suspected breaches to local authorities to investigate non-compliance. Anyone that fails to comply with TB testing rules may be subject to formal enforcement action including prosecution.

Failure to TB test cattle within the deadline may affect the compensation paid if the test finds one or more reactors. It may also be a breach of the Statutory Management Requirements in Scotland and Wales. This applies under the cross compliance rules and it could mean reductions to your scheme payments.

Receiving cattle that are not pre-movement tested in England and Wales

If you receive cattle that are not pre-movement tested, you should isolate the cattle as soon as possible. You must contact APHA and arrange and pay for a private TB test.

If APHA finds that you have received cattle without a pre-movement test, it will restrict the cattle until you test them. This is unless the cattle are exempt.

Receiving cattle that are not pre-movement tested in Scotland

If you receive cattle from England or Wales that are not pre-movement tested, you must pay for an immediate post-movement test.

If APHA finds that you have received cattle without a pre-movement test, it will restrict the movement of your whole herd. This is unless the cattle are exempt.

Movement restrictions apply until the received cattle have had an immediate post-movement test.

If cattle come from Wales, or the HRA and edge area of England, you should post-movement test cattle again between 60 and 120 days after their arrival. This must be at least 60 days after the previous test.

Moving cattle into your herd without post-movement testing in England, Scotland and Wales

If APHA finds that you have moved cattle that need post-movement testing into your herd without completing the tests, it will restrict the movement of your whole herd. Movement restrictions apply until the received cattle have had an immediate post-movement test.

In England and Wales, if APHA finds that cattle without post-movement testing have moved from your herd to another herd, it will restrict those cattle in the receiving herd. Movement restrictions apply until the received cattle have had an immediate post-movement test.

Moving cattle to and from temporary land in England and Wales

Read about bovine TB testing and temporary county parish holdings (tCPHs) in England or County Parish Holdings (CPH) and livestock movements in Wales.

Pre-movement and post-movement testing rules apply to cattle moving between permanent land and tCPHs. This is unless the animals, herd or movements are exempt.

Pre-movement and post-movement testing rules do not apply to cattle moving between permanent land and temporary land linked through a temporary land association (TLA).

Moving cattle to and from common land in England and Wales

Pre-movement and post-movement testing rules apply to cattle moving to and from common land in England and Wales. Check the exemptions and contact APHA if it’s not possible to pre-movement or post-movement test your cattle at common land.

Moving cattle to shows

Pre-movement and post-movement testing rules apply to cattle attending or returning from shows in England and Wales unless the show is exempt.

In England and Wales, when cattle need pre-movement testing, you can move cattle to multiple shows as long as they go back to their original premises or to slaughter within 60 days of the negative test.

Cattle must stay on the premises in the LRA of England until you complete a post-movement test if they’re returning from non-exempt shows in:

• the HRA or edge area of England
• Wales

Cattle must stay on the premises in the annual surveillance testing parts of the edge area of England until you complete a post-movement test if they’re returning from non-exempt shows in:

• the HRA and 6-monthly testing parts of the edge area of England
• Wales

Cattle must stay on the premises in the low TB area of Wales until you complete a post-movement test if they’re returning from non-exempt shows in:

• other areas of Wales
• the HRA or edge area of England

Cattle must stay on the premises in the intermediate TB areas of Wales until you complete a post-movement test if they’re returning from non-exempt shows in:

• the high TB area of Wales
• the HRA of England

In Wales, there is an exemption to this by using a certified quarantine unit.

Cattle in herds in England and Wales returning to the premises of origin after a show in Scotland:

• must be pre-movement tested within 60 days before moving to the show, unless they are under 42 days old or are moving from a 4-yearly tested herd in the LRA of England
• do not need a post-movement test

Cattle in herds in England and Wales moving to a herd in Scotland after a show in Scotland must be:

• pre-movement tested within 30 days before moving, unless they are under 42 days old or are moving from a 4-yearly tested herd in the LRA of England. Short interval tests or other skin tests carried out during a TB breakdown before the officially TB-free status of a herd has been reinstated, do not meet pre-movement testing requirements
• post-movement tested at the destination herd unless they have lived all their lives in the LRA of England

Further information on pre-movement and post-movement testing

Read more about reducing the risk of spreading bovine TB on the TB hub.

Read the latest official statistics on pre-movement and post-movement testing for TB in cattle in Great Britain.

Find out about pre-movement testing Exempt Markets (EMs) in England and Wales and pre-movement testing Exempt Finishing Units (EFUs) in England.

Contact APHA.

In England

For general enquiries, email [email protected] or contact the Defra Helpline on 03459 33 55 77.

To set up a tCPH or register a new permanent CPH contact the Rural Payments Agency (RPA) Customer Registration Team on 0845 603 7777 and choose option 6.

Setting up a new CPH can take up to 10 working days, so allow enough time before moving your animals. Read more about getting a CPH number from the RPA.

To discuss Cattle Tracing System (CTS) issues contact the British Cattle Movement Service (BCMS) helpline on 0345 050 1234. The helpline is open 8:30am to 5pm from Monday to Friday.

Get free advice on biosecurity measures in TB-free and TB-restricted herds from the TB Advisory Service.

Read more about reducing bovine TB in England.

In Scotland

For general enquiries, email [email protected] or contact the Scottish government on 0300 244 9874.

To set up a tCPH or register a new permanent CPH contact your local Scottish government Rural Payment and Inspection Division (SGRPID) Office.

For ScotMoves+ queries email [email protected] or contact ScotEID on 01466 794323.

Read more about reducing bovine TB in Scotland.

In Wales

For general enquiries, email [email protected] or contact the Welsh government on 0300 060 3300 (English speakers) or 0300 060 4400 (Welsh speakers).

To set up a tCPH or register a new permanent CPH contact Rural Payments Wales (RPW) on 0300 062 5004.

To discuss CTS issues contact the BCMS helpline on 0345 050 1234 or 0345 050 3456 (Welsh language). The helpline is open 8:30am to 5pm from Monday to Friday.

If you’re experiencing a TB breakdown or your herd is neighbouring a TB breakdown herd in certain areas of North Wales, APHA will offer you a free Cymorth TB visit by your local vet.

Read more about reducing bovine TB in Wales.