EU Veterinary Certificates 2026: what animal and animal product importers must change

Key data

If you import animals or animal products from outside the EU, the form your supplier presents at the border has just changed. The European Commission published on 22 July 2026 a correction of errors to Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2024/399, which in turn amended the annexes of two key regulations: Regulation (EU) 2020/2235 (health certificates for animal products) and Regulation (EU) 2021/403 (animal health certificates for certain categories of animals).

The practical result is immediate: the certificate models that must accompany shipments at border control posts have been updated. Using an outdated form is equivalent, in the eyes of the competent authority, to presenting incorrect documentation.

What does this regulation establish?

This correction of errors acts on the annexes of two European implementing regulations that regulate the models of official certificates required for the entry of goods into the EU:

The correction does not alter the underlying health or animal health requirements: the standards that products and animals must meet to enter the EU do not change. What changes are the official forms that must be completed by official veterinarians in exporting third countries and verified by authorities at EU border control posts.

This type of correction is common when, after the publication of a regulation, errors are detected in the documentary models themselves: incorrect fields, erroneous references, texts incorrectly transferred between language versions, etc. The correction published on 22 July 2026 corrects these errors in the forms derived from Regulation 2024/399, which was originally published on 12 February 2024.

Economic and operational impact

The direct economic impact of this correction does not derive from new fees or changes in tariffs, but from the operational risk of presenting incorrect documentation at the border. The practical consequences of not updating the models are:

• Rejection of the shipment at the border control post: the goods cannot enter the EU until the documentation is corrected, with the storage, logistics and delay costs that this entails.
• Return or destruction costs: if the shipment cannot be regularized, it may be returned to the country of origin or destroyed, with the full cost borne by the importer.
• Supply chain disruption: especially critical for perishable products (meat, fish, dairy) where border delays can render the goods unusable.
• Reputational impact with the supplier: the importer must coordinate with the exporter from the third country and with their official veterinarian to ensure that the correct models are used from the source.

The real cost of a border rejection varies depending on the type of product, the volume of the shipment and the country of origin, but can easily amount to several thousand euros per shipment for high-value or large-volume products.

Who does it affect?

• Importers of animal products (meat, fish, shellfish, dairy, eggs, honey and derivatives) from third countries outside the EU.
• Importers of live animals of certain categories regulated by Regulation (EU) 2021/403.
• Official veterinarians in third countries who must complete and sign the health and animal health certificates that accompany shipments.
• Competent authorities at EU border control posts, which verify the conformity of the certificates presented.
• Logistics operators and customs agents who manage import documentation on behalf of their clients.

Practical example

A Spanish company importing beef from Argentina has been working with the same supplier for years. The Argentine official veterinarian certifies each shipment using the health certificate model established in Annex III of Regulation (EU) 2020/2235, as amended by Regulation 2024/399 in February 2024.

Following the correction of errors published on 22 July 2026, that model has been updated. If the Argentine veterinarian continues to use the form prior to the correction, the shipment arrives at the Spanish border control post with a certificate that does not conform to the current model. The inspector may reject the entry of the goods, forcing the importer to manage storage in the border area, urgently contact the supplier and, in the worst case, assume the cost of returning or destroying the cargo.

The solution is simple but requires proactive action: the importer must inform their supplier and the official veterinarian in the country of origin that there is a correction to the models and that they must use the updated forms before certifying the next shipment.

What should companies do now?

1. Identify if you import affected products or animals: review whether your imports are regulated by Regulation (EU) 2020/2235 (animal products) or Regulation (EU) 2021/403 (live animals of certain categories).
2. Contact your supplier in the country of origin: communicate the publication of this correction of errors and request confirmation that the official veterinarian will use the updated models in the next certificates.
3. Verify current models: download the updated annexes directly from EUR-Lex and compare them with those your supplier is using.
4. Alert your customs agent or freight forwarder: ensure that the team managing documentation at the border is aware of the update and can detect non-conforming certificates before they reach the control post.
5. Review shipments in transit: if you have shipments already in transit certified with models prior to the correction, assess the risk of rejection and prepare a contingency plan.

Official source

View complete regulation in official source

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. For specific decisions, consult a qualified professional. Source: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/./legal-content/AUTO/?uri=OJ:L_202690608