UK-EU Deal to Ease Horse Export Paperwork
A sanitary and phytosanitary agreement set for signing on 20 November is expected to scrap export health certificates for horse transport.
Updated on Nov. 7, 2026 in Equestrian
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The UK and EU are set to formally sign a new sanitary and phytosanitary agreement covering food and animal movements at a summit on 20 November. It is expected to remove export health certificates and reduce border checks for horse transport.
Why it matters
Export health certificates currently cost up to £200 per consignment and must be signed by a vet before each journey, adding cost and delay for horse owners and traders. Thoroughbred movements between the EU and UK have fallen by around 25% since 2019, and horse transport has been affected by border control post hold-ups since Brexit.
The agreement's operational details are not yet public, and the cost savings per consignment will depend on how the final rules are implemented. Thoroughbred movements have fallen roughly 25% since 2019, while export health certificates currently cost up to £200 per consignment.
The players
European Union
The EU is a political and economic union of 27 member states and is party to the new sanitary and phytosanitary agreement with the UK.
United Kingdom
The UK left the EU in 2020 and is party to the new sanitary and phytosanitary agreement covering food and animal movements.
The details
The agreement is expected to remove the requirement for existing export health certificates and reduce checks at designated border control posts. UK domestic processes will change to align with EU animal health law, with the full detail expected to emerge after the summit.
Timeline
2019: Thoroughbred EU-UK movements began declining after Brexit.
20 November 2026: The SPS agreement is due to be formally signed at a summit.
Roadmap
The agreement builds on the post-Brexit trading framework that introduced export health certificates and border control post checks for animal movements. It marks an attempt to reverse the cost and delay burdens that have contributed to a sustained decline in thoroughbred EU-UK movements.
Horse owners and traders who export thoroughbreds between the UK and EU could avoid the up-to-£200 cost of export health certificates for each consignment if the agreement removes them. Planning for horse transport may change once the final rules are published after the summit.
The takeaway
Horse owners and transporters should watch for the final rules after the 20 November summit to see how the removal of export health certificates and border checks will affect their costs and schedules.
What happens next
The SPS agreement is due to be formally signed at a summit on 20 November 2026, after which the detailed operational rules are expected to emerge.
Further reading
For more on horse sport and transport issues, see the Equestrian section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Horse & Hound.
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