Bluetongue: how to spot and report the disease
Advice on what to do if you suspect there is an outbreak of this infectious disease.
Bluetongue movement restrictions for animals (licensing)
This page is about movement restrictions for ruminants (cattle, sheep, goats and deer) and camelids (llamas and alpacas).
From 1 July 2025, all of England became a BTV-3 Restricted Zone (RZ). You'll need a licence to move animals out of the RZ.
You can use Ruminant Health and Welfare's Bluetongue Movement checker for guidance on movements into or out of the RZ.
Moving animals to Scotland
If you want to move animals from a BTV-3 Restricted Zone to Scotland, you need a movement licence issued by APHA which confirms the animals have:
- a valid pre-movement test (at your expense), or
- vaccination with the Boehringer Bultavo-3 vaccine (for cattle only)
- have no clinical symptoms
Sheep cannot move to Scotland without a negative BTV-3 pre-movement test from the National Reference Laboratory (Pirbright), even if they're vaccinated. You can apply for a movement licence on gov.uk.
Testing requirements
Your private vet must follow Improve International guidance on collecting and sending samples. Testing is at the expense of the keeper. Test are valid for 7 calendar days after sample collection
Important information about testing at the Pirbright Institute:
- doesn't test samples during weekends or bank holidays
- limited daily capacity
- needs at least 3 working days to process tests
- samples are tested in order of arrival with no priority service
- make sure all forms are filled in carefully and samples are taken correctly and clearly labelled to avoid delays or potential fees to correct reports
- test results will be sent to APHA, who will complete the licence
- do not phone Pirbright for results, as they will not be able to give them to you
- clearly indicate on the sample form whether you need PCR only, or PCR and ELISA testing
You should complete your licence application in good time and time your testing so that samples are valid on the planned move date.
Vaccination
Vaccination is the best way to protect animals from BTV-3 and is a key part of our disease control strategy along with movement controls. Talk to your private vet about whether vaccination is right for your herd or flock.
Vaccinated cattle that have completed treatment with Boehringer 'Bultavo-3' vaccine and have no clinical symptoms can move from a Restricted Zone to Scotland without a pre-movement test. Completed treatment means both doses of the vaccine were administered and 21 days elapsed since the second dose.
No vaccine products currently enable the movement of sheep out of the restricted zone, and all sheep must be pre-movement tested to move.
You must apply for a movement licence regardless of whether you're using pre-movement testing or vaccination.
Vaccinated animals may test positive for BTV and will be treated as infected and cannot move to Scotland, unless further investigation determines they are not at risk of spreading BTV.
How to apply for a licence
You can apply for a specific licence to move animals out of a bluetongue disease control zone.
If you are applying for a specific licence, you will need to complete an EXD645 (SW) pro-forma before you start.
Moving animals to slaughter
You don't need a pre-movement test, but:
- animals must go directly to a designated slaughterhouse after leaving the BTV-3 restricted zone
- animals should be slaughtered as soon as arriving and no later than 2 hours prior to sunset
- if this timing cannot be achieved, they must be slaughtered within 24 hours of arrival at the slaughterhouse
- you must use appropriate insecticides
- movements must take place after dawn and finish before dusk
Use the general licence for these movements. You don't need to apply to APHA for this type of move.
You must meet the conditions of the EXD603 general licence to move animals from within a bluetongue restricted zone to slaughter in Scotland and Wales.
Designated slaughterhouses
These slaughterhouses can process animals from a BTV-3 Restricted Zone:
- GB1560 ABP Bridge of Allan
- GB1106 Kepak McIntosh Donald
- GB1160 Millers of Speyside
- GB1541 A K Stoddart Ltd
- GB1103 Woodhead Brothers
- GB1598 Dunbia Highland Meats
- GB1505 Vivers Scotlamb Ltd
- GB1516 Shotts
- GB1535 Sandyford Abattoir (Paisley) Ltd
Moving animals to live in Scotland
You must meet the conditions of the specific EXD597(SW) licence which can be applied for on the gov.uk portal.
You will need to complete an EXD645(SW) pro-forma before you start your application.
Your private vet must follow Improve International guidance on collecting and sending samples for movement testing. Pre-movement or post-movement testing means testing at Pirbright - the national reference laboratory (or an official designated lab) - with negative PCR results (and or ELISA testing where required).
Requirements:
- pre-movement test with samples taken within 7 calendar days of the move
- cattle vaccinated with Boehringer 'Bultavo-3' vaccine can move without pre-movement testing if 21 days have passed since the second dose was administered
Moving animals to markets or shows
From Scotland to markets in the Restricted Zone and back
Where less than 4 days have been spent in the Restricted Zone:
- no pre-movement test or licence is needed to enter the market
- you need a general licence to return to Scotland
- you must notify APHA who will restrict the animals upon return
- a post-movement test at your expense, 6 to10 days after arrival back to Scotland is required
- animals must be isolated until negative post-movement test results are received
- testing may take time due to high demand
- animals with positive results may be culled
- cattle vaccinated with Boehringer 'Bultavo-3' vaccine (with 21 days since completing the full course before entering the RZ) don't need pre or post-movement testing
- animals must meet conditions of the EXD608(SW) general licence to leave the market
- the market operator must endorse this licence
Where more than 4 days have been spent in the Restricted Zone:
- animals must be pre-movement tested in the Restricted Zone before returning to Scotland, unless they were protected by the Boehringer 'Bultavo-3' vaccine (with 21 days since completing the full course before entering the RZ)
From Restricted Zone to shows/markets in Scotland
When moving from the Restricted Zone to a show/market in Scotland:
- pre-movement testing is required (see earlier requirements)
- you must apply for a EXD597(SW) movement licence on the portal via gov.uk
- cattle may move without pre-movement testing if properly vaccinated with Boehringer 'Bultavo-3'
Moving germinal products
Any germinal products moved out of the Restricted Zone would require a germinal product licence. These must be products which are unrestricted, meaning the product is:
- previously defined as has completed the testing requirements, or
- collected from an animal that has not been present in a bluetongue zone in the previous 60 days, or
- produced more than 60 days before the last day on which there was no bluetongue zone covering the location where the animal was present
Collection centres in Scotland cannot be designated for collection of animals from the Restricted Zone. To discuss the movement an animal out of the Restricted Zone to a collection centre in Scotland for collection of germinal products, please contact Scottish Government via animal.health@gov.scot
Read more about this on gov.uk: Bluetongue: moving, freezing and storing germinal product.
Travelling through the Restricted Zone
No testing is needed if moving directly from a Free Area to Scotland through the Restricted Zone without stops.
Scheduled stops are permitted at:
- motorway service stations
- official lay-bys on trunk/main roads
- lorry parks or similar places
In Scotland, these stops must follow conditions in the Disease Control Order General Licence for moving cattle, sheep, goats and pigs.
Cross border holdings
If your premises is on the border between Scotland and England, it's automatically considered to be within the Restricted Zone. You can move freely within your premises, but you must complete a licence if you want to move animals off your premises and further into Scotland.
Contact
If you suspect signs of any notifiable diseases, you must immediately notify your Scotland: field service local office at the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA). Failure to do so is an offence.