Pre-movement testing
In England and Wales, all cattle 42 days old and over moving out of an annually or more frequently tested herd must have tested negative to a TB test within 60 days before movement, unless the herd or type of movement meets any of the exemptions.
In Scotland, all cattle 42 days old and over in a two-yearly or more frequent testing area must be pre-movement tested before they move from or enter any Scottish herd within 30 days prior to the move, unless an exemption applies. For pre-movement tests carried out before 18 May 2023, animals must have been tested within 60 days prior to the move. Additionally, a short interval test or other skin test undertaken within a TB breakdown herd before its officially TB free status has been reinstated, cannot be used as a pre-movement test for moves to premises in Scotland.
Yes, a limited number of exemptions apply in certain situations. For a complete list of exemptions, see the pre-movement testing guidance available on GOV.UK.
No, not unless your herd is subject to more frequent surveillance testing (e.g. bull hirer), or enhanced surveillance testing (e.g. radial testing). If your herd is subject to radial testing, the Animal & Plant Health Agency (APHA) will notify you of the requirement to pre-movement test.
It is the cattle keeper’s responsibility to book and pay for a private pre-movement test with their private vet. However, a government-funded routine surveillance test (e.g. an annual whole herd test) can count as a pre-movement test if the timing is right.
Yes, as long as the cattle are moved within 60 days of their clear test (60 days after the injection date of the skin test) in England and Wales, or 30 days for moves to Scotland.
In Wales, the exception to this is herds that have recently had movement restrictions lifted after a persistent breakdown (a breakdown lasting 18 months or more). In this case, the clearing test (the negative herd test that allowed lifting of movement restrictions) cannot be used as a pre-movement test.
Short interval tests or other skin tests undertaken within a TB breakdown herd before its officially TB free status has been reinstated, cannot be used as a pre-movement test for moves to premises in Scotland.
In England and Wales, clear pre-movement test results are valid for 60 days from the date of injection of tuberculins on day one of the skin test, which is day zero of the 60 day period. In Scotland, pre-movement tests are valid for 30 days from the date of injection of tuberculins.
No. Currently only the tuberculin skin test can be used as a pre-movement test in Great Britain.
Calves under 42 days old (i.e. 41 days old or less) are not eligible for pre-movement testing. When calculating the date that a calf becomes eligible for pre-movement testing, the date of birth of the calf is counted as day zero, the day after birth is day one and so on. A worked example is presented below:
A calf is born on 4 May 2018 which is day zero. Day 41 would be 14 June 2018 and this is the last day that the calf could be moved off the holding without a pre-movement test. The calf would become eligible for pre-movement testing on 15 June 2018 (day 42) and would not be permitted to move off the holding without a clear pre-movement test.
Clear TB test charts (TB52c) provide confirmation that the tested cattle can be moved. You are required to keep these charts for three years and 60 days as evidence of TB testing. You are also advised to keep evidence for at least three years if cattle have been moved without a test because the herd or movement is exempted from pre-movement testing rules.
If the cattle are moving out of an annually or more frequently tested herd onto another holding (whether it’s a permanent or temporary CPH), they require pre-movement testing.
No. Pre-movement testing is not required between permanent land and any temporary land linked through a Temporary Land Association (TLA). However, pre-movement testing is still applicable for movements between permanent land and temporary CPHs (tCPH).
Pre-movement testing is a valuable control measure to reduce the risk of introducing bovine TB into cattle herds, but the skin test is not 100% sensitive. Isolation and post-movement testing should also be considered depending on the TB risk of the particular movement.
The requirement for pre-movement testing of cattle attending agricultural shows depends on whether the show is exempt. Cattle moving to an exempt show (provided that the animal is returned to the premises of origin or moved direct to slaughter) are exempt from pre-movement testing. A show is classed as exempt if:
- no cattle are to remain on the
showground for a period of 24 hours or more, and - in England, no cattle are to be housed i.e. any covered area with sides, which includes a marquee
- in Wales, no cattle are to be housed
i.e. any covered area with or without sides, which includes a marquee
Ultimately exhibitors are advised to check the pre-movement testing requirements with the show organiser well in advance of the show.
No. Cattle moving from an officially TB free herd to an AFU are exempt from pre-movement testing.
Post-movement testing
Cattle keepers in the Low Risk Area (LRA) and annual surveillance testing parts of the Edge Area of England must arrange and pay for post-movement tests for cattle moved from herds in higher TB incidence areas of England and from Wales. See guidance on post-movement TB testing in the LRA and Edge Area for more detail on the policy.
Cattle keepers in the Low TB Area of Wales must arrange and pay for post-movement tests for cattle moving from the High and Intermediate TB Areas of Wales or from High Risk and Edge Areas of England. Cattle from premises in the High TB Area of Wales and the High Risk Are of England moved on or after 1 February 2024 to premises in the Intermediate TB Areas of Wales also need to be post-movement tested.
Post-movement tests must be completed between 60 and 120 days after an animal has joined a herd in the LRA, annual testing part of the Edge Area, the Low or Intermediate TB Areas. Government-funded TB tests scheduled to take place within the 60-120 day post-movement testing window can be considered valid post-movement tests.
Animals that are eligible for post-movement testing must not be moved off the premises until the test has been completed, unless the move is exempt, for instance moving to slaughter.
All cattle moving from a two-yearly or more frequent testing area must be post-movement tested between 60-120 days after their arrival in a Scottish herd. Cattle imported from Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland must also be post-movement tested between 60 and 120 days of their arrival in a Scottish herd unless they will be slaughtered within 120 days of import.
Summary of post-movement testing requirements in GB
Moves To | |||||||||
Low TB Area | Intermediate TB Areas | High TB Area | LRA | Edge 12m | Edge 6m | HRA | Scotland | ||
Moves From | Low TB Area (Wales) | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | No | No | Yes |
Intermediate TB Areas (Wales) | Yes | No | No | Yes | Yes | No | No | Yes | |
High TB Area (Wales) | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | No | No | Yes | |
LRA (England) | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | |
Edge 12m | Yes | No | No | Yes | No | No | No | Yes | |
Edge 6m | Yes | No | No | Yes | Yes | No | No | Yes | |
HRA | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | No | No | Yes | |
Scotland | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | |
Yes, a limited number of exemptions apply in certain situations. For a complete list of exemptions, see the post-movement testing guidance available on GOV.UK.
No, you will not automatically be notified of the requirement to post-movement test. Cattle keepers are responsible for ensuring that they comply with TB testing rules. If you are trading cattle, it is important to check whether they require pre- and/or post-movement testing well before the intended movement. In England only, for a limited time, APHA is writing to keepers in annual testing parts of the Edge Area that have moved cattle onto their holding that may require a post-movement test. This was also done for keepers in the Low Risk Area after implementation of the post-movement testing policy there in 2016 and has since been discontinued.
You should contact the veterinary practice that normally carries out TB testing of your herd, or any other official veterinarian or approved tuberculin tester authorised to carry out TB testing.
Generally it will be the person who brings cattle into a lower TB risk area from higher TB risk areas. However, a government-funded whole herd TB surveillance test can be used as a post-movement test if the timing works.
Yes. Cattle eligible for post-movement testing must be skin tested between 60 and 120 days of arrival.
The 60-120 day window for a post-movement test is designed to maximise detection of infected cattle moved from higher TB incidence areas whilst allowing the keeper a certain amount of flexibility.
Sixty days is the minimum time allowed between skin tests to prevent a phenomenon known as desensitisation, whereby an animal’s skin reactivity to tuberculin is reduced for some time after the test. Cattle moving to a lower TB incidence area could have completed a pre-movement test just before they left a holding in a higher TB incidence area. This means that 60 days after arrival is the earliest that post-movement testing can be carried out. The 60 days also allows enough time for a recently infected animal to react to the tuberculin test at the destination holding.
Allowing up to 120 days for the post-movement test to be completed at the destination holding gives keepers a reasonable time to book the test. The 120 days allows for 60 days to elapse if any test is undertaken before the start of the post-movement testing window e.g. a routine whole herd surveillance test. It also allows sufficient time (four months) for any introduced animals intended only for fattening to be finished on the destination holding and sent to slaughterhouse without the need for a post-movement test. This focuses the effort and expense associated with post-movement testing on high risk cattle moved into lower TB incidence areas to live, avoiding the need to test animals that are going to be slaughtered shortly after they arrive.
No. Cattle brought into a lower TB incidence area that require compulsory post-movement testing cannot be moved to another holding until they have completed the test with negative results unless a specific exemption applies.
Movement restrictions are placed on their herd until all the moved animals have been tested with negative results. The post-movement TB test will be regarded as overdue, which may trigger cross-compliance penalties (i.e. reductions to any basic farm payments the cattle keeper receives). The Animal & Plant Health Agency (APHA) carries out compliance monitoring of post-movement testing, writing to non-compliant keepers and referring them to the Local Authority.
Yes. This is the case if the animals move directly to an LFU from a premises in England, or if they move indirectly to an LFU via another holding, provided they are moved to the LFU within 120 days of arrival.
Yes. This is the case if the animals move directly to an Exempt Finishing Unit (EFU), or if they move indirectly to an EFU via another holding provided the cattle are moved to the unit within 120 days of arrival.
Yes, unless a specific exemption applies. The calves will need to complete a post-movement test within 60 and 120 days of their arrival. By the time the minimum 60 days has elapsed, the calves will be eligible for TB testing even if they were under 42 days old when moved and were not eligible for pre-movement testing at that time. Cattle must remain on the holding until the test is completed unless specific exemptions apply.
No. The post-movement testing requirement is based on the TB testing frequency for the area rather than individual herd testing regimes.
Yes. The post-movement testing requirement is based on the TB testing frequency for the area rather than individual herd testing regime.
Cattle moved from herds in a low TB incidence area to non-exempt shows in higher TB incidence areas of England and Wales will need to be post-movement tested when they return to the home farm. A non-exempt show is one that lasts more than 24 hours and/or where the cattle are housed. For more information, see our guidance on TB controls for cattle moving to and from shows.
No. A post-movement test will not be required if the moves to and from the livestock market are direct i.e. they do not involve a stay at another holding in higher TB incidence areas of England or in Wales on their way to or from the market.
Not if the move from the livestock market is direct i.e. it does not involve a stay at another holding inside the LRA or annual surveillance testing parts of the Edge Area on their way from the market.