Import Regulations

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Certificate of Veterinary Inspection (CVI)

All birds and mammals imported into Minnesota, unless specifically exempted below, must be accompanied by a Certificate of Veterinary Inspection (CVI) issued by a veterinarian accredited in the state of origin. A copy of the CVI shall be forwarded within seven calendar days to the animal health officials in the state of origin for approval and transmittal.

The CVI shall:

• State that the animals described are not showing clinical signs of infectious, contagious, or communicable disease and that they meet movement requirements
• State the number of animals in the shipment
• State the species, breed, age, and sex of each animal
• Document official identification for each animal if required
• Document the address and contact information for the premises of origin and the premises of destination
• State the results of any tests that are required by the board
• State the purpose for moving the animals
  • Breeding
  • Feeding
  • Direct to slaughter
  • Other (i.e. exhibition/show)
• Document a permit number if required
• Document any additional information required by the board
• Any addendums or attachments to a CVI shall comply with the CVI Addendum Policy.

All camelids imported into the state must be accompanied by a certificate of veterinary inspection.

Includes all animals of the Bos and Bison genus

CVI, except as provided in items 1 to 5:

1. Originating from a farm of origin that are consigned to a state-federal approved livestock market;
2. Shipped directly to slaughtering establishments operating under federal inspection;
3. Moving directly to a slaughter-only handling facility in a manner approved by the Board;
4. Returning from pasture to the herd of origin in the state under permit; or
5. Moved in accordance with a board-approved commuter herd agreement.

Federal law requires that the movement identified in 2 above is accompanied by an owner-shipper statement if no certificate of veterinary inspection is issued.

Breeding, rodeo and all cattle for exhibition must be officially identified, except when:

1. Originating from a farm of origin that are consigned to a state-federal approved livestock auction market;
2. Moving directly to a slaughtering establishment under federal inspection; and
3. Moving directly to a slaughter-only handling facility in a manner approved by the Board.

“Breeding cattle” means all cattle except:

1. Heifers of beef breed less than 18 months of age maintained for feeding purposes;
2. Bulls under ten months of age maintained for feeding purposes; and
3. Steers and spayed heifers.

Federal law requires dairy breed spayed heifers, all dairy males (including steers) born after 03/11/2013, and all cattle/bison entering the state for recreation events or shows to be officially identified.

Federal law does not require that the official identification numbers of steers or spayed heifers be documented on owner-shipper statements or certificates of veterinary inspection. However, when official identification numbers are not documented on a CVI, a statement is required that indicates all steers or spayed heifers are officially identified.

Dairy breed means all cattle, regardless of age/sex/current use, that are of a breed(s) used to produce milk or other dairy products for human consumption, including, but not limited to: Ayrshire, Brown Swiss, Holstein, Jersey, Guernsey, Milking Shorthorn, and Red and Whites. Cattle that are in whole or in part of a dairy breed(s) moving from a dairy, or within channels originating from a dairy, are dairy cattle by definition.

Cattle not under quarantine that are owned by state residents who are not livestock dealers may be returned to the premises of origin from pastures in adjacent states without tests or certificates of veterinary Inspection if a permit is secured from the Board prior to movement. Permits for return from pasture may be issued by the board if the pasture is owned, leased, or operated by the state resident, the pasture is contiguous to state land owned by the applicant, only the applicant’s cattle are in the pasture, and the pasture has been inspected by a representative of the board.

TB test

1. Rodeo cattle entering the state must be negative to an official tuberculosis test within the previous six months.
2. Cattle imported into the state for the purposes of breeding rodeo stock must be negative to an official tuberculosis test within the previous six months.
3. Mexican-origin cattle must be negative to two official tuberculosis tests. The second test must be done by an accredited veterinarian and be performed within 60 days prior to importation.

Import permit

A permit must be obtained from the Board prior to the importation of all breeding cattle, all cattle for exhibition, and all cattle requiring a tuberculosis test, with the following exceptions:

1. Cattle originating from a farm of origin that are consigned to a state-federal approved livestock market.
2. Cattle shipped directly to a slaughter establishment operating under federal inspection or to a slaughter-only handling facility.
3. Effective April 18, 2018: cattle documented on an electronically issued Certificate of Veterinary Inspection that is available to the Board in the original electronic format within 24 hours of issuance and complies with Minnesota Administrative Rule 1721.0040 (click this link to read the rule).

Please call 651-296-2942 to get an import permit for incoming cattle or bison.

Information that will be collected and required in order to obtain a free import permit include:

• Name, address and telephone number for the veterinarian issuing the CVI.
• The CVI number.
• Name, address and telephone number for the origin of the cattle.
• Name, address and telephone number for the destination of the cattle (destination refers to the physical location the cattle will be residing at and not a business or home address).
• The Board will also require information on the type of official identification that has been used on the cattle.

Additional requirements

Cattle originating from parts of Michigan, Montana, Wyoming and Idaho must meet additional import requirements. Call us at 651-296-2942 for more information.

CVI

Live cervidae imported into Minnesota must be accompanied by a certificate of veterinary inspection.

Official identification

All cervids must be officially identified with the full identification number written on the CVI. Official identification includes NUES8 (if official in the state of origin), NUES9 and AIN ‘840’ tags (click here to see examples of these tags). Only microchips with ‘840’ identification numbers are considered official in Minnesota and only when the state of destination producer has a microchip reader to verify the microchip ID. Verification of the animal’s official identification is part of the import permit approval process.

Import permit

A copy of the Certificate of Veterinary Inspection needs to be submitted to the Board to obtain an import permit prior to the importation of live cervidae into Minnesota. It may take up to 24 hours to process the request for a permit.

Request an import permit online.

Fax: 651-296-7417
Email: farmed.cervidae@state.mn.us

Tuberculosis (TB)

All cervidae imported must originate from a TB accredited herd or meet the following requirements:

1. Originate from a herd that is negative to a whole herd TB test within 365 days prior to the date of movement and,
2. Animals that are 2 months of age and older must test negative for TB within 90 days prior to the date of movement.

No importation is allowed from TB infected or exposed herds.

Animals moving directly to slaughter at a state or federally-inspected facility are exempt from this requirement.

Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD)

Live cervidae must originate from a herd that has been subject to a state, federal, or provincial approved CWD herd certification program and that has reached a status equivalent to level 6 (over 5 years) as specified in Minnesota Rules part 1721.0420.

1. CWD endemic areas:
   1. Live cervidae may not be imported into the state from a CWD endemic area, as determined by the Board.
   2. Cervidae carcasses may not be imported into the state from a CWD endemic area, as determined by the Board, except for cut and wrapped meat, quarters or other portions of meat with no part of the spinal column or head attached, antlers, hides, teeth, finished taxidermy mounts, and antlers attached to skull caps that are cleaned of all brain tissue.
2. Live cervidae or cervidae carcasses may not be imported into Minnesota from a herd that is infected with or exposed to CWD.
3. No importation is allowed from CWD infected or exposed herds or from known CWD endemic areas.

Click here to download a list of known state and county CWD endemic areas.

Minnesota Rule 1721.0540 Subpart 3 requires rabies vaccination certificates to be signed. The Board considers ink signatures or verifiable digital signatures to be official. Please note, stamping is not an approved signature. Certificates should be signed by the veterinarian who administered or oversaw the administration of the rabies vaccine. However, if that veterinarian is unavailable, any veterinarian within the clinic may interpret a patient record to verify the administration of the vaccine and all other information in the patient record, either in writing or verbally as requested by the client.

International imports

To enter the State of Minnesota, all dogs and cats from international origins require a valid certification of health* issued by a credentialed veterinarian at the origin of the animal. Each animal must be examined by the credentialed veterinarian within 30 days of importation. In addition, dogs and cats 3 months of age and older must be currently vaccinated against the rabies virus.

Please check with our federal partners at the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and your airline to ensure additional import requirements are met.

*The EU Pet Passport is not accepted as a valid certification of health.

Dogs or cats imported from foreign countries

Part of Minnesota’s efforts to prepare for an animal disease outbreak is to evaluate all potential routes for disease introduction. The Board has recognized an increase in the number of dogs being imported into Minnesota from foreign countries and is concerned about diseases being carried by these dogs, and diseases that may hitch a ride in or on kennels, blankets, toys and treats.

Diseases like rabies and canine brucellosis have been identified in dogs imported from foreign countries. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) enacted a temporary suspension of dogs entering the United States from Egypt in response to three rabid dogs imported from the country since May of 2015. Diseases like African Swine Fever, which could be detrimental to Minnesota’s livestock industry could be inadvertently imported with treats containing pork products.

In response, effective August 2019:

Any person or organization who transports and/or receives a dog or cat into Minnesota that has been imported from a foreign country within the last 30 days must submit to the Board a copy of the dog’s or cat’s:

1. International Health Certificate.
2. International Import Permit (if applicable).
3. Rabies Certificate.
4. Certificate of Veterinary Inspection for movement from state of entry (if applicable).

Documentation must be received by the Board at least seven days prior to the animal’s arrival in Minnesota.

Dogs and Cats Imported from Countries with Confirmed African Swine Fever in Domestic Swine Populations

The importation of animals, including dogs and cats, into the United States from countries that have had a recent outbreak of, or are endemic for, African Swine Fever (ASF) poses a threat to swine production systems in Minnesota. While there is no direct evidence that dogs and cats are biological carriers of ASF, there is concern that these animals, their carriers, and transport-associated materials are capable of carrying and spreading the disease. Ticks or other external parasites that may be imported on animals also pose a concern for disease spread.

To prevent the unintentional introduction of ASF by dog and cat importers, the Board has elected to quarantine dogs and cats traveling from affected countries for a minimum of 10 days. This allows the importer adequate time to appropriately dispose of potentially infectious materials, effectively treat the animal(s) for external parasites and for State Animal Health Officials to address any additional concerns related to the potential introduction of the virus.

The following regulations apply to any dog or cat that has originated from or traveled through a country in which an ASF outbreak has been identified in the domestic swine population. Affected countries can be found by referencing the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) World Animal Health Information System (continuing outbreak):

1. Importers must notify the Board by phone or e-mail at least seven days prior to arrival of the animals into the state of:
   1. Type and number of animals being imported.
   2. Country from which animals originate and countries through which animals will travel.
   3. The location(s) where the animal(s) will be housed upon arrival.
2. Upon notification, the importer must submit the following at least seven days prior to arrival:
   1. International Health Certificate.
   2. International Import Permit (if applicable).
   3. Rabies Certificate.
   4. Certificate of Veterinary Inspection for movement from state of entry (if applicable).
3. Upon arrival in the state:
   1. All dogs must be bathed.
   2. All dogs and cats must be treated for fleas and ticks with a commercial product approved by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
   3. All animal carriers (if any) and non-disposable items transported with the animals (dishes, toys, etc.) must be cleaned and disinfected.
   4. Any disposable transport-associated material(s) (bedding, food, treats, animal waste, etc.) must be disposed of in a manner approved by the Board as outlined in the official quarantine.
4. Imported animals will be officially quarantined by an agent of the Board. The quarantine will be for a minimum of 10 days at the expense of the owner of the animals or the owner/operator of the importing animal business.
   1. The importer shall minimize the number of locations at which animals are quarantined.
   2. Unless the quarantine site is a veterinary facility or a facility under the supervision of a veterinarian, an agent of the Board will inspect the facility prior to arrival of the animal(s).
5. During the quarantine period:
   1. Animal caretaker(s) must implement Board approved appropriate biosecurity measures to reduce the risk of exposure to ASF susceptible species.
   2. No visitors may have access to or contact with quarantined animals.
   3. Quarantined animals may not be moved unless advanced, written permission is given by the State Veterinarian.
6. The Board will assign an agent to perform an onsite visit to the quarantine location to verify that all requirements have been met before releasing the official quarantine.
7. The quarantine period will end only upon a Release of Quarantine, issued by the Board.

CVI

Horses imported into Minnesota must be accompanied by a certificate of veterinary inspection that includes official identification and the date of the last negative EIA test, except horses:

1. Brought into the state for participation in trail rides or exhibitions.
2. Entering a veterinary facility for treatment, surgery, or diagnostic procedures.

USDA VS Form 10-13, Owner/Shipper Certificate for Fitness to Travel to a Slaughter Facility is not an accepted form for horses imported into Minnesota and no Minnesota destinations are permitted to be documented on this form.

EIA tests

Horses must be negative to an official test for EIA conducted within 12 months prior to the date of importation, except:

1. Horses consigned directly to slaughtering establishments under federal inspection.
2. Suckling foals accompanying a negative dam.

Extended Equine CVI (EECVI)

Minnesota accepts the EECVI for horses imported into Minnesota from origin states that have also approved the use of the EECVI. Currently, the only company offering an EECVI option is Global VetLink. Please contact the company for additional information including an up to date list of participating states.

Poultry is defined as livestock that are turkeys, chickens, waterfowl and game birds raised in captivity, excluding pigeons and doves.

For questions related to the importation of hatching eggs, poultry, or ratites, please call the Minnesota Poultry Testing Laboratory at 320-231-5170.

Slaughter exemption

Poultry and ratites imported into the state that move directly to a state or federally licensed slaughter establishment are exempt from the requirements in this part.

Certificates

All hatching eggs, poultry and ratites must be accompanied by a Certificate of Veterinary Inspection (CVI), National Poultry Improvement Program (NPIP)  Form VS 9-3 (Report of Sale of Eggs, Chicks, and Poults), or an equivalent form as approved by the Board.

Import permit

An import permit must be obtained from the Board prior to importation of hatching eggs, poultry or ratites into the state. The application for an annual import permit must be endorsed by the official animal health agency of the state or country of origin and indicate that the requirements of this part have been met. A single move import permit can be obtained by completing and returning the single move request form.

Pullorum-typhoid

All hatching eggs, poultry, and ratites imported into Minnesota must:

1. Originate from a hatchery or breeding flock that is classified pullorum-typhoid clean under the plan; or
2. Be individually identified with a leg or wing band and be negative to a pullorum-typhoid test conducted within 30 days prior to importation.

Mycoplasma gallisepticum and Mycoplasma synoviae

Chicken hatching eggs, chicks, and chickens from commercial egg-type or meat-type chicken hatcheries or breeding flocks and turkey hatching eggs, poults, and turkeys from commercial turkey hatcheries or breeding flocks imported into the state must:

1. Originate from a hatchery or breeding flock that is classified Mycoplasma gallisepticum clean and Mycoplasma synoviae clean under the plan; or
2. Be individually identified with a leg or wing band and be negative to a Mycoplasma gallisepticum and a Mycoplasma synoviae test within 30 days prior to importation.

Salmonella enteritidis

Chicken hatching eggs, chicks, and chickens imported into Minnesota from commercial egg-type chicken hatcheries or breeding flocks must originate from a hatchery or breeding flock that is classified Salmonella enteritidis clean under the plan.

Sanitation monitored

Turkey hatching eggs, poults, and turkeys imported into the state from commercial turkey hatcheries or breeding flocks must originate from a hatchery or breeding flock that meets the requirements of the sanitation monitored program of the plan.

Shipping containers

Only new or cleaned and disinfected poultry boxes or containers shall be used to ship baby poultry into the state.