Importing bees from other EU countries
From Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine
Published on
Last updated on
From Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine
Published on
Last updated on
All imports of bees from other European Union member states must be notified to the Department of Agriculture at least 24 hours before the consignment’s arrival in the Republic of Ireland. This is done using an Advance Notice of Importation form.
A health certificate which has been issued by the competent authority in the member state of origin must accompany each consignment of bees. If a consignment is subsequently sub-divided for delivery to two or more recipients, a copy of the health certificate must accompany each partial consignment to its final destination.
In addition to giving details about the movement of the bees, the health certificate is aimed at ensuring:
Consignments of bees that are imported into the Republic of Ireland between 15 March and 30 June must also be accompanied by documentary evidence from the competent authority in the member state of origin, to show that the bees have either:
Bees may not be imported directly into Ireland from countries outside the EU. Any such bees will have to firstly undergo border inspection checks at a Border Inspection Post, such as Frankfurt, approved for such checks in another member state.
The Advance Notice of Importation form below includes full details of the requirements to import bees including the health certificate requirements. Forms should arrive at least 24 hours before the arrival of the bees in the Republic of Ireland. The signed and completed form can be scanned and emailed to beekeeping@agriculture.gov.ie or posted to: