IPAFFS notification: who files it, when and how

IPAFFS (Import of Products, Animals, Food and Feed System) is the UK's online system in which importers and import agents notify the authorities about imports into Great Britain of certain goods: animals, food, feed and plants (gov.uk). Submitting a notification produces an import notification, also called a CHED (Common Health Entry Document), with its own reference number.

Below you will find a complete guide: who submits the notification, which goods are covered, what advance notice deadlines apply, how to submit a notification step by step and which mistakes to avoid.

Who must submit an IPAFFS notification?

According to gov.uk, IPAFFS is used by importers and by import agents acting on their behalf. An agent registers in the system using their own company details (gov.uk). The person who submits the notification is responsible for the consignment from its arrival in Great Britain until the checks by the relevant authorities are completed (same source).

The question "who in our supply chain does this" must be settled before the transport departs. We discuss the split of responsibilities in the article IPAFFS in 2026: who must file a notification.

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Which goods require an IPAFFS notification?

Gov.uk lists the categories for which a notification is required before goods arrive from EU and non-EU countries (gov.uk):

• live animals,
• germinal products,
• animal by-products (ABP),
• high-risk food and feed not of animal origin (HRFNAO),
• products of animal origin (POAO),
• composite food products,
• medium- and high-risk plants and plant products.

Low-risk plants are not subject to phytosanitary checks, so they do not require a notification. For imports from the EU, an IPAFFS notification is submitted for high-risk plants and medium-risk A plants; medium-risk B plants require only a phytosanitary certificate (gov.uk). Gov.uk also states that EU fruit and vegetables in the medium-risk A and B categories are currently temporarily treated as low risk, and the authorities do not need to be notified about them (gov.uk). We explain how to check whether a particular product is covered in our guide When do goods require IPAFFS.

Advance notice deadlines

The minimum deadlines confirmed on gov.uk are:

• high-risk and medium-risk A plants and plant products: at least 4 working hours before the goods land in Great Britain for air and ro-ro transport, and at least 1 working day before arrival for other modes of transport (gov.uk),
• products of animal origin: at least 1 working day before the expected arrival at the point of entry (gov.uk).

Notifying too late may delay the consignment. For the remaining categories (including live animals, ABP and HRFNAO), check the deadlines in the relevant gov.uk guidance pages linked from the IPAFFS page.

How to submit an IPAFFS notification step by step

1. Establish whether your goods are covered by the system (category, risk level, country of origin). A correct HS code helps, but the deciding factor is the product category described in the gov.uk guidance.
2. Register for IPAFFS. Sign in to the service or create sign-in details; if you already use another Defra service, choose the option to register for further services. An agent registers using their own company details (gov.uk). For imports you will also need an EORI number (GB or XI) for customs clearance. More on registration itself: IPAFFS registration.
3. Prepare the documents in electronic form, for example as PDFs. Great Britain accepts verifiable GB health certificates in PDF format from the EU, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway for live animals and animal products, including POAO and ABP (gov.uk). For high-risk and medium-risk A and B plants and plant products from the EU, the exporter must obtain a phytosanitary certificate; a scan of it (or an ePhyto) is attached to the notification (gov.uk).
4. Create the notification and attach the documents before you submit it (same source).
5. Submit it within the required deadline (see above) and keep the CHED reference number.
6. Include the CHED number in the customs clearance. In the customs declaration in CDS, the CHED number is entered in data element DE 2/3 in the format GBCHDyyyy.nnnnnnn; a missing number may result in the goods being held. For composite products containing several types of goods, the numbers of all the CHEDs are also added to the commercial documents in each notification (gov.uk).

You will find a simplified decision flow and a list of the data to prepare in the article IPAFFS step by step in 2026.

CHED: the import notification

An IPAFFS notification is also known as a Common Health Entry Document (CHED). After submission you receive a reference number in the format CHEDP.GB.YYYY.XXXXXXX (for products of animal origin); the number does not need to be added to the health certificate (gov.uk).

If a consignment combines goods from different groups, for example HRFNAO and an animal product, a separate notification is submitted for each type of goods: CHED.D for HRFNAO and CHED.P for the animal product (same source). For products of animal origin, a consignment selected for SPS checks must be presented at a border control post (BCP), and the goods enter Great Britain through a point of entry with the appropriate BCP; goods coming directly from Ireland may also enter through Heysham and designated points in Wales (same source).

Costs linked to SPS checks

For goods subject to SPS checks that enter via Dover or the Channel Tunnel, the Common User Charge may apply – see our article on the Common User Charge. For the wider picture of what drives clearance costs, see how much UK customs clearance costs.

The most common mistakes in IPAFFS notifications

1. Assuming the goods are not covered by the system because they look like ordinary commercial goods. The category and risk level decide, not how the goods look on sale.
2. Notifying too late against the deadlines given on gov.uk, which risks delaying the consignment.
3. Wrong tariff code or goods description, which leads to the category being assigned incorrectly. See HS code.
4. Incomplete documents in electronic form, or failing to attach them before submitting the notification.
5. One notification for goods from different groups. For multi-component products, separate notifications may be needed (CHED.D and CHED.P).
6. Unclear division of responsibility between the importer, the carrier and the agent, and inconsistent data in the commercial documents and in the notification.

Related articles

• IPAFFS in 2026: who must file a notification – division of responsibility and the data to prepare,
• IPAFFS step by step in 2026 – when a notification is needed and what to prepare,
• When do goods require IPAFFS – how to check before importing to the UK.

Official help

Technical problems with the system are reported to APHA (helpline 0330 041 6999). Help with completing a notification for products of animal origin is provided by the port health authority at the relevant border control post, and for customs declaration matters by HMRC (gov.uk).

Need an IPAFFS notification?

We help prepare and submit IPAFFS notifications for plant and animal products imported into the UK.

Call: +44 333 335 5072 or go to our contact form. Individual quote after documents are submitted.

Official sources

• GOV.UK: Import of products, animals, food and feed system (IPAFFS)
• GOV.UK: Import plants and plant products from the EU to Great Britain
• GOV.UK: Import or move food and drink from the EU and Northern Ireland to Great Britain

Customs agency registered with CDS, UK EORI number.

Frequently asked questions