It is the exporter's responsibility to ensure that the animal meets the importing country requirements.

On 22 May 2020, the Department was advised by the Turkish Government that the import of most animal species including dogs, cats, exotic animals, spineless animals, amphibious animals, weasels, ornamental fish, reptiles, rodents, rabbits and all birds was suspended with immediate effect. Exporters seeking to export any animal to Turkey must seek written confirmation from the Turkish Government dated after 22 May 2020 that the animal can be imported prior to submitting any application to the department to export the animal.

An import permit may be required to import horses into Turkey.

Note: Where an importing country issues an import permit, the exporter must ensure the animal meets any requirements in the permit.

A bilingual Health Certificate is to accompany the consignment and is able to be completed in English.

The Veterinary Health Certificate must be issued on the day of loading of the horse for dispatch to Turkey or, in the case of a registered horse, on the last working day before embarkation.

1. 1.  I, the undersigned State Veterinarian, certify that the horse described above meets the following requirements:
   1. a)  The horse comes from a country where the following diseases are compulsorily notifiable:
      • - African horse sickness
      • - Dourine
      • - Glanders
      • - Equine encephalomyelitis (of all types including VEE),
      • - Infectious anaemia
      • - Vesicular stomatitis
      • - Rabies
      • - Anthrax
   2. b)  The horse has been examined today and shows no sign of disease.
   3. c)  The horse is not intended for slaughter under a national program of infectious or contagious disease eradication:
   4. d)  During the three months immediately preceding the exportation (or since birth if the animal is less than three months old), it has been resident on holdings under veterinary supervision in the exporting country 30 days prior to dispatch in an approved isolation centre, protected from vector insects.
   5. e)  It comes from a country in which:
      1. i)  Venezuelan equine encephalomyelitis has not occurred during the last two years.
      2. ii)  Dourine has not occurred during the last six months.
      3. iii)  Glanders has not occurred during the last six months.
      4. iv)  Either Vesicular stomatitis has not occurred during the last six months
         
         Or
         
         the horse was tested on a sample of blood taken within 21 days of export on ____________ by a virus neutralisation test for Vesicular stomatitis with negative result at 1 in 12.
      5. v)  In the case of uncastrated male animal older than 180 days, either equine viral arteritis has not been officially recorded during the last six months.
         
         Or
         
         the horse was tested/treated according to the regieme outlined under Isol/Test/Vacc/Tx and the Health Certificate.
   6. f)  The horse comes from an exporting country which is free of African horse sickness and has not been vaccinated against African horse sickness.
   7. g)  It does not come from a holding which was subject to prohibition for animal health reasons nor had contact with equidae from a holding which was subject to prohibition for animal health reasons:
      1. i)  during six months in the case of Equine encephalomyelitis, beginning on the date on which the equidae suffering from the disease are slaughtered:
      2. ii)  in the case of infectious anaemia, until the date on which the infected animals having been slaughtered, the remaining animals have shown a negative reaction to two Coggins tests carried out three months apart:
      3. iii)  during six months in the case of Vesicular stomatitis:
      4. iv)  during one month from the last recorded case, in the case of Rabies:
      5. v)  during 15 days frm the last recorded case, in the case of Anthrax,
         
         If all the animals of species susceptible to the disease located on the holding have been slaughtered and the premises disinfected, the period of prohibition shall be 30 days, beginning on the day on which the animals were destroyed and the premises disinfected, except in the case of anthrax, where the period of prohibition is 15 days.
   8. h)  The horse shows no clinical sign of contagious equine metritis (CEM) and it does not come from a holding where there has been any suspicion of CEM during the past two months nor had contact indirectly or directly through coitus with equidae infected or suspected in CEM:
   9. i)  To the best of my knowledge, it has not been in contact with equidae suffering from an infectious or contagious disease in the 15 days prior to this declaration.

If your animal is returning to Australia, you should make yourself familiar with Australia's requirements for importing live animals into Australia. This is important as your animal may have been exposed to diseases that do not occur in Australia.

Importing country advice of 22 May 2020.

Entry last reviewed 25 May 2020