When your horse crosses the border within Europe—whether for sale, training, or competition—there is more paperwork involved than you might think. However, it is very important to arrange everything correctly. This will ultimately save you time and money.
At EHS, we often see horses arriving at our facilities from the Netherlands or other EU countries without the correct documents. We have to be very strict about this, of course.
That is why we would like to explain how it really works: what is TRACES? What is BCP? Why does your horse need to be registered with HorseID? But above all: how can you avoid expensive surprises?
1. TRACES: mandatory for every horse traveling within the EU
TRACES is the European system that monitors animal health and movement. In principle, every horse that crosses the border within the European Union must have a TRACES document.
- It is possible that TRACES is not required for certain events. This may be the case if you are traveling from Belgium to compete in the Netherlands. Always check this with the competition organizers in question first.
2. BCP/HorseID: as soon as a horse has been in Belgium for more than 30 days.
Horses born in Belgium or imported into Belgium must be officially registered.
The rules at a glance:
- Horse born in Belgium:
→ registered within 6 months and identified in HorseID within 12 months.
- Horse imported into Belgium:
→ must be registered and identified in HorseID within 30 days of arrival.
For example, are you only staying at a transit stable in Belgium for 3 days?
→ Then you do NOT need BCP registration, but you DO need TRACES.
The stable where the horse will ultimately stay for more than 30 days: BCP must be arranged there.
3. Why BCP registration is so important
BCP (the Belgian database via HorseID) may seem like “extra paperwork” to many owners, but it actually makes your life much easier:
Advantages of correct BCP registration:
– Avoids extra costs
– Avoids delays
– Reduces the risk of isolation requirements
– Ensures that EHS can immediately “process” your horse upon import
4. What if a horse arrives at EHS without TRACES? A scenario we would rather avoid…
When a horse comes to Belgium from another EU country, it must always have TRACES, except in specific exceptions (such as certain competitions).
Does a horse arrive at EHS without TRACES?
This means that its health status was not officially checked upon departure.
In that case, we are obliged to:
– place the horse in isolation upon arrival
– take blood samples
– wait for the blood results before the horse is allowed to travel further or leave isolation
Important:
This does not automatically mean that the horse must also be registered in BCP/HorseID.
When is BCP registration mandatory: when a horse will remain on Belgian soil for more than 30 days. For example: a horse arrives from the Netherlands without TRACES, stays at EHS for 3 days and then flies on to the US.
→ In that case, it must be placed in isolation and undergo blood tests,
→ but NOT in BCP, because it will remain in Belgium for less than 30 days.
In short:
– No TRACES = no health check → isolation + blood sampling.
– BCP registration = only mandatory for stays of >30 days in Belgium.
5. Additional point of attention: passports with rings
This is something that many people are unaware of.
Some countries (such as Russia or Egypt) issue passports with metal rings, like a notebook. This is not permitted in Belgium.
Why not? Because pages can easily be added or removed, which is obviously not the intention.
If a horse arrives in Belgium with such a ring passport, a new Equipass or studbook papers must be requested, which takes some time to obtain.
To summarize: how can you avoid problems?
How do you avoid problems?
- Is your horse traveling within the EU? → TRACES required
- Is your horse staying in Belgium for more than 30 days? → BCP registration required
- Is your horse coming to EHS?
- Make sure it has TRACES or correct HorseID registration
- Check that the passport complies with European standards
Are you unsure about something? Let us check it for you!
Feel free to send us details about your horse: where it comes from, where it is going, and how long it will be staying in Belgium.
We will tell you exactly which documents you need, and we are happy to help you avoid any surprises.
