Share thisPlanning and executing a shipment of precious GEMS internationally can be an overwhelming experience.
Laboratory animals represent months, often years of invaluable research; research that may ultimately lead to the eradication of some of the world’s most devastating diseases. During this research, transporting laboratory animals to an international location may be required. Planning and executing a shipment of precious GEMS internationally can be an overwhelming experience. Considering how many variables are at play, including quarantine of the animals, meticulous preparation of paperwork, along with applying for import and export permits, it can be a daunting task. Additionally, each country has its own unique import requirements and the rules change continually. Shipping animals internationally can make for an extremely time consuming project. We recommend that you utilize a specialized company to help navigate your shipment to its destination. They will be your partners in maneuvering your shipment safely through.
Using a specialized service to move your animals does not mean that you will not be creating or updating paperwork. On the contrary, most paperwork will have to be original and will have to come from your office. A lot of frustration can come from the creation of paperwork, amending that paperwork, and amending it again before your shipment can be sent to the final destination. We have found that those shippers who have previous knowledge of the paperwork requirements for their destination have an easier time with the paperwork needed for their shipment. While this is an obvious statement, it is also true that experienced shippers need help too. To help you understand, we have outlined a few of the most difficult locations to ship live animals to, including France, Japan, and Australia. This information is provided as a general idea of what is involved and shouldn’t be used as a “cheat sheet.” As mentioned before, the rules are constantly changing.
But first, a rule of thumb that you can apply to your paperwork immediately:
Blue ink – your paperwork must be original for Customs clearance. That is, Customs officials are looking for the original, unaltered paperwork for your shipment. The best way to show that your paperwork is original is to have the signatures stand out by using blue ink. In fact, some countries require the signatures on all paperwork be in a color other than black, most notably – The Netherlands.