Cattle Passports & BCMS: The UK Farmer's Guide (2026)

Quick answer: Every bovine animal in the UK must have a cattle passport, issued by the British Cattle Movement Service (BCMS). You must apply within 27 days of birth, after ear-tagging the calf with two official tags. The passport records the animal's identity and every movement during its life, tracked centrally in the Cattle Tracing System (CTS). It underpins disease control (BSE, TB, foot-and-mouth) and food traceability. Animals without correct passports cannot be moved, sold, or enter the food chain, and non-compliance can hit your farm payments.

Update, October 2026: Defra has pushed the cattle switch back a year. The Livestock Information Service for cattle and mandatory bovine electronic identification (BEID) for newborn calves in England are now both due in mid-2027, not 2026 and 2027 as this guide previously said. Farmers Weekly reported the delay on 8 June 2026, citing a Defra letter to stakeholders on alignment with UK-EU livestock traceability requirements; some development work has also moved from Livestock Information Ltd to Defra's in-house digital teams. Scotland's ultra-high-frequency cattle EID has been delayed to January 2028. BCMS and the Cattle Tracing System continue until the new service has been rolled out to every keeper, and as of 12 October 2026 nothing has changed for cattle keepers. We have also corrected the holding register retention period below: it is 10 years for a farm, not 3.

2027 update: BCMS is being replaced by the Livestock Information Service (LIS)

Defra's Livestock Information Transformation Programme (LITP) is replacing the species-specific traceability systems in England with one multispecies Livestock Information Service. The LIS sheep service replaced ARAMS in 2022. Cattle are next. The gov.uk LITP page (updated 23 July 2026) says the cattle service will be delivered in 2027, replacing the Cattle Tracing System, and Farmers Weekly reported on 8 June 2026 that both the new system and mandatory BEID for newborn calves in England are now due in mid-2027. The roll-out starts with a private beta for selected keepers, and CTS keeps running until every cattle keeper has moved across. BEID uses low-frequency tags, the technology sheep have used since 2010. There is no need to retag the national herd: BEID and non-BEID animals will coexist, existing passports remain valid, and movements can be reported by EID read, passport barcode scan or visual tag. Defra says keepers do not need to act yet and will be told how and when to register. No date has been set for withdrawing paper passports as of 12 October 2026. The guidance below describes the current BCMS/CTS system, which still applies.

What a cattle passport is

The cattle passport is the bovine equivalent of a person's passport, the official lifelong identity document for every cow, bull, calf, and other bovine in the UK. Issued by BCMS, it records:

• The animal's unique ear tag number (UK + herd mark + check digit + individual number)
• Date of birth, breed, sex
• The dam (mother)
• Every keeper and every movement during the animal's life

It exists primarily for disease control and food chain traceability, a legacy of the BSE crisis and essential for TB and foot-and-mouth management.

The registration timeline

1. Ear tagging: two official ear tags within 20 days of birth (36 hours for dairy calves)
2. Passport application: apply to BCMS within 27 days of birth
3. Passport issued: BCMS sends the passport; it must accompany the animal on movements

Miss the 27-day deadline and the animal's registration is "late", restricting movement and permanently excluding it from the food chain.

BCMS and the Cattle Tracing System (CTS)

The British Cattle Movement Service:

• Issues cattle passports
• Runs the Cattle Tracing System (CTS), the central database of all bovine identity and movements
• Provides CTS Online for farmers to report births, deaths, and movements

Recording movements

Every time a bovine moves between holdings:

• Report the movement to BCMS/CTS within the required timescale (usually 3 days)
• Both sending and receiving keeper record it in their herd register
• The passport accompanies the animal
• A standstill period may apply (movement restrictions after bringing animals on)

The herd register

Separate from passports, every cattle keeper must maintain a holding (herd) register recording all animals, births, deaths, and movements. In England and Wales you must enter movements on or off the holding within 36 hours, dairy births within 7 days, other births within 30 days and deaths within 7 days. It must be available for inspection by APHA (Animal and Plant Health Agency). A farm must keep the register for 10 years from 31 December of the year of the last entry; markets, showgrounds, abattoirs and collection centres keep theirs for 3 years.

When a bovine dies

Report the death to BCMS within 7 days and return or destroy the passport as instructed. Fallen stock must be disposed of via an approved route (knacker, hunt kennels, incinerator). Not buried on farm.

Why it matters beyond compliance

• Farm payments: cross-compliance links identification/traceability to subsidy eligibility
• Disease control: TB testing, movement restrictions, outbreak tracing all rely on accurate records
• Food chain: only properly-passported animals can be slaughtered for human consumption
• Sale: buyers and markets require valid passports

Common cattle passport mistakes

1. Missing the 27-day registration deadline (permanent food-chain exclusion)
2. Ear tag errors or lost tags not replaced promptly
3. Not reporting movements within the timescale
4. Herd register not kept up to date for APHA inspection
5. Not reporting deaths within 7 days

FAQs

What if I lose a cattle passport?

Apply to BCMS for a replacement. The animal cannot move or be sold without its passport, so act promptly.

Do I need to tag both ears?

Yes, cattle need two official ear tags (one can be an electronic/EID tag). Replace lost tags within the required period. Bovine EID is expected for all newborn calves in England from mid-2027 as part of the move to the Livestock Information Service (LIS). Existing animals do not need retagging.

Is the system the same across the UK?

BCMS covers Great Britain. Northern Ireland uses APHIS. The principles (passports, tagging, movement recording) are equivalent but administered separately.

How long must I keep cattle records?

A farm's holding register must be kept for 10 years from 31 December of the year of the last entry. Markets, showgrounds, abattoirs and collection centres keep theirs for 3 years. Keep passports and movement paperwork with the register.

When does BCMS switch to the Livestock Information Service?

Mid-2027 in England, according to Farmers Weekly's report of 8 June 2026 and the gov.uk LITP page updated 23 July 2026. The roll-out is staged, starting with a private beta, and CTS keeps running until every keeper has moved. Defra will tell keepers how and when to register. Scotland (ScotEID) and Wales (EIDCymru) run their own systems; Scotland's cattle EID is now expected in January 2028.

Will I have to retag my herd for bovine EID?

No. BEID applies to newborn calves from its start date. Older animals keep their existing tags and passports, and movements can be reported by EID read, passport barcode or visual tag during the transition.

Related guides

• Cattle passports & BCMS: farmer's guide
• Animal movement records UK
• Veterinary medicine records for farms
• Pesticide application records (PA)

Primary sources

Farmers WeeklyDefra delays cattle traceability overhaul to 2027, 8 June 2026Defra, gov.ukLivestock Information Transformation Programme (LITP), updated 23 July 2026Defra, gov.ukKeep a holding register for cattle to record births, movements and deaths, updated 28 June 2023

Last reviewed 2026-10-12 by Jamie Dawson, Editor.