Passport Information

New Passports are issued strictly in the order in which the applications arrive.

The majority are processed and returned to the applicant within 5 days, however there are occasions when this is not practical so if you have acquired a new donkey and wish to take it out to an event or venue please allow at least 14 days for your passport to be issued.

They are returned to the owner using standard second class mail.  If you wish to speed that element of the process up then please attach a prepaid recorded delivery or special delivery envelope - one or two passports are charged at Large Letter under 250 gm, 3 passports at Large Letter up to 500 gm and 4 and over are charged at the 'Packet' rate.

Transfers of ownership are normally processed on the day of arrival and returned the following day.

Horse Passports Regulations in England and Wales

The passport is a bound document containing an identification silhouette of your animal, its name, date of birth and description. Details of the owner are held, together with the breeder; where known. The animal is registered and allocated a unique reference number. There are also pages where records of vaccinations and any other form of veterinary treatment should be kept.

The prime purpose of the document is to ensure that any equine that has been treated with medicines not intended for use on food producing animals cannot enter the food chain.

In the United Kingdom most people are horrified at the thought of their beloved horse or donkey being eaten, but in the rest of Europe, this is commonplace and, being a member of the European Community, these laws affect us all.

Once you have your passport, it is held by the animal for life, although should be returned to the issuer for updating whenever any details change e.g., gelding, change of ownership etc. There is a charge made for applying these changes, but if your animal's details do not change, applying is a one off effort and cost.

Passport Application Forms

Can be downloaded as a PDF document: Or are available in printed form from: The Passport Administrator, Bryncelyn, Llanfyllin, Powys.SY22 5NE

Click here for Download Forms

It is now an offence for an owner to:

" export a horse(donkey/mule/hinny)

" use a horse(donkey/mule/hinny) for the purposes of competitions

" move a horse(donkey/mule/hinny) to the premises of a new keeper

" present for slaughter for human consumption

" sell a horse(donkey/mule/hinny)

" use a horse(donkey/mule/hinny) for breeding purposes

if the horse(donkey/mule/hinny) is not accompanied by a valid passport.

The Statutory Instrument for Horse Passports (England) Legislation 2004 can be read in full on-line or downloaded from

http://www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/id-move/horses/pdf/si 2004-1397.pdf

Proposed changes to the way Equines will have to be identified are under discussion and any changes to current legislation will be notified here as it becomes available.

Registration of Donkeys:

It is worth noting that for the purposes of donkeys registration and passport issuing are inter linked and the donkey will be assigned a registration number in the correct register for its status.

The Studbook rules are currently under review to ensure that they conform to the most recent government legislation but in brief:

A donkey with parents that are themselves registered in the Pedigree Stud Book will be registered as progeny within the Pedigree Stud Book. Those breeding conforms to Studbook rules for entry to the Pedigree Studbook, i.e. a pedigree showing four immediate generations clear from any inbreeding, where the parents were aged four years or older at the time of conception, and who have no other obvious barrier to progressing within the Pedigree Studbook may at four years of age be inspected by a veterinary surgeon appointed by the Donkey Breed Society for freedom from hereditary diseases and if passed will be elevated from the Pedigree Stud Book progeny section.

Imported donkey who are themselves already registered in a Pedigree Studbook for their type in Europe will be accepted into the Donkey Breed Society Pedigree Studbook with their entry marked as European, whilst imported donkeys registered in a stud book from outside the EU will be entered onto the Foreign Bred register.

Other donkeys will be entered into the most appropriate register according to their status, with all donkeys attaining at least the minimum entry level which is the General Register.

Miniature Donkeys, will be placed in the General Register at birth and where their pedigree and breeding conforms to the general rules for entry with regard to pedigree and age of parents at conception, may be measured at maturity and if they are still under 36 inches in height will be assigned a Miniature Register Number and an entry in the Miniature Register.

The Donkey Breed Society is unable to transfer ownership or issue replacement passports on behalf on any other PIO, each document must be returned to the approriate organisation for its administration; contact details can normally be found inside or on the cover.

Prior to 31st December 2006 passports issued by commercial providers without the authority to verify breeding could be rescinded in favour of a Breed Society Passport with breeding information - this facility has now been withdrawn. The Donkey Breed Society, in instances where breeding history for a donkey whose passport has been issued by another PIO can be traced through the Published Stud Books can issue a Donkey Breed Society Registration Card as an addendum to another organisation's passport document. Contact:registrar@donkeybreedsociety.co.uk