Import and export

If you wish to import or export laboratory animals or breeding material, the import/export must go through The Animal Facility's veterinarians. The veterinarians can help ensure that national and international legal requirements are met, and that animal welfare is not compromised during transport. Furthermore, it is ensured that no infectious diseases are introduced to The Animal Facility.

The following materials must always go via The Animal Facility's import and export function:

  • Live animals
  • Embryos and sperm
  • Other animal by-products (ABP) including rodent diets containing ABP


Veterinary assistance for import/export is free of charge for researchers at Department of Biomedicine, but expenses for live animals or breeding materials, subsequent embryo transfer or in vitro fertilization and transport are covered by the researcher.

Import

Live laboratory animals

If you wish to import live animals from another university or collaborator, the current animal health status must be approved by the veterinarians and the animals must always be quarantined for a minimum of four weeks before they can be released into the open part of The Animal Facility. Before they can leave the quarantine, the animals' health status is screened, and the expenses for this is paid for by the researcher. Animals imported from universities or other collaborators cannot enter the barrier (closed part of The Animal Facility) without re-derivation.

You can read about The Animal Facility's health status and which status can be imported on the page Health status.

At the moment, Department of Biomedicine is approved to import live animals from EU, Great Britain, USA, Israel, Chile, South Korea and China. If you wish to import live animals from another country, please contact the veterinarians.

Breeding material

If the animals that are to be imported cannot meet The Animal Facility's requirements for health status, it is an option to import breeding material, either sperm or embryos, and have the strain re-derived. This is done in collaboration with the Transgene Laboratory in The Animal Facility in the Skou building.

At the moment, Department of Biomedicine is approved to import breeding material from Norway, Schwitzerland, Lichtenstein, Iceland, Great Britain, USA, Israel, Chile, South Korea and China. If you wish to import breeding material from another country, please contact the veterinarians.

Before initiating any kind of import involving animals or breeding materials to result in the creation of animals, the following documents must be sent to vet.biomed@biomed.au.dk, please write 'Import' in the subject field of the email.

  • A animal health report from the collaborator documenting the health status of the animals 
  • A filled out import form (available for download to the right)
  • If a new strain of mice or rats is to be established, a filled out breeding project plan

Animal by-products (ABP)

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Export

Live laboratory animals

If you wish to export live laboratory animals to another university or collaborator, find out what requirements the collaborator have for import of live animals. Typically, the facility veterinarian will need to approve the health status of the animals. Health monitoring reports from all our housing rooms can be found in Health status.

Once the health status of the animals is approved, the veterinarians at Department of Biomedicine can help make certificates of health and origin on the animals. If the recipient country requires certain documentation to follow the shipment, you must advise the veterinarians of this before the export. The animal caretaker responsible for the animals will typically be able to assist in packing the animals.

Arrangements with courier to pick up the animals are made by the researcher owning the animals at Department of Biomedicine, or the collaborator receiving the animals. The animal facility at Department of Biomedicine is open for pick-up of animals as listed below. Changes may apply during vacation season and national holidays.

  • Monday-Thursday, 8am - 2pm

At the moment, Department of Biomedicine is approved to export live animals to EU, Great Britain, USA, Israel, Chile, South Korea and China. If you wish to export live animals to another country, please contact the veterinarians.

Breeding material

If you wish to export embryos or sperm from the cryo tanks at Deparment of Biomedicine, this must be coordinated with the manager of the cryo laboratory, Lisbeth Ahm Hansen at lah@biomed.au.dk. She will be able to help pack the breeding material and hand it to the courier. If the recipient country requires certain documentation to follow the shipment, you must advise the veterinarians of this before the export.

Arrangements with courier to pick up the animals are made by the researcher owning the animals at Department of Biomedicine, or the collaborator receiving the animals. Suitable pick-up time as agreed upon with Lisbeth Ahm Hansen.

At the moment, Department of Biomedicine is approved to export breeding material to Norway, Schwitzerland, Lichtenstein, Iceland, Great Britain, USA, Israel, Chile, South Korea, China and Japan. If you wish to export breeding material to another country, please contact the veterinarians.

Animal by-products (ABP)

If you wish to export ABP, find out if the recipient country requires certain documentation to follow the shipment. If the ABP derives from animals housed in the animal facility, the veterinarians will be able to help produce documentation on the health status of the animals from which the tissue/samples come from.

Arrangements with courier to pick up the ABP are made by the researcher owning the ABP at Department of Biomedicine, or the collaborator receiving the ABP.

Transport between departments at AU

If you want to transport animals from The Animal Facility in Skou at Department of Biomedicine to The Animal Facility in Forum at Department of Clinical Medicine, you must follow the steps below before moving the animals.

  1. Book the transportation of animals with the head of The Animal Facility at Forum, Department of Clinical Medicine, Filippo D'Andrea at filippo@clin.au.dk or with veterinary nurse Beatrice Tscherning Olsen at beatrice@clin.au.dk.
  2. Make an appointment with your regular animal caretaker to pack the animals for transportation and fill out the transport paper that must accompany the animals during the transport. Your animal caretaker will also be able to help with this.
  3. Place the animals in the pick-up room prior to the agreed transport time, or agree with your regular caretaker to do it.

Animal transports to Department of Clinical Medicine, hereunder The Animal Facilities Forum, TNU or CFIN is possible on Tuesdays and Fridays and animals will be picked up at 8.30am both days.

Please notice, animals will not be able to enter The Animal Facility in Skou again after being transported to another site.

Import form for animals and breeding materials