Legislation on the identification and registration of animals changed on 21 April 2021, when the EU Regulation on transmissible animal diseases and amending and repealing certain acts in the area of animal health and the acts adopted under it began.2016/429 was adopted. Detailed requirements for the identification and registration of ovine and caprine animals are laid down in a new Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/520. The new Act on the Identification and Registration of Animals (1069/2021) entered into force on 1 January 2022. The Decree of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (67/2022) on the identification and registration of animals issued under the Act entered into force on 24 January 2022.
The tagging and registration of ovine and caprine animals involves four steps:
- Submit a notification on the establishment where the animals are kept to the Register of Animal Keepers and Establishments
- Submit an animal keeping notification on goats or sheep to the Register of Animal Keepers and Establishments
- Make sure that the animals are individually tagged
- Report your animals to the Sheep or Goat Register and maintain an event log
Each sheep and goat must be registered in the Sheep and Goat Register and tagged with ear tags approved by the Finnish Food Authority. The obligation to affix identification tags to animals applies to all goats and sheep, regardless of their number, including Pygmy goats and mouflons. The animal must carry an identifier even if it is kept as a pet.
Ovine and caprine animals must be identified with a unique ear tag affixed to each ear. If you wish, you can still use an electronic ear tag in addition to the other ear tag, and, in the future, you can also use a microchip or a rumen bolus. If an ovine or caprine animal is intended for slaughter at the age of less than one year, one ear tag is sufficient for the animal.
The tags must be affixed before the animals are removed from their place of birth, but no later than 90 days after birth. Please note! The age limit for tagging has changed as of 1 January 2022 and the change applies to animals born after that date. Animals born before 1 January 2022 must be tagged within 6 months of birth.
The lamb or kid must be registered as born with the ewe’s calving notification no later than 90 days after the birth of the lamb or kid, or before they are transferred from their place of birth. Please note! The deadline for registering the birth of sheep and goats has changed as of 24 January 2022 and the change applies to animals born after that date. Animals born before 24 January 2022 must be registered as born within 6 months of birth.
Deadlines for the tagging and registering of lambs and kids.
The operator who keeps animals is responsible for ensuring that their animals are properly tagged and registered. An animal keeper is the person in whose physical possession the animals are. This person may be someone other than the owner of the animals.
An unregistered, untagged or inadequately tagged animal may not be handed over or moved from an establishment, received at a new establishment or approved for transport or slaughter.
An establishment where ovine or caprine are kept and the keeping of animals must be registered in the Register of Animal Keepers and Establishments. Registration is submitted to the municipality’s Rural Livelihood Authority before the start of animal keeping using forms or via the online e-service epr.ruokavirasto.fi.
The Finnish Food Authority charges a fixed fee of EUR 2.18 per new identifier for the registration from the Sheep and Goat Register and EUR 2.18 per red temporary identifier ordered. The fee is based on the Decree of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry on chargeable services of the Finnish Food Authority (1248/2023).
For detailed instructions on the tagging and registration of ovine and caprine animals, see our instructions:
Instructions for tagging and registering of ovine and caprine animals in Finnish (updated)