Legal & business

Applying for a CITES permit or certificate

Since the UK’s withdrawal from the EU, if you wish to work abroad you may require a CITES permit or certificate. Anna Wynne, ISM’s Advice & Information Officer provides you with a summary of the requirements

Above: Anna Wynne Photo: Yvonne Thompson The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, known as CITES, is an international agreement between governments which aims to ensure that international trade in specimens of wild animals and plants does not threaten the survival of the species. Since the UK’s departure from the European Union (EU), if you move an instrument containing a species protected by CITES between Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales) and the EU, and Great Britain and Northern Ireland, then you will have to comply with this agreement. So, if you travel to the EU to perform at a festival or are part of an orchestra that plans to tour the EU you will need to apply for a CITES permit or certificate. As we move on beyond the coronavirus pandemic and start to work in Europe, to help you apply for your CITES permit we have an advice page and sample form on our website: ism.org/advice/ applying-for-a-cites-permit-or-certificate Within our advice page we look at: 1. What you must check before applying. This includes checking the correct scientific name for the relevant species contained in your instrument, for example, one of the scientific names for ivory is

Elephas maximus; and what the requirements are

in the country you are travelling to by contacting the CITES authority in that country. 2. The form itself. For a musical instrument certificate when travelling with a single instrument, you can use the FED0172 certificate. We also provide a completed sample form for you to refer to when completing your own application. 3. Where to send your application. Applications can be sent by post or email and the application should be processed within 15 working days. If your application is accepted, you will receive a printed, signed and stamped permit or certificate in the post. If not, you will be sent a letter explaining why it has been refused. If you do not have a valid CITES permit or certificate you could face a fine or even a prison sentence. Further information about applying for a CITES permit or certificate can be obtained from gov.uk/guidance/ apply-for-cites-permits-and-certificates-to-tradeendangered-species and if you require any further assistance, please contact our legal department at legal@ism.org where our team will be happy to help.