Importing Hatching Eggs and Day-Old Chicks into Pakistan: What Do You Need?
Quick Answer
Yes, hatching eggs and day-old chicks can be imported into Pakistan, but the source flock must test negative for HPAI by PCR or ELISA within 21 days before egg collection, and the shipment needs an exporting-country health certificate such as the UK's EHC 3808, cleared through AQD/NAFSA at the port or airport of entry.
| HPAI testing window | Source flock tested negative by PCR or ELISA within 21 days before egg collection |
|---|---|
| UK certificate example | Export Health Certificate 3808 for day-old chicks and chicken hatching eggs to Pakistan |
| Day-old chick definition | A live bird within the first 72 hours of its life, per Pakistani regulation |
| Permitted origins example | Hatching eggs permitted from France, Germany, Iran, and the United Kingdom, subject to conditions |
| HS classification | Fertilized hatching eggs of domestic fowl fall under HS 0407.11; live day-old chicks under HS 0105 |
Yes, hatching eggs and day-old chicks can be imported into Pakistan for the poultry industry, but only from flocks that clear a recent avian-influenza test and only with the correct exporting-country health certificate in hand. The source flock must test negative for highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) by PCR or ELISA within 21 days before egg collection, and the shipment travels under a certificate such as the UK's EHC 3808, cleared through Pakistan's animal quarantine authority at the airport of entry. This post walks through that testing window, what an export health certificate covers, and how clearance works once the shipment lands.
What HPAI testing does the source flock need?
Pakistan's poultry import conditions center on keeping HPAI out of the national flock, and the testing window is specific. Day-old chicks and hatching eggs exported to Pakistan must be sourced from flocks that tested negative for HPAI by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) or ELISA within 21 days prior to the commencement of egg collection, according to New Zealand's Ministry for Primary Industries official assurance for Pakistan exports.
That specific document was updated in response to an HPAI detection on a layer farm in Otago in December 2024, and the update was issued to facilitate the resumption of day-old chick exports to Pakistan after the detection paused shipments. The same 21-day PCR/ELISA testing structure appears across MPI's export notices for multiple destination countries, so it functions as a standard flock-clearance step rather than a one-off requirement unique to Pakistan.
What does an exporting-country health certificate need to show?
For UK exporters, the relevant document is Export Health Certificate 3808, covering day-old chicks and chicken hatching eggs specifically bound for Pakistan. Exporters in England, Scotland, or Wales apply through the UK's online export health certificate service and must submit a Postcode Schedule (Live Animals) V3 alongside the application. Exporters in Northern Ireland apply through DAERA instead.
A certificate cannot be endorsed without both the exporter and their official vet or inspector being registered, and the vet or inspector's registration has to be checked by the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) before the certificate is issued. This registration step is often the part that catches new exporters off guard, since it needs to happen well before the shipment date, not at the last minute.
Pakistan restricts where hatching eggs can come from in the first place. Import of hatching eggs from France, Germany, Iran, and the United Kingdom is permitted subject to conditions, per listings on Pakistan's trade portal, and chicks or hatching eggs must not originate from zones with confirmed avian influenza infection.
How is a day-old chick or hatching egg classified and cleared?
Pakistani import regulation defines a day-old chick as a live bird within the first 72 hours of its life, a definition that matters for both customs classification and the logistics of getting the birds from hatchery to farm inside that narrow window. For customs purposes, fertilized hatching eggs of domestic fowl fall under HS code 0407.11, while live day-old chicks fall under HS 0105, the live poultry heading.
Clearance runs through the same quarantine authority that covers other livestock imports. The Animal Quarantine Department (AQD) has historically issued the import permit and certification for poultry shipments, coordinated through the Pakistan Single Window, which lets traders and customs agents submit import permit applications, inspection calls, and release-order requests electronically. As with cattle and other livestock, AQD's functions are transitioning to the National Agri-trade and Food Safety Authority (NAFSA) following the 2025 merger of AQD with the Department of Plant Protection, so confirm which authority's name appears on your current permit. Our companion post on dairy cattle import quarantine covers that transition and the underlying 1979 Ordinance and 1980 Rules in more detail.
| Step | Requirement | Who handles it |
|---|---|---|
| Flock testing | Negative HPAI PCR or ELISA within 21 days before egg collection | Exporting country's veterinary authority |
| Export certificate | Country-specific EHC, e.g. UK certificate 3808 | Exporter, official vet/inspector, APHA (or equivalent) |
| Origin check | Must not be from an avian-influenza-affected zone; only approved origin countries | Importer, AQD/NAFSA |
| Import permit | Filed and tracked electronically | Pakistan Single Window, AQD/NAFSA |
| Arrival clearance | Inspection at Karachi airport or port, release once documents match | AQD/NAFSA quarantine officer |
What should a poultry importer prepare before the shipment ships?
Hatching eggs and day-old chicks are perishable in a way dry cargo is not; a chick has to reach its destination well inside its first days of life, and eggs lose hatchability the longer they sit. That makes document readiness even more critical than for slower-moving cargo.
- Confirm the source flock's most recent HPAI PCR or ELISA test date falls within the 21-day window before egg collection.
- Verify the exporting country and hatchery are on Pakistan's approved-origin list and are not in a zone under avian-influenza restriction.
- Secure the correct export health certificate for that origin country, and confirm the issuing vet or inspector is properly registered before the shipment date.
- File the import permit application through the Pakistan Single Window well ahead of the flight, and confirm whether AQD or NAFSA is the current issuing authority.
- Arrange fast transit from Karachi airport to the receiving farm, since day-old chicks are defined by, and need to move within, a 72-hour window.
Poultry imports often run alongside broader livestock and feed shipments; our post on importing dairy cattle and our guide to seed import permits cover the adjacent quarantine and plant-quarantine chains that many agribusiness importers deal with in parallel.
Olympic Agencies has cleared agricultural cargo at Karachi Port and Karachi airport since 1982, and we coordinate the health certificate checks, AQD/NAFSA permits, and time-sensitive transit that hatching eggs and day-old chick shipments need under our customs clearing service. Send us your hatchery's certificate and flight details on WhatsApp and we will get the clearance and transit plan moving before the shipment departs.
Importing hatching eggs or day-old chicks? Confirm your flock's HPAI testing window and certificate before you book the flight.
WhatsApp us your shipment details →Frequently Asked Questions
What health testing does the source flock need before exporting hatching eggs to Pakistan?+
The flock supplying the eggs must test negative for highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) by PCR or ELISA within 21 days before egg collection begins. This requirement has been reinforced in exporting countries' official assurances, including after HPAI detections on individual farms disrupted shipments.
What certificate does a UK exporter need to ship day-old chicks or hatching eggs to Pakistan?+
Export Health Certificate 3808, applied for through the UK's online export health certificate service for England, Scotland, and Wales, or through DAERA for Northern Ireland. The certificate needs an official vet or inspector registered and checked by APHA before it can be endorsed.
How is a day-old chick defined for import purposes?+
Pakistani regulation defines a day-old chick as a live bird within the first 72 hours of its life. That window matters because the animal quarantine framework and transport arrangements are built around getting chicks from hatchery to buyer inside that timeframe.
Which countries can currently export hatching eggs to Pakistan?+
Import of hatching eggs from France, Germany, Iran, and the United Kingdom is permitted subject to conditions, according to Pakistan's trade portal listings. Chicks and hatching eggs must not originate from zones with confirmed avian influenza infection at the time of export.
Olympic Agencies
Clearing agricultural cargo - seeds, fertilizers, and machinery - at Karachi Port and Port Qasim since 1982. Members of PIFFA and the Chamber of Commerce.