Northern Ireland will require equine passport applicants to supply an Equine Establishment Number from 1 February 2026. The change aligns local rules with those in the Republic of Ireland, where operators have included premises registration numbers since 2020.

Andrew Muir MLA, Minister for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, and Martin Heydon TD, Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, endorsed the harmonised approach. They noted its role in building effective traceability across jurisdictions.

The requirement stems from the EU Animal Health Law, which mandates registration of sites keeping horses or other equines with the relevant authority. Operators in both regions must now register holdings to obtain passports.

Heydon pointed to the equine sector's integration via trade, breeding, competitions and cross-border activities including racing, sales, training and veterinary services. He said the unified traceability supports the industry's all-island operations.

Muir described the step as a key advance for Northern Ireland's traceability framework. He linked it to priorities for animal health and welfare, stressing the need for cooperation between administrations to protect the sector.

DAERA and the Republic's agriculture department plan ongoing collaboration on equine health standards and biosecurity through these premises identifiers.