CITES Permit in Spain: Importing, Exporting or Selling Protected Species (Animals, Plants, Skins, Timber)

CITES is the international convention, signed in Washington in 1973, that regulates trade in endangered species of wild fauna and flora. In the European Union it is applied through Reglamento (CE) 338/97 (EU Wildlife Trade Regulation), which divides species into 4 annexes (A, B, C and D) and requires a document for every movement: to enter the EU, to leave it and, for Annex A, to sell them within it.

It does not only affect live animals: it also covers exotic skins and leather goods, caviar, coral, protected timber, plants, antiques, and musical instruments containing rosewood or pernambuco wood. What matters is the species, identified by its scientific name, not the appearance of the product.

In Spain, since 2 January 2022, the management authority and main administrative body is the Directorate-General for Biodiversity, Forests and Desertification at MITECO, under Real Decreto 986/2021 (Royal Decree 986/2021). The scientific authority, which advises on whether trade is detrimental to the species, is the CSIC (Spanish National Research Council). Any information directing permit applications to the State Secretariat for Trade is outdated.

Permits and certificates issued by MITECO are valid throughout the EU. However, if the competent authority or the European Commission determines that they were issued on the false premise that the conditions were met, they are considered void, and the specimens are seized and may be confiscated. That is why proof of legal origin is what underpins the permit.

Annex A lists the most strictly protected species and imposes the strictest conditions. Which document you apply for and what you must prove depends on the annex.

To bring Annex A or B specimens into the EU, you must first present at the border customs office of entry an import permit issued by the management authority of the Member State of destination. If the destination is Spain, it is issued by MITECO. Annex C and D specimens enter with an import notification presented at customs; for Annex C, this must be accompanied by the export permit, re-export certificate or certificate of origin from the country of dispatch, as applicable.

To take Annex A, B or C specimens out of the EU, you need an export permit or a re-export certificate from the Member State where they are located. The Regulation does not require one for Annex D, although the destination country may require its own. Within the Union, buying or selling Annex A specimens requires an EU certificate for intra-EU trade (certificado de uso comunitario).

The annex is usually stated on the supplier's invoice or CITES document. If not, you must check it using the scientific name before applying for anything: a misidentified species leads to a permit that cannot be used or to paying for one that was not needed.

The import permit must be granted before the goods arrive. Simply having applied for it is not enough: MITECO stresses this in its frequently asked questions and recommends applying at least 1 month before arrival. Without that permit presented at the customs office of entry, Annex A and B specimens cannot be brought into the EU.

With the application you must submit proof of legal origin and, if the specimens come from outside the EU, the export permit or re-export certificate from the country of dispatch, or a copy of it. Your supplier applies for that document in their country. The original travels with the goods: an import permit issued on the basis of a copy is only valid when accompanied by the valid original.

For live specimens, the authority must verify that the intended accommodation at the destination is equipped to conserve and care for them properly. In Annexes A and B, the scientific authority must also consider that the introduction is not detrimental to the species; and in Annex A, the specimen cannot be used for primarily commercial purposes.

The application is submitted through the MITECO online portal (procedure 863) and the tasa is paid online at the same time: without payment, it is not processed. It can be submitted by the applicant or by a representative registered with the Ministry, who proves representation using a representative digital certificate or through the Registro Electrónico de Apoderamientos (REA, Spain's Electronic Register of Powers of Attorney).

Managora handles this for you: we check the annex of the species and the proof of legal origin, prepare the application, advance the tasa and submit it as your representatives using the power of attorney you grant us in the REA. We do not ask for your personal digital certificate. You can see the updated fee on our CITES permit service page.

The difference lies in the history of the specimen. An export permit is for specimens obtained within the EU (born, bred or collected here); a re-export certificate is for those that previously entered from outside the EU and are leaving again.

For an export permit, you must provide documentary proof that the specimens were obtained in accordance with the legislation protecting the species. If they are live, they must be prepared and shipped so as to minimise the risk of injury or cruel treatment. In addition, for Annexes A, B and C, the scientific authority must issue a written opinion confirming that the export is not detrimental to the species.

For a re-export certificate, you must prove that the specimens were legally brought into the EU, usually with the import permit under which they entered or with previous CITES documents. If that import permit was issued by another Member State, MITECO must consult that state first, which extends the processing time.

For antiques, the Regulation relaxes certain conditions for worked specimens acquired more than 50 years ago or legally acquired before the species became protected, always subject to documentary proof. It relaxes conditions; it does not remove the need for the document.

Both the export permit and the re-export certificate are valid for a maximum of 6 months, so it is advisable to apply for them once the shipping date is clear.

It is the EU certificate (certificado de uso comunitario) that allows the purchase and sale of Annex A species within the Union. According to MITECO, to sell or acquire an Annex A specimen you need the original EU certificate. This applies to breeders, pet shops, antique dealers and private individuals selling an animal or an item made from those species.

The certificate identifies the specific specimen by its marking (closed ring, microchip, tag or serial number), so the numbers must be copied exactly. Buying an Annex A specimen without a certificate is a serious risk: Spanish anti-smuggling law also penalises trade and possession without meeting the legal requirements, even if the specimen has never crossed a border.

MITECO also issues other EU certificates: the personal ownership certificate, for a live animal you own that travels with you; the musical instrument certificate, for travelling outside the EU with your instrument; and the travelling exhibition and sample collection certificates.

Pernambuco wood (Paubrasilia echinata), used to make many stringed instrument bows, is listed in Annex B. Since 29 September 2026, MITECO has applied an internal traceability system for this wood, which does not impose any new obligations on private individuals.

The tasa is set by Ley 32/2007 (Spain's Animal Care, Exploitation, Transport, Experimentation and Slaughter Act): €20 for an import permit, export permit or re-export certificate with 1 annex, plus €15 for each additional annex. Here, an annex means the continuation sheet attached to the permit itself listing the specimens, not Annexes A to D of the Regulation.

The personal ownership certificate costs €30; the EU certificate for intra-EU trade, travelling exhibition, sample collection and musical instrument certificates cost €20. Prior import permits and import notifications are exempt from the tasa. The fee falls due when the application is submitted and, since 16 April 2026, is paid online using modelo 790.

MITECO has 1 month to issue a decision from the date the application is complete, or longer if it has to consult third parties. If it does not reply, administrative silence is negative: the application is deemed rejected. Because the 1-month period runs from when the application is complete, a missing document eats into your margin.

Once granted, an import permit is valid for a maximum of 12 months, while an export permit and a re-export certificate are valid for 6 months.

All CITES specimens, parts and derivatives undergo border verification upon entry, exit, re-export or transit. This is carried out by the Agencia Tributaria (AEAT or Hacienda, the Spanish Tax Agency) when authorising the customs procedure, and it may consult MITECO and the CSIC. Clearance must take place through 1 of the 14 border inspection posts authorised for CITES: you must choose your port or airport accordingly.

Since 14 October 2025, imports are no longer declared using the classic DUA (Single Administrative Document), but with the H1 declaration; exports are declared through the AES (Automated Export System), and the original CITES document is presented at customs with the goods. The customs declaration is filed by your company or a registered customs representative; we leave your granted permit or certificate and the species data that customs will check ready for you.

If the shipment is also a live animal or a product of animal origin, there is a separate check at the border control post, with its Common Health Entry Document in TRACES. The CITES permit does not replace it.

If you do not yet know whether your goods are covered by CITES, which tariff heading applies or what else customs will require, our import feasibility study puts it in writing for you before you buy.

Ley Orgánica 12/1995 (Spain's Organic Law on the Suppression of Smuggling) treats as smuggling the import, export, trade, possession or circulation of specimens, parts and products of CITES species without complying with the legally established requirements. You do not need to cross a border: selling or possessing them without the required document also counts.

Where the value is €50,000 or more, it is a criminal offence, punishable by 1 to 5 years in prison and a fine of between 1 and 6 times the value. Below that threshold, it is an administrative offence, whether committed intentionally or through any degree of negligence: minor below €6,000, serious from €6,000 to €18,000, and very serious above that, with fines of 200% to 225%, 225% to 275%, and 275% to 350% of the value (minimum €1,000) plus confiscation of the goods. Splitting shipments does not avoid a criminal offence if they respond to a preconceived plan.

For example: a batch of leather goods made from an Annex B species valued at €10,000 that enters without an import permit is a serious administrative offence. The fine ranges from 225% to 275% of the value, between €22,500 and €27,500, and you also lose the goods. The permit that would have prevented this cost a €20 tasa and 1 month of advance planning.