Tracker entry M25: Scotland: cattle EID (UHF)
Planned
UK (Scotland)
Next date
in 14 months
Compulsory UHF cattle EID now due, after the end-2026 target was pushed back pending UK-EU SPS talks
- Region
- UK
- Sector
- Livestock
- Imposed by
- Scottish Government
- Applies to
- Cattle keepers in Scotland
- Technology
- RFID required (UHF)
What the rule requires
Scotland is going its own way with ultra-high frequency (UHF) cattle ear tags rather than the LF tags used in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, which matters for readers and for cattle moving across the border. Compulsory EID has slipped from the end of 2026 to January 2028, linked to UK-EU SPS talks.
Status: Committed to UHF cattle EID; compulsory start reported as delayed to January 2028
What it means for RFID
Scotland has committed to ultra-high frequency (UHF) ear tags for cattle EID, unlike the LF tags used in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. That shapes which tags Scottish keepers will buy and which readers will be needed, and it creates a difference to manage for cattle moving across the border.
The obligation will fall on cattle keepers in Scotland. Ministers committed to UHF in February 2025, with a start then targeted for the end of 2026; compulsory EID is now due from 1 January 2028, after that target was pushed back pending UK-EU SPS talks.
The date to watch is 1 January 2028. The rule is still at the planned stage and the delay is reported rather than settled, so the outcome of the SPS talks is the thing for tag and reader suppliers to follow.
Timeline
- Scottish Government consultation on cattle EID opens
- Consultation closes
- Ministers commit to UHF cattle EID, then targeted for the end of 2026
- Compulsory UHF cattle EID now due, after the end-2026 target was pushed back pending UK-EU SPS talks
Sources
Official source: NFU Scotland
Last checked against the official source on 1 November 2026.
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