Exporting and shipping trophies

The trophy you earned needs to get home — legally and undamaged. The good news: the ground and taxidermist handle most of it, and you just confirm a few decisions. Here is the path from the hunting ground to your wall, and what to ask up front.

First decision: dip & pack or finished mount?

Option	What you get	Who it suits
Dip & pack	Trophy cleaned, boiled/disinfected, dried and packed — ready to ship and import; final mounting done by your own taxidermist	Cheaper and lighter to ship; you want to choose your taxidermist at home
Finished mount	Full taxidermy done in Serbia; arrives ready to hang	You want no extra work at home and accept the higher cost and bulkier shipment

Dip & pack is usually faster and cheaper to send. A finished mount takes longer and costs more, but spares you another round of work at home.

Veterinary and CITES conditions

• The shipment travels with a veterinary (health) certificate issued by an official veterinarian; the treatment must meet the rules — horns, hooves and teeth boiled and disinfected, bones treated, hides dried or salted.
• For most common game (boar, roe, red deer) CITES is usually not required, but protected species need a CITES export permit (and an import permit in your country). More detail: CITES and trophies.
• Serbian regulations may restrict — or require special approval for — exporting capital (record-class) trophies; trophy value is scored in CIC points, so check whether any limit applies to your species with the ground and the authorities.

Freight and forwarding

• Export goes through border crossings with a veterinary inspection (e.g. Belgrade airport, Batrovci–Bajakovo, Horgoš–Röszke).
• Shipping is usually handled by a specialised trophy freight forwarder (air or road). Cost depends on weight, treatment and destination — get a quote in advance, as ranges vary widely.

Importing into the EU

• Treated trophy: individually packed in transparent, sealed packaging with a health certificate; the consignment is pre-notified to the border veterinary inspection (CHED-P), usually at least one working day ahead, and enters via a Border Control Post (BCP).
• Meat: bringing wild game meat into the EU from non-EU countries for personal use is generally prohibited. Do not count on carrying meat home — arrange to enjoy it on site instead.

Documents — quick checklist

• Trophy sheet / proof of origin
• Veterinary (health) certificate
• CITES export permit for protected species (+ import permit in your country)
• Invoice/proforma and packing list
• CHED-P pre-notification at EU entry

What to do

When you book, ask the ground: whether they arrange taxidermy and export, whether you choose dip & pack or a finished mount, and which forwarder they use. Prices and timelines are settled by message before you arrive. See also the permits guide and how we vet grounds.

This guide is general; confirm the exact conditions for your species and import country with the ground and the relevant authorities.