Foal Paperwork: France and Ireland Guide 2026
By Breedio team
In short
What a breeder must file between covering and the foal's first passport in France (IFCE SIRE) and Ireland (Horse Sport Ireland, Weatherbys). Includes a month-by-month checklist.
Foal paperwork starts at the first covering, not at birth. In France the stallion owner declares the first jump (DPS) in SIRE within 15 days of the mare's first presentation. You then get the covering attestation, declare the birth within 15 days, and identify the foal under its dam before weaning, within 8 months of birth and reported to SIRE before 31 December. In Ireland the same logic applies through your studbook and passport issuer, so confirm exact deadlines with Horse Sport Ireland or Weatherbys.
This guide covers the 2026 sequence in both countries, late declarations, and a checklist from covering to identification.
What paperwork does a foal need, in short?
Every equid in France must carry three identifiers: an electronic chip in the upper neck, a SIRE number from IFCE, and a lifelong identification passport. Irish foals follow the same EU identification principle: chip, passport, and a registration with a passport-issuing organisation.
| Step | France (IFCE SIRE) | Ireland (HSI / Weatherbys) |
|---|---|---|
| First covering | First-jump declaration (DPS) by stallion owner within 15 days of mare's first presentation | Covering record with stallion owner and studbook, check its rules |
| After last covering | Covering attestation (AS) handed to the breeder | Covering certificate or stallion return, depending on studbook |
| Birth | Birth declaration to SIRE within 15 days, needs the DN | Foal notification to the studbook or passport issuer |
| Identification | Chip by a veterinarian under the dam, before weaning and within 8 months; sent to SIRE before 31 December | Chip, usually by a veterinarian, plus passport |
| Passport | Issued by IFCE after identification is registered | Issued by the approved passport organisation |
Studbooks can add conditions on top of national rules.
What is the covering paperwork in France?
IFCE manages covering through four steps, handled by the stallion owner in the SIRE portal:
- First-jump declaration (DPS): registered within 15 days of the mare's first presentation to the stallion, even if she turns out empty.
- Covering attestation (AS): issued and handed to you after the mare's last covering. It must travel with the mare if she is sold.
- Birth declaration certificate (DN): issued only once the covering fee is paid in full. Until then you cannot declare the foal online.
- Covering declaration: closes the covering record.
The breeding contract between you and the stallion owner should name the mare and the stallion, the boarding conditions and the costs. Hand breeding (monte en main) accounts for roughly one third of French coverings, and for Thoroughbreds and some breeds it is the only method accepted for stud book registration.
Which sanitary tests may be required before covering?
Depending on the stallion station, a mare may need tests for contagious metritis and equine viral arteritis (serum neutralisation or ELISA), plus proof of influenza and rhinopneumonia vaccination. Sanitary results are validated separately from the covering card, so an error in a test result can be corrected without reopening the covering record.
When must you declare the foal's birth?
The key rule in France: declare the birth within 15 days. You need the DN for that, and the DN depends on full payment of the covering fee. Pay the stallion owner early: no DN, no online declaration. The foal must be identified under its dam before weaning, within 8 months of birth, and reported to SIRE before 31 December.
If the foal dies, you can claim a refund of identification document fees, but only before 31 December of the foal's birth year and before the document is issued.
For Ireland, notify your studbook or passport issuer as soon as the foal is born, and check its published deadline for your breed. We do not quote an Irish day count here because it varies by studbook.
When is DNA typing or a filiation check mandatory in France?
IFCE requires a filiation check (parentage verification) in these cases:
- foals born from artificial insemination (except Ardennais and donkeys)
- embryo transfer
- Origines Constatées or declared mating
- gestation under 300 days or over 380 days
- mare review
Since March 2022, LABÉO handles this work. The standard now requires 12 markers on the DNA card, so some horses typed earlier may need re-sampling. From April 2026, each blood sample needs its own signed, dated and stamped intervention form (1 horse, 1 tube, 1 form). An unsigned or unstamped form blocks the analysis. Count on about 2 to 3 weeks if sampling goes well.
Thoroughbreds, AQPS, Trotteur Français and Arabian horses are systematically DNA-typed at birth and normally do not need re-sampling unless SIRE asks.
How does microchipping and identification work?
A veterinarian implants the chip in the upper neck and completes the identification description. Combine this with a routine foal check where possible.
Health comes before paperwork. A veterinary check within 12 to 24 hours of birth assesses maturity and passive transfer of immunity. Foals should stand within 1 hour and nurse within 2, and an immunoglobulin blood test is usually done within 24 hours.
What if a declaration is late?
No confirmed penalty grid exists. What is documented:
- Without a DN, the foal cannot be declared online in SIRE.
- Without a declared foal, identification cannot be registered, and the 8-month limit keeps running.
- A missing or late DPS is a problem even if the mare is empty. The birth declaration also has a 15-day limit.
- After the 31 December of the birth year, fee refunds for a foal that died are no longer possible.
If you are late, contact IFCE (France) or your studbook (Ireland) at once and ask what documents they accept. Fixing the file early is always cheaper than fixing it at sale.
What changes when you buy, sell or move the foal?
In France, the buyer must declare the change of ownership to SIRE within 30 days, and the registration card must stay with the animal. Any change of holder or holding location must also be declared within 30 days. A holding location must be declared to IFCE before the first equid arrives. With 3 or more equids on one site, you must appoint a sanitary veterinarian for the site through the DDPP.
What is the month-by-month checklist from covering to passport?
| When | Task |
|---|---|
| Covering day | Sign the breeding contract, check mare sanitary tests |
| Within 15 days (France) | DPS declared in SIRE by the stallion owner |
| After last covering | Receive the covering attestation (AS) |
| Months 1-9 | Follow the pregnancy, keep vet records |
| Last 3 to 6 weeks | Vaccinate for foal protection through colostrum, per your vet |
| About day 340 | Prepare foaling kit, vet number, transport plan |
| Foaling day | Foal stands in 1 hour, nurses in 2, mare passes placenta in 3 |
| 12-24 hours | Vet check and antibody test |
| Within 15 days of birth | Pay the fee, get the DN, declare the birth |
| First weeks | Chip and identification by the vet, DNA sampling if required |
| Before weaning, 8 months max | Identification sent to SIRE before 31 December |
Normal gestation is 335 to 342 days, with a wider range of 315 to 400 days. If your mare foals outside 300-380 days in France, expect a filiation check.
How can Breedio help?
Breedio keeps your dates straight: the Gestation Tracker follows each mare through the roughly 340 days, computes the phases (early, approaching, optimal, attention, overdue), sends notifications at key milestones and keeps a full history per mare, even offline. See Features or start to Track Your Mares. Breeders looking for a stallion in France, Ireland or Italy can also use the stallion registry to compare lineage, breeding types and stud fees.
Final advice
Set four alarms: DPS by the stallion owner within 15 days, covering fee payment, birth declaration within 15 days, and the identification visit well before the 8-month limit. Confirm Irish deadlines with your studbook, and keep every certificate in one folder per mare.
