Applying for a Personal Licence
The use of animals in research is regulated under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986. Any procedure applied to a protected animal that may cause pain suffering distress or lasting harm is defined under the Act as a regulated procedure. Any regulated procedure must be part of a programme of work set out in a Project licence and can only be carried out by a person with a personal licence (referred to as a PIL for short).
If your situation is different from those described below, or you have a question, please contact us.
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- You hold, or have held, a UK Personal Licence
- You have a current UK training certificate with the relevant species (gained within the last 5 yrs)
- You have a current FELASA certificate with the relevant species (gained within the last 5 yrs)
- You do not hold a UK Personal Licence, or have a current certificate with the relevant species
You hold, or have held, a UK Personal Licence
You will need to apply for a PIL at Oxford whether your PIL is current or has been revoked. They cannot be transferred between establishments. Once your PIL is granted, your current one will be revoked automatically. In order to apply, you will need:
- A completed ASPeL account registration form
- Original training certificate
- A copy of your PIL (current or revoked)
- A copy of your training and competency record
Please send these items to oxhoadmin@bms.ox.ac.uk
You have a current UK training certificate with the relevant species (gained within the last 5 yrs)
You can apply for your licence at Oxford. In order to apply, you will need:
- A completed ASPeL account registration form
- Original training certificate
Please send these items to oxhoadmin@bms.ox.ac.uk
You have a current FELASA certificate with the relevant species (gained within the last 5 yrs)
Please note, some institutions follow FELASA guidelines, but are not accredited by FELASA. View the courses accredited by FELASA. Please contact oxhoadmin@bms.ox.ac.uk to check this.
Please submit the following:
- A completed ASPeL account registration form
- Original training certificate
Please send these items to oxhoadmin@bms.ox.ac.uk
These will be reviewed by the Named Training and Competency Officer (NTCO) and you will need to attend Modules L (UK Legislation), EL (Ethics) and K (Schedule 1) training. Please see this page for a full list of UK/EU modules.
You do not hold a UK Personal Licence, or have a current certificate with the relevant species
You will need to attend training relevant to the work you will be doing at Oxford.
If you are an experienced researcher with significant experience in the procedures/techniques that you will be doing, and with the relevant species, usually obtained at an overseas establishment, you may be able to apply for exemption from training. You will need to provide evidence of this, and will still need to attend some parts of the PIL Course (Modules L - UK Legislation, E - Ethics, and K (Schedule 1). Please contact the NTCO to discuss this before applying: oxhoadmin@bms.ox.ac.uk.
Evidence should include a letter of endorsement or certificate of competence, on headed paper, from your previous employers. This document should give details of your in vivo experience (including species), the techniques that were carried our (including details of when and how many), and your level of competence. The author should give their opinion of your suitability to continue the work. Copies of overseas accredited training certificates and training and competence records can also be included as additional evidence.
Once you have passed the relevant modules, you can apply for your licence at Oxford. In order to apply, you will need:
- A completed ASPeL account registration form
- Original training certificate
Please send these items to oxhoadmin@bms.ox.ac.uk.
If you have not passed the relevant modules, please contact the BMS Training Team to discuss your options: training@bms.ox.ac.uk.