diff --git a/app/model/bulk_import.py b/app/model/bulk_import.py
index f14d9497..f1bce8c0 100644
--- a/app/model/bulk_import.py
+++ b/app/model/bulk_import.py
@@ -1,13 +1,14 @@
 from datetime import datetime
-from typing import Optional
+from typing import Dict, List, Optional, Union
 
-from pydantic import AnyHttpUrl, BaseModel
+from pydantic import AnyHttpUrl, BaseModel, RootModel
 
 from app.model.collection import CollectionCreateDTO
 from app.model.document import DocumentCreateDTO
 from app.model.event import EventCreateDTO
 from app.model.family import FamilyCreateDTO
-from app.model.general import Json
+
+Metadata = RootModel[Dict[str, Union[str, List[str]]]]
 
 
 class BulkImportCollectionDTO(BaseModel):
@@ -38,7 +39,7 @@ class BulkImportFamilyDTO(BaseModel):
     summary: str
     geographies: list[str]
     category: str
-    metadata: Json
+    metadata: Metadata
     collections: list[str]
     corpus_import_id: str
 
@@ -54,7 +55,7 @@ def to_family_create_dto(self, corpus_import_id: str) -> FamilyCreateDTO:
             summary=self.summary,
             geography=self.geographies,
             category=self.category,
-            metadata=self.metadata,
+            metadata=self.metadata.model_dump(),
             collections=self.collections,
             corpus_import_id=corpus_import_id,
         )
@@ -91,7 +92,7 @@ class BulkImportDocumentDTO(BaseModel):
     import_id: str
     family_import_id: str
     variant_name: Optional[str] = None
-    metadata: Json
+    metadata: Metadata
     title: str
     source_url: Optional[AnyHttpUrl] = None
     user_language_name: Optional[str] = None
@@ -107,7 +108,7 @@ def to_document_create_dto(self) -> DocumentCreateDTO:
             import_id=self.import_id,
             family_import_id=self.family_import_id,
             variant_name=self.variant_name,
-            metadata=self.metadata,
+            metadata=self.metadata.model_dump(),
             title=self.title,
             source_url=self.source_url,
             user_language_name=self.user_language_name,
diff --git a/pyproject.toml b/pyproject.toml
index 0f5ba2ff..cc17c644 100644
--- a/pyproject.toml
+++ b/pyproject.toml
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 [tool.poetry]
 name = "admin_backend"
-version = "2.17.19"
+version = "2.17.20"
 description = ""
 authors = ["CPR-dev-team <tech@climatepolicyradar.org>"]
 packages = [{ include = "app" }, { include = "tests" }]
diff --git a/tests/unit_tests/service/bulk_import/test_bulk_import_service.py b/tests/unit_tests/service/bulk_import/test_bulk_import_service.py
index ebcecbc3..1c427a80 100644
--- a/tests/unit_tests/service/bulk_import/test_bulk_import_service.py
+++ b/tests/unit_tests/service/bulk_import/test_bulk_import_service.py
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@
 
 import app.service.bulk_import as bulk_import_service
 from app.errors import ValidationError
+from tests.helpers.bulk_import import default_document, default_family
 
 
 @patch("app.service.bulk_import.uuid4", Mock(return_value="1111-1111"))
@@ -104,6 +105,30 @@ def test_slack_notification_sent_on_error(caplog, basic_s3_client, corpus_repo_m
     )
 
 
+@pytest.mark.parametrize(
+    "test_data",
+    [
+        {"families": [{**default_family, "metadata": {"key": [1]}}]},
+        {"families": [{**default_family, "metadata": {"key": None}}]},
+        {"families": [{**default_family, "metadata": {"key": 1}}]},
+        {"documents": [{**default_document, "metadata": {"key": 1}}]},
+    ],
+)
+@patch.dict(os.environ, {"BULK_IMPORT_BUCKET": "test_bucket"})
+@patch("app.service.bulk_import._exists_in_db", Mock(return_value=False))
+def test_import_data_when_metadata_contains_non_string_values(
+    test_data,
+    corpus_repo_mock,
+    validation_service_mock,
+    caplog,
+    basic_s3_client,
+):
+    with caplog.at_level(logging.ERROR):
+        bulk_import_service.import_data(test_data, "test")
+
+    assert "Input should be a valid string" in caplog.text
+
+
 @patch.dict(os.environ, {"BULK_IMPORT_BUCKET": "test_bucket"})
 def test_import_data_when_data_invalid(caplog, basic_s3_client):
     test_data = {