With Christmas just around the corner, many of us are planning festive trips to visit friends and family. For pet owners, these journeys often mean bringing along their beloved animals. But what are the latest rules and regulations for travelling with pets between the UK and the EU?
Ensuring that overseas and cross-border travel is as smooth and as stress-free as possible will no doubt be a priority for any pet owner making plans to take their furry friend on holiday with them, so Monaco Life has compiled a guide to the latest pet travel requirements within the EU and to the UK.
The rules that many of us had become accustomed to pre-Brexit changed after the UK withdrew from the bloc, and the UK is now classified as a Part 2 listed country under the EU Pet Travel Scheme.
UK to EU travel
As such, pets must be microchipped and vaccinated against rabies. A tapeworm treatment is required for dogs entering certain EU countries including Finland, Ireland and Malta.
Pet owners must also obtain an Animal Health Certificate (AHC) from a vet no more than 10 days before travel to the EU. The AHC replaces the previous EU pet passport for UK-issued pets and is required for each trip. According to the latest available information, an AHC is valid for a single entry to the EU, as well as onward travel within the EU for up to four months and re-entry into the UK.
There had been talk of an obligatory rabies antibody test for pets entering the EU from the UK, but this has not become a reality. Therefore, the three-month waiting period after a rabies test is not needed for UK pets entering the EU, as long as the pet has an up-to-date rabies vaccination and an AHC.
EU to UK travel
All pets travelling into the UK from the EU must be microchipped. They must also have a valid rabies vaccination that is at least 21 days old if it’s their first vaccine. A rabies antibody test is not required.
If your pet has an EU-issued pet passport, you can use it to enter the UK. If not, a registered vet must issue an AHC within 10 days prior to travel. This certificate will be valid for a single entry to the UK and for four months of travel within the EU.
Dogs specifically must be given a tapeworm treatment between one and five days before entering the UK. This treatment must be recorded in the pet passport or on the AHC.
There may also be additional requirements for other pets including birds, rabbits and rodents, so it’s recommended to check the UK government’s pet travel guidance website for specific details. Click here for more information.
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Photo credit: Ignacio Amenabar, Unsplash