As the UK has now left the EU, UK issued PET passports will no longer be valid for entry into the EU. The UK has been classed as a part 2 listed country; this means that your pet must be microchipped, vaccinated against rabies and have an Animal Health Certificate (AHC) issued by an official veterinarian a maximum of 10 days before travel.
Each AHC is is for use for a single trip into the EU and is valid for 4 months of onward travel within EU member states. Once the AHC has been issued it is valid for a maximum of 10 days to use for entry into the EU. You can register up to 5 animals on each certificate.
For re-entry into the UK you can either use your UK issued EU passport as long as it is kept up to date, or a valid AHC. Please note that this may change in the future and it is your responsibility to ensure you meet the requirements to return to the UK. We cannot speak to the policy of the veterinarian that provides the tapeworm tablet for your return journey and their willingness to update a UK issued pet passport now that the end of the transition period has passed.
If you have a non-UK issued EU passport which has a valid rabies vaccination (e.g French, Polish etc) then this does not affect you. Please note UK vets cannot update the rabies vaccination of EU pet passports any longer. If the rabies vaccine has lapsed on an EU passport whilst in the UK, you will need an AHC to travel back into the EU.
I’m planning a trip to the EU, what do I need to do?
- Ensure your pet has been microchipped and vaccinated against rabies. You will need to provide proof of vaccination (either a passport or vaccination card) which we will take a copy of and attach to your AHC. If we did not carry out the vaccination, we will verify the vaccination status of your pet with the veterinary practice who did. If we are unable to complete this verification process, we will not be able to issue you with the AHC unless we then administer the vaccination. If your pet requires a rabies vaccination, they will not be eligible for travel until 21 days after the vaccination is given and we cannot issue a certificate until this date (for example if the rabies vaccine is given on the 1st of the month your pet is eligible to travel from the 22nd).
- Provide us with details for your pet’s Animal Health Certificate either by completing this online form or by collecting a hard copy of the form from reception. Each AHC needs to be prepared with this information before it is ready to be issued. Once this is returned to us, we require payment before starting to process the certificate. Please provide us with these details and payment at least 5 working days before the certificate needs to be issued, details given less than 5 working days before a certificate is needed will incur a £46.20 surcharge. Please note that once payment has been made we will begin the process required to fill in the certificate, which is significantly more onerous than the pet passports were, and this amount is not refundable even if we are not able to complete the form due to incorrect details being supplied and therefore not being able to be verified, or if you decide not to travel for any reason.
- Book your pet in for an appointment in order for a vet to confirm their microchip number, complete the paperwork and officially issue the certificate. The person travelling with the pet MUST attend this appointment in order to sign the declaration. You can then either wait for the certificate to be completed by our team or collect from the surgery the following day. This appointment must be a maximum of 10 days before travel. Please be aware this is not an appointment for a health check, we will only verify your pet’s identity via their microchip. If your pet requires a health check before travel, please make an another appointment.
- Once your certificate is issued it can be used for entry into the EU within 10 days of issue.
How much does it cost to have an AHC issued?
Each AHC is charged at £231.00 for one pet with an additional charge of £46.20 for each additional pet (prices correct at time of publishing), this includes examination only to confirm the microchip number and verify their rabies vaccine documents. There is a surcharge of £46.20 if less than 5 working days notice is given before the AHC needs to be issued. This notice consists of a completed form, payment and booked appointment. We suggest that you submit the details of where their rabies vaccination and microchip was implanted on the form, so that we can verify these in advance of the appointment. Due to beginning the process before the appointment so that most of the work is done by the time you come in for the appointment, the charge for the AHC is not refundable.
Can I collect my certificate at my appointment?
Yes, your certificate will be ready following your appointment.
Can I re-use an AHC for a future trip into the EU?
No, each AHC is only valid for a single trip into the EU. You will need another AHC issued for each subsequent trip.
Does my dog need tapeworm treatment before entering the EU?
Your dog will only require tapeworm treatment if travelling to a tape worm free member state – Finland, Norway, Malta or Ireland. It is not required for any other member states. Please note that this is subject to change and you should check the travel requirements prior to your journey. Learn more on the government website https://www.gov.uk/taking-your-pet-abroad/tapeworm-treatment-for-dogs.
If you are travelling to a country which requires your pet to have a worming treatment administered 24-120 hours before arrival please be sure to book your appointment on an appropriate date before you travel. You will need to either bring an appropriate wormer with you (if you have had one previously dispensed by Heathfield Vets or from another practice is this is your first visit to us) or you will need to have a wormer dispensed on the day of your appointment. Please note this is a prescription wormer, if your pet has not been seen by us in the last year we will need to perform a health check at an additional cost before dispensing the treatment.
Does my dog need tapeworm treatment before re-entry to the UK?
Yes, the UK is a tapeworm free country. Tapeworm treatment must be given between 24 hours and 120 hours (5 days) before entry into the UK. If you are planning a short trip of a few days you can have this done in the UK before you go as long as you will be returning within 120 hours. For longer trips you will need to find a veterinarian in your destination country to apply the treatment.
Does my pet need a rabies blood test?
No, this was recommended as a ‘worst case scenario’ precaution before the UK was given a part 2 listed status, and is not necessary.
If you have any questions or queries about travelling with your pets, contact the UK pet travel helpline:
Email: pettravel@apha.gov.uk
Telephone: 0370 241 1710 Monday to Friday, 8:30am to 5pm (closed on bank holidays)
Call us on 01435 864422 if you have any questions about animal health certificates.
