Pet Passports EU and Worldwide
We are able to prepare your pet for a Pet Passport including insertion of microchip, vaccinations, blood testing (if required), and worming treatment as required by the country of entry and then issue a Pet Passport. This is required, for entry to and return home from countries that are included in the Pet Passport Scheme.
EU Pet Passports
Your pet must be at least 12 weeks (84 days) old before you can get it vaccinated against rabies for the purposes of pet travel. These rules will be the same across the EU and help pet checkers carry out compliance checks. It will also prevent very young pets being moved across the EU.
You must make sure that your pet is fully compliant with the rules of the EU Pet Travel Scheme before you leave the UK. In particular, you must wait 21 days from the date of your Pet’s primary rabies vaccination before you travel (the day of vaccination counts as day 0 not day 1).
If you have more than five pets and wish to travel with them within the EU and/or return to the UK (unless you are going to a show or competition) you will need to comply with additional Rules.
Worldwide Pet Passports
We are also able to help process animals for export to countries that are not covered by the scheme (outside EU or non- listed countries). Some counties have very rigorous entry requirements needing some quite forward planning, so please check well in advance of required date for entry to the country of your choice.
Please ask us for more information or visit the official Gov.UK Pet Travel web pages: www.gov.uk/take-pet-abroad
The Process
Generally the process is straightforward and these are the steps that you will need to follow.
- Your pet must be over 12 weeks of age and have been microchipped before rabies vaccination
- Your pet needs to have a rabies vaccination. It is no longer necessary for your pet to have a rabies blood test but it may still be a good idea to confirm the vaccine has worked
- The Pet Passport will be issued
- For countries outside the scheme (outside EU or non- listed countries), your pet will require a rabies blood test and a 3 month wait before entry into the UK
- For UK resident animals, a rabies booster will be required every 3 years and the passport must be updated. This booster should not go overdue by one day as this would mean restarting the 21 day waiting process again
- If you are planning to have an extended stay abroad the booster requirements may be different, please check with the vet in the country of destination or DEFRA
- All dogs entering the UK will be required to be treated for tapeworms by a vet and recorded in the passport between 24 and 120 hours before entry. It will no longer be mandatory for owners to treat their animals against ticks when bringing in animals from abroad, but it is advisable
If you take your pet abroad it may be exposed to diseases which we do not have in the UK. We recommend you book an appointment with us to discuss your pet’s health and fitness to travel before you take it abroad. We can then give advice on the appropriate treatments for your chosen destination, with regard to insects and diseases likely to be encountered.
A new style pet passport was introduced from 29 December 2014. However if you already have a passport for your pet you do not need to get a new one. Existing passports will remain valid for the lifetime of the pet (or until all the treatment validations are filled).