As summer has arrived, we are all looking forward to some holiday time. Many of us also want to be able to travel with our furry companions to Europe.
Unfortunately, any UK issued pet passports are now invalid and are not legal to travel to Europe. EU issued pet passports are still valid for unlimited travel between the UK and Europe but vets in the UK are no longer allowed to write in them.
This means that rabies vaccines will need to be administered in the EU, and an EU registered vet can then enter this into the EU issued pet passport.
Animal Health Certificates
The new pet travel document for UK citizens is called an ‘Animal Health Certificate’ or AHC. The AHC must be issued within 10 days of travel and is valid for a single entry into Europe and up to 4 months of ongoing travel within Europe. To obtain an AHC your pet must have:
- A consult with an OV registered vet
- A valid rabies vaccination
- A working microchip
Before the consultation, we ask you to fill in the AHC information form (supplied by our reception when booking). You will need to bring evidence of a valid rabies vaccination and microchip to the consultation. This can be a vaccination card or an invalid UK passport with up to date details. If you are unable to provide these details then please contact us ahead of the appointment so we can organise a certificate of proof.
The AHC is valid for one entry into Europe and will be in English and the language of the EU country that you will be first entering Europe (i.e. Calais, France). The AHC is valid for ongoing travel within Europe. Your pet will still need tapeworm treatment administered by a EU vet within 1 – 5 days of returning to England. If you are travelling directly to a Tapeworm free country (ie Ireland, Finland, Norway or Malta) then you will need a registered tapeworm treatment administered by a Vet 1 – 5 days before leaving.
If you want to find out more information about Travelling Abroad With Your Pet, then please take a look in our useful information. Happy Travels and if you have any further questions please email us or call on 01825 764268.
