Pet Travel

Pet travel has changed. From the 1st January 2021, UK Pet Passports are no longer valid for travel to the EU or NI with your pets – you now require an Animal Health Certificate to travel.

At Animal House Vets, we have two Official Veterinarians as part of our veterinary team, who are on-hand to provide you the advice and documentation to travel with your beloved pet. Please read the guidance below and call us for further information regarding your specific travel requirements and the associated costs.

Travelling from Great Britain to the EU and back

At least 1 month in advance of travelling – Check Rabies Vaccinations are in date:

• Your dog needs a current rabies vaccination to travel to the EU or Northern Ireland. If your dog has never had a rabies vaccination before, or a previous rabies vaccination is no longer valid, then your dog needs to be vaccinated and cannot travel for at least 21 days after having the rabies jab - that’s why you need to book in at least one month before your travel date.
• If your dog has a current rabies vaccination that will cover them for the duration of your whole trip, including the date that you re-enter Great Britain, then you do not need to repeat the rabies vaccination. 

Within 10 days of traveling - The Animal Health Certificate:

• Is valid for 10 days for entry into the EU and Northern Ireland from the date of issue;
• Allows onward travel within the EU and Northern Ireland for four months from the date issue;
• Allows re-entry to Great Britain for four months from the date of issue;
• Can only be used for one return trip - a new Animal Health Certificate is required for every new trip that you make with your dog to the EU or Northern Ireland.

Special Requirements – Northern Ireland, Ireland, Finland, Norway, Malta

• A tapeworm treatment administered by the vet no less than 24hrs and no more than 120 hours (5 days) on arrival to the destination country,
• This is recorded on the Animal Health Certificate and is often booked at the same time as the Animal Health Certificate visit.

Returning to Great Britain from the EU

• The AHC that was issued for the trip- so keep it somewhere safe and dry during your travels!
• Tapeworm treatment administered by an approved vet no less than 24 hours and no more than 120 hours (5 days) before entering Great Britain from the EU.
• The tapeworm treatment is not need if you are returning directly to Great Britain from Finland, Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland, Norway or Malta without passing through any other countries.
• You cannot buy an over-the-counter worming tablet and administer it yourself - it must be an approved drug, administered by an approved vet, and the details entered onto your dog’s travel documents by the vet and stamped.

European Pet Passports:

• If your pet has an EU Pet Passport with a rabies vaccination in the passport is still valid/in-date for the duration of the trip: then you can travel to the EU without the need for an Animal Health Certificate. Your pet will still require a tapeworm treatment (as noted above) upon returning to the UK and this must be administered/recorded in the passport by an approved vet.
• If your pet has an EU Pet Passport with an out of date rabies vaccination: then you will need to get a rabies vaccination in the UK before travelling. If your rabies vaccination has fully lapsed (out of date) then you will need to wait 21 days before travelling and also require an AHC (as above). If your rabies vaccination is soon to expire then your pet will require a rabies vaccination before expiry and will not need to wait 21 days but will still require an AHC to travel. For both of these scenarios you will then need an EU vet abroad to sign the passport for the UK rabies vaccination for the EU passport to be valid again and for your pet to travel without an AHC.

Travelling from Great Britain to outside of the EU:

At present we are unable to provide any help for clients wishing to take their pet outside of the EU. We do strongly recommend reaching out to PetAirUK. They are a team of vets that specialise in pet transport and will organise all the necessary arrangements to ensure a smooth and stress free journey. www.petairuk.com