If you are thinking of travelling abroad with your pet, make sure you plan ahead and check your pet passport is valid before you go. As a result of Brexit, it’s not just your passport that is changing – pet passports are changing too.

From 1st January 2021 Great Britain will no longer be part of the European Union (EU) and this will impact on travelling abroad with your pets. The UK Government has applied for Great Britain to be classed as a ‘Listed Country’, however, until this is accepted Great Britain will be classified as ‘Unlisted’.

What does this mean for you and your pets?

From the 1st January 2021 any current Great Britain Pet Passports will be invalid for travel to EU countries. Four months’ notice will now be required in order to prepare your pet for travel.

If Great Britain does gain a listed status, then some of the following criteria will no longer apply and guidance will be updated.

Before your dog, cat or ferret can travel to the EU for the first time, the following steps must be followed:

1. Ensure your pet is microchipped

2. Vaccinate your pet against Rabies (they must be older than 12 weeks)

3. 30 days after the Rabies vaccination your pet will require a blood sample. Sometimes we give a booster rabies vaccination prior to the blood sample. The blood sample is then sent to a specific lab to check the level of antibodies generated to the Rabies vaccination.

4. If your pet has passed the minimum threshold of antibodies, you then must wait 3 months from the date of the blood test before you can travel.

5. If the blood test has not been successful we must repeat the Rabies vaccination and carry out a blood test 30 days after the second injection. You are then still required to wait 3 months from the second blood test date before travel.

Following the successful blood test, as long as the Rabies vaccinations are maintained you will not require repeat blood tests for trips to countries within the European Union.

In addition, just before you can go away with your pet, an Animal Health Certificate must be issued by one of our vets. This certificate cannot be completed prior to 10 days before travel.

This certificate is to prove your pet has been microchipped, had a Rabies vaccine and a successful antibody blood test. Once issued this certificate is only valid for:

1. 10  days from the date of issue to enter the EU

2. 4 months for onward travel within the EU from date of issue

3. 4 months for re-entry into Great Britain from the date of issue

Certain countries will also require treatment against tapeworm 1-5 days before arriving into the country. A new Animal Health Certificate will be required for each trip to countries within the EU.

Returning home from Europe…

You will require the Animal Health Certificate you were issued with when you departed or a UK pet health certificate (authorising entry into Great Britain only).

As you can see this process can take a very long time and involves a lot of paperwork. It is important you carry out your research very carefully for your intended destination, as each individual country may have different criteria for entry and indeed for returning home.

Our vets are always here to help you, but as an owner it is deemed your responsibility to ensure everything is in order before you travel.

This is a very fluid and ever adapting situation. The DEFRA government website has a lot of useful information available on the changes and requirements and, of course, we are always here to help our clients where we can, so don’t hesitate to contact us on 01665 252 250 or email at info@coquetvets.co.uk if you have further questions.