What does Brexit mean for pet passports and travelling with my dog or cat?

Annabel Fenwick-Elliott
·3 min read
dog - istock
dog - istock

Now that the UK has left the European Union, the rules have changed for owners wishing to travel in and out of the bloc with their pets.

Prior to January 1, Britain was part of the EU's 'pet passport scheme', which made it fairly straightforward to take cats, dogs and ferrets on holiday, or to and from second homes in Europe. That's over now for Britons, and our pet passports are invalid for outgoing trips.

Instead, the UK has been given a Part 2 listed status under the EU Pet Travel Scheme, and owners will have to obtain an animal health certificate (AHC) 10 days before making the journey to Europe or Northern Ireland, which includes proof of rabies vaccination 21 days ahead of departure.

Read on for more detailed guidance on obtaining an AHC, as well as the rules on bringing pets back into the UK from Europe.

Can I bring my pet on holiday with me to Europe?

Mercifully, yes. Pre-Brexit, it was feared that Britain would be subject to regulations that would have forced owners to signal three months in advance if they wished to take their pets to member states. But The European Commission has opted to relax these restrictions.

This has given us a Part 2 listed status under the EU Pet Travel Scheme. As a result, these are the hoops you'll have to jump through from now on when travelling with your animal to Europe or Northern Ireland.

  • Have your dog, cat or ferret microchipped

  • Vaccinate your pet against rabies

  • Wait 21 days after primary vaccination before travel

  • Treat dogs against tapeworm if they are travelling to some countries, between 24 hours and five days before travel

  • Visit your vet to get an Animal Health Certificate (AHC) for your pet no more than 10 days before travel to the EU

  • Your pet will need to enter the EU through a designated Travellers' Point of Entry, where you will need to present proof of your pet's microchip, rabies vaccination and tapeworm treatment.

What about re-entering the UK?

You can either use your existing EU pet passport, if you have one, or the same AHC document you obtained to take your animal into the EU from the UK, so long as it was issued no longer than four months ago.

Can I adopt or foster a pet from Europe?

Yes, the same rules apply (as above) with regards to obtaining an AHC before bringing an animal from Europe into Britain.

What if I'm making repeated trips back and forth between Europe with my pet?

Your pet will need a new AHC for each trip to the EU, obtained within 10 days before travel. You're then free to move between EU member states with your pet for up to four months, after which the document expires.

So long as your pet's rabies vaccination is up to date, you won't need to give them another one (and thus wait at least 21 days following the shot before travel). You can check with your vet as to whether or not your animal is due a booster.

Could the rules change again?

Possibly. In an ideal world, given that before January 1 the UK had been part of the EU's pet passport scheme for two decades, we would be granted Part 1 listed status.

This would enable us to operate under the same EU Pet Travel Scheme as we were before leaving the EU.

The Government is continuing to press the European Commission to secure Part 1 listed status, stating that Britain currently meets all the requirements for it.

The only non-EU countries that currently fall under Part 1 status are: Andorra, Switzerland, the Faroe Islands, Gibraltar, Greenland, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Norway, San Marino, Vatican City State.