Animal Health Certificates & Pet Travel

Travelling Abroad with Your Pet

If you are planning to travel abroad with your dog, cat or ferret, you will need to make preparations well in advance of your departure date.

Travelling to the EU or Northern Ireland

Since Brexit, pet passports issued in Great Britain are no longer valid for travel to the EU or Northern Ireland. Pets travelling from Great Britain must instead be issued with an Animal Health Certificate (AHC) by an Official Veterinarian (OV).

An Animal Health Certificate confirms that your pet meets the required identification and health requirements for travel.

The certificate:

• must be issued no more than 10 days before entry into the EU or Northern Ireland
• allows a single entry from Great Britain into the EU or Northern Ireland
• remains valid for onward travel within the EU for up to four months, provided the rabies vaccination remains valid
• may also be used for return travel to Great Britain within four months

If travel does not take place within 10 days of the certificate being issued, a new consultation and Animal Health Certificate will be required, which will incur an additional fee. The Animal Health Certificate does not allow repeated travel between Great Britain and the EU.

To travel to the EU or Northern Ireland, pets must:

• be microchipped
• be vaccinated against rabies after 12 weeks of age
• have received their rabies vaccination at least 21 days before travel

Tapeworm Treatment for Dogs

Dogs travelling directly to Finland, Ireland, Northern Ireland, Norway or Malta must receive tapeworm treatment administered by a veterinary surgeon.

This treatment must be given:

• no less than 24 hours before arrival
• no more than 5 days before arrival

Please contact the practice with your planned date and time of travel to arrange this appointment.

Travel to Non-EU Countries

Travel requirements vary significantly between countries outside the EU.

Most destinations require an Export Health Certificate (EHC) issued by an Official Veterinarian, along with additional documentation specific to the destination country.

You will usually need to:

• complete an export application form
• nominate an Official Veterinarian
• ensure your pet meets the health, vaccination and identification requirements of the destination country

We recommend contacting the APHA Centre for Animal Imports and Exports in Carlisle as early as possible to confirm the requirements for your destination country.

As the pet owner, it is your responsibility to ensure that the entry requirements of the destination country are met.

Returning to the UK

Pets returning to the UK from the EU or listed non-EU countries must:

• be microchipped
• be vaccinated against rabies
• travel with the appropriate Animal Health Certificate or EU documentation

Dogs entering the UK must also receive tapeworm treatment administered by a veterinary surgeon between 24 hours and 5 days before arrival.

Tick treatment is no longer a mandatory requirement for entry to the UK. However, tick-borne diseases such as Lyme disease remain an increasing risk to both animal and human health, so preventative treatment is still strongly recommended.

Important Information

Travel requirements can change, so it is important to check the latest guidance before travelling.

Further information can be found on the UK Government website:

https://www.gov.uk/taking-your-pet-abroad

Please contact the practice to book your appointment at least four weeks before travel.

We do not offer home visits for travel certification, and we do not currently provide export certification for pets travelling to China.

If you are unsure about the requirements for your destination, our team will be happy to help guide you through the process.

Final authority for the entry of animals into another country rests with the border authorities of the destination country. Two By Two Veterinary Centre cannot guarantee that entry will be permitted.

All information provided for certification must be accurate and complete. Two By Two Veterinary Centre cannot accept responsibility for delays or refusal of entry resulting from incorrect or incomplete information supplied by the pet owner.

Additional Pet Travel Services

We also offer:

• Rabies vaccination
• Rabies titre testing
• Fit-to-fly certificates

Appointments for these services are subject to availability.

Once the travel details have been confirmed at the consultation, amendments to issued certificates will be charged at £5 per page amended.

Additional certification or administrative work may incur further fees where required.