Travelling into Europe with your pet post-Brexit

How is it now travelling into Europe with your pet in a post-Brexit scenario? Before the end of last year, we were expecting it to be worst than it will finally be. It is still a bit more difficult than before, as you need to do an extra step. But don’t despair! Keep on reading on!

First things first- Travelling into Europe with your pet post-Brexit

You can no longer use your pet passport issued in Great Britain (be it England, Wales or Scotland) to get into the EU or NI. You will need a new document, called the Animal Health Certificate. That will be for each trip.

What do you need now to take your pet into Europe.

So now you need to think on the following

1) Get your dog microchipped, if he or she is not, as a first thing.

2) get your vet to apply a rabies vaccine, if your dog does not have one. Have your microchipped first, so then they can record the vaccine to the microchip!

3) Get an animal health certificate (AHC) from your vet up to ten days before your trip. This is a requirement for each trip you do. If your pet passport was issued in any country of the EU or Northern Ireland, then you can use that one instead. An official vet (OV) can issue this type of certificate, so check with yours, to see if he or she can do so. If not ask who could do it for you.

Travelling into Europe with your pet post-Brexit. Photo: Lauren Guardala. Unsplash.Travelling into Europe with your pet post-Brexit. Photo: Lauren Guardala. Unsplash.

Remember to do this up to ten days before your trip, so count at the time you are leaving and go backwards. When visiting your vet, you will need to take proof of your pet’s microchipping date and vaccination history.

This AHC will be valid after the date of issue for

a) up to ten days for entry in the EU or Northern Ireland

b) 4 months for onward travel within the EU

c) 4 months to re-entry in Great Britain.

So, as stated before, your pet will need a new ATC for each trip into the EU or Northern Ireland.

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What steps to take to travel with your pet. EU Regulations for travelling with your dog if we have a ‘No Deal Brexit’.

So what you have to do? Well, for starters, your dog needs to have a rabies vaccine. If you regularly go to the continent, then you should have given your dog a rabies test to travel. The vet needs to put a microchip to your pet, but this is pretty common practice in the UK when you get a pet.

Your pet needs to be at least 12 weeks old to receive a vaccine.

Even if your pet received a vaccine, your vet, might suggest you to give another rabies vaccine. This is because you need to wait at least 30 days to take some blood samples from your pet to send to an EU-approved lab.

The UK government states that you need to wait 3 months from the date of the succesful blood sample to travel. The vet will need you to give you a copy of the test results and include the date the blood sample was taken. He/she will have to write this on an animal health certificate (AHC).

Then, if the blood result is not successful, you have to repeat the vaccination and blood test after 30 days… Imagine the pain…

Tag: travel with your pet