Pet Travel Scheme



You can now take your pet abroad with you with the "Pet Travel Scheme". Yes, you can now get a "Pet Passport"! This Pet Travel Scheme (PETS) allows pet dogs and cats to enter back into the UK without having to go into quarantine - as long as you have followed the rules.

PLEASE NOTE: The rules for the Pet Passport are changing from 1st January 2012 - details at the bottom of the page.

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It also allows people from the UK to take their pets to other EU countries and then bring them back into the UK without them having to go into quarantine.

We have listed the basic requirements for the Pet Passports below, but there are different requirements and regulations for different countries. To find out more we suggest you go to:

www.defra.gov.uk

To obtain a Pet Passport you have to (in this order) :

  • Have your pet microchipped.

  • Have your pet vaccinated against rabies (even if your pet has already had a rabies vaccination).

  • Your pet now needs a blood test to make sure the rabies vaccination has worked.

  • Get the PETS documentation from your vets.

  • If not travelling with you, arrange for your pet to travel with an approved transport company on an authorised route.



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    We hope our information about the Pet Passports helps you decide whether or not to take your pet abroad. At least if you follow the rules you will not have to worry about quarantine when you return and you will not have to think about putting your pet into kennels or a cattery.





    Entry rules for pets entering the UK from the EU and listed non-EU countries:

    What has to be done
    Before 1 January 2012
    From 1 January 2012
    Microchip
    Yes
    Yes
    Rabies vaccination
    Yes
    Yes
    Documentation (pet passport or third country certificate)
    Yes
    Yes
    Blood test (dogs and cats)
    Yes
    No
    Pre-entry waiting period
    Yes
    Yes
    Length of waiting period before entry to the UK
    6 months from date sample taken for blood test
    21 days after vaccination against rabies
    Tick treatment
    Yes (24-48 hours before embarkation)
    No
    Tapeworm treatment
    Yes (as for ticks)
    Under consideration at European level




    Entry rules for pets entering the UK from unlisted non-EU countries:

    What has to be done
    Before 1 January 2012
    From 1 January 2012
    Microchip
    All pets from unlisted third countries are licensed into quarantine for 6 months and vaccinated against rabies on arrival
    Yes
    Rabies vaccination
    "
    Yes
    Blood test
    "
    Yes. Blood sample taken at least 30 days after vaccination.
    Documentation (third country certificate)
    "
    Yes
    Pre-entry waiting period
    "
    Yes
    Length of waiting period before entry to the UK
    "
    3 months after blood sample date
    Tick treatment
    "
    No
    Tapeworm treatment
    "
    Under consideration at European level




    CHANGES FROM 1st JANUARY 2012 :

    It will become cheaper and easier to travel abroad with pets when new rules are introduced at the start of next year.

    The UK will harmonise its pet movement rules with the rest of the European Union from 1 January 2012, bringing the UK's Pet Travel Scheme into line with the most recent science. The UK will maintain its high level of protection against animal diseases after the changes, which have the potential to save pet owners around £7 million in fees.

    Forcing pets to spend six months in quarantine, a practice dating from the 1800s, is no longer necessary because of vastly improved rabies vaccines and treatments.

    All pets will still need to be vaccinated against rabies. Pets from the EU and listed non-EU countries such as the USA and Australia will no longer need a blood test and will only have to wait 21 days before they travel. Pets from unlisted non-EU countries such as India, Brazil and South Africa will be able to enter the UK if they meet certain strict criteria to ensure they are protected against rabies, including a blood test and a three-month wait before they enter the UK.

    The changes will ensure the risk of rabies coming to the UK remains extremely low. It's estimated that the new rules mean there would be one case of rabies in a pet in the UK once every 211 years, with the possibility of a person dying from rabies obtained from a pet once in every 21,000 years.

    The UK has been discussing with the European Commission the most appropriate form of tapeworm controls for dogs, to ensure the UK continues to be protected from Echinococcus multilocularis. The Commission has recently indicated that its proposals, expected shortly, would enable the UK and other tapeworm-free countries to retain tapeworm controls, with a requirement that animals be treated between one and five days before returning to the UK.

    Tick treatment for pet animals returning to the UK will no longer be required. All pet owners travelling abroad with their animals should discuss with their vets the use of treatments, including those designed to control ticks as part of good animal health practice.

    The UK, along with Ireland, Sweden and Malta, has an exemption from the standard EU pet travel rules. They are all harmonising their entry rules with the rest of the EU at the same time as the UK.

    We would love to hear from you if you have used the Pet Travel Scheme. Please click here to contact us.

    Happy Caravanning with your pets!

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