Pet Travel Scheme
This allows cats and dogs to enter the UK from certain countries without the need for quarantine. This means you will be able to take your pets on holiday with you. It is recommended that you start the process at least 8 months before travel. To qualify your pet must meet certain conditions.
- Microchip insertion
- Vaccination against rabies (not before the animal is 3 months old).
- Blood sample taken to confirm the specified antibody level has been reached.
The pet cannot be brought into the UK until 6 months after the successful blood sample was taken. An EU Pet Passport may then be issued and validated. This certificate is essential for re-entry into the UK. Your pet will also need to receive treatment for worms/ticks and certain parasites 24-48 hours before re-entering the UK accompanied by an official certificate confirming this. The rabies vaccination boosters must be done in subsequent years within the specified time to enable the Pet Passport to remain valid and to be revalidated.
The Pet Passport system only affects re-entry into the UK. You must also remember to establish what export requirements are needed. These continually change and DEFRA should be contacted for the latest advice.