About EU Pet Passports.
The Pet Travel Scheme (PETS) is a system that was introduced in 2000 to allow animals to travel easily between (PETS) member countries without undergoing a quarantine stay. A pet passport is a document that officially records information, related to your pet that you wish to travel with you, to simplify travel and speed up border processes and transport requirements in participating countries. A Pet Passport contains all mandatory health documents required to streamline travel with your pet through EU and some non-EU countries. No longer are cats, dogs and, strangely enough, ferrets required to endure lengthy quarantine stays however, they will be subjected to approximately 4-months quarantine if the mandatory document requirements are not met.
With a few exceptions, your pet can travel with you to another EU country or from a non-EU country to an EU country if it has:
been microchipped (in line with the technical requirements of Annex II of the EU Regulation on the movement of pets) or has a clearly identifiable tattoo if applied before 3 July 2011
been vaccinated against rabies.
been treated against the tapeworm Echinococcus multilocularis if your destination area is free from this tapeworm (Finland, Ireland, Malta, Norway, Montenegro, Albania and Northern Ireland).
An EU animal health certificate is another type of document, which contains specific information about your pet (identity, health, rabies vaccinations) and is based on an EU standard model.
If you are travelling from a non-EU country or territory, your pet must have an EU animal health certificate issued by an official vet in the country of departure not more than 10 days before your pet arrives in the EU. The certificate is valid for travel between EU countries for 4 months from this date or until the anti-rabies vaccination expires, whichever lapses first. Rabies shots in dogs last between 1-3 years with a couple of factors to consider.
In 6 months and 12 countries we have had to visit the vet 5 times for updated Health Certificates and/or worming. It gets expensive and exhausting repeating the explanation to vets if they are not up to speed on the UK requirements.
UK Pet Passport re-introduction in 2025/26 would mean the following for UK travellers:
🐾 Reduced Costs and Red Tape - The new pet passport will eliminate the need for a new AHC for each trip, making travel more affordable and far, far less complicated.
🐾 A Lifelong Document - Unlike the current system where a new AHC is needed for each journey, the new passport will be a multi-use document, valid for a pet's lifetime.
🐾 Improved Travel - The aim of this agreement is to make it easier for pet owners to travel with their pets to the EU.
Vaccination Against Rabies
Before traveling to Europe, you must vaccinate your pet against rabies by an authorised veterinarian. Your pet must be at least 12 weeks old at the date of vaccination.
The period of validity of the vaccination starts 21 days from the completion of the vaccination protocol for the primary vaccination.
Rabies Antibody Test
The rabies antibody titration test is mandatory for pet animals entering the EU. An authorised veterinarian must carry out the test at least 30 days after the date of vaccination against rabies.
Moreover, you must wait 3-months from the date the successful blood sample was taken before you can travel.
In addition, you should also complete and attach a written declaration to your pet's EU animal health certificate stating that its relocation is for non-commercial reasons.
Yoki getting her Health Certificate from vet Lizzie at PAWSPORT in the UK.
UPDATE! - The UK will be re-introducing Pet Passports approximately around the end of 2025! Happy days.
Obtaining an EU Passport has become more and more difficult recently in the EU, and as we have a UK address we decided it wasn't worth the effort. We still have all the relevant health checks and information that we carry with us, the difference is that it isn't in a compact passbook.
💡Pro Tip; There is a brilliant Facebook page that provides information and a growing map of Vets across Europe that provide the tapeworm treatment. Map of Recommended Vets For Tapeworm Treatment.
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Anywhere our adventures take us