Animal Health Certificates now required to take pets into EU countries

Whilst not a typical HfP story, I thought this was worth covering because it has received very little mainstream attention and you or a friend or family member could easily be caught out.

As of 22nd April, pet owners can no longer travel from the UK to the EU using the EU pet passport scheme.

You must now travel with an Animal Health Certificate. These are expensive and time consuming to obtain and can only be used once.

Animal Health Certificates can only be issued by vets, and must be dated within 10 days of travel.

However, a certificate can only be issued if the pet has a recent rabies vaccination. There must be a gap of at least 21 days, and potentially longer depending on which rabies vaccination was given, between immunisation and the issuance of an Animal Health Certificate.

Costs reportedly range from £100 to £300 depending on the provider, plus the cost of any vaccinations.

EU pet passports can still be used by anyone whose primary address is in the EU. They can no longer be used by someone travelling to a second home in the EU or on a regular holiday.

Existing EU pet passports are no longer valid for travel. These were meant to be valid for the life of the animal, and contain details of any microchip or health records, such as vaccinations, as well as details about the pet owner and the vet which issued the passport.

Assistance dogs are included in the new rules. Guide Dogs for the Blind told the BBC that the new rules “underline the importance of the UK rejoining the pet passport scheme”.

“The cost and complexity of obtaining an Animal Health Certificate for every journey has prevented many guide dog owners from being able to work, attend important events and travel independently.”

You can find out more on gov.uk here.