Thinking about taking your pet abroad?

For full up-to-date DEFRA Pet Passport Information please click here!

Pet Passports have been around for about 15 years following long term campaigning to relax the controls over pet movements in and out of the UK.

Pet passports were initially developed to enable dogs to travel to and from the continent. Over the last 15 years more and more countries joined the pet passport scheme.

Until recently all Pets travelling into the UK required a Rabies vaccination and then Blood sample, the pet was not allowed to enter the UK for a period of 6 months after a satisfactory Rabies blood test. These rules have recently changed for pets travelling from SOME countries.

Changes to the Pet Travel Rules

Defra has recently announced that the rules for pets (cats, dogs and ferrets) entering the UK under the Pet Travel Scheme will change with effect from 1st January 2012. This is as a result of harmonisation of EU regulations.

The changes significantly change the time required for pets traveling into the UK from SOME other countries;

• Pets entering the UK from an EU member state or a non-EU country listed in the EU regulations (see the Defra website - http://www.defra.gov.uk/wildlife-pets/pets/travel/pets/countries/noneu-countries/) will still require a pet passport and rabies vaccination. However, they will no longer need a post-vaccination blood test, and the waiting period before entry will be reduced from 6 months to 21 days.

• Pets entering the UK from non-EU countries which are not listed in the EU regulations will be able to enter the UK from 1st January 2012 without a compulsory 6 month quarantine period providing they comply with the new requirements.

UK Pets entering Non-EU countries which are not listed in the EU regulations

• Owners of pets leaving the UK to enter non-EU listed countries will require to check requirements with the individual countries. Due to the relaxation of the UK’s policy some non-EU countries are imposing more stringent controls on animals coming from the UK, including, in some cases, a requirement for a 6 month quarantine.

If you would like to make an appointment in relation to discussing this further, or other information on disease protection while visiting the continent , just call to make an appointment.