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Find out what's involved in getting a Pet Passport.
The Pet Travel Scheme (PETS) allows cats and dogs to travel within certain countries without quarantine as long as certain conditions are met. These conditions include the need to book your trip with an approved transport company, using an approved route and fulfil certain health related criteria. The list of approved countries, companies and routes is updated quite frequently so you should always contact DEFRA (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs) for the latest information.
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Website: www.defra.gov.uk/animalH/quarantine/
Email: pets.helpline@defra.gsi.gov.uk
PETS Helpline: 0870 241 1710
Postal Address: Area 201
1a Page Street
London
SW1P 4PQ
Preparation
You need to begin preparation at least 7 to 8 months before you travel.
To qualify for the scheme your pet must (in the order shown):
- Be fitted with a micro-chip. It is recommended that he chip meets ISO (International Standards Organisation) Standard 11784 or Annex A to ISO Standard 11785.
- Be vaccinated against rabies. Your pet must be at least 3 months old and you need to make sure your vet records the following details on your vaccination certification:
- · Date of birth/age (if known)
- · The microchip number
- · The date of vaccination
- · The vaccine product name
- · The batch number
- · The date the booster vaccination is due
- Be blood tested. The blood test must show that the vaccine has given your pet satisfactory protection against rabies. If your pet fails this test, they will need to be revaccinated and retested. It is recommended that the blood test is done 30 days after the vaccination.
- Be issued with an official 'PETS Certificate' by a government authorised vet known as a Local Veterinary Inspector (LVI). Most small animal veterinary practices in the UK have a resident LVI, if not they may be able to tell you where the nearest one works.
It is a good idea to make photocopies of all your documents in case they are lost or stolen.
Leaving the UK
You need to follow all the steps detailed in the Preparation section above and in addition you should always call the PETS Helpline (number is shown above) before you travel for advice on your particular itinerary. It is quite common for countries to have special conditions and documentation requirements that must be met before you enter, e.g. you need an Official Export Health Certificate to enter Cyprus, Gibraltar, Greece, Iceland, Italy, Norway, Portugal, Spain and Sweden. France requires a document called 'Export of a pet cat or dog to France in accordance with the Pet Travel Scheme' (PETS5). This is issued by a Local Veterinary Inspector.
Returning to the UK
You need to follow all the steps in the Preparation section above and an additional three steps:
- Your pet will need to be treated against tapeworm and ticks 24-48 hours before you check in with the approved transport company. Your pet must be treated with praziquantel for tapeworm and the tick treatment must contain fiprinol. You will need to obtain an Official Certificate from the vet to show this treatment has been carried out and the certificate will need to show:
- · Your pet's micro-chip number
- · The date and time of treatment
- · The products used
- · The vet's signature and stamp
This procedure must be carried out every time you bring your pet back into the UK.- You will need to fill in a form to declare that you have not taken your pet outside the PETS approved countries in the 6 months prior to re-entering the UK. The official form you must sign is a Declaration of Residency, and this can be done when you present your pet for checking in or you can get a copy in advance by ringing the PETS Helpline.
- You will need to ensure your pet conforms to the 'Six Month Rule' which states that your pet cannot enter the UK until at least 6 calendar months after the date your vet took a blood sample that gave a successful test result. This would effectively give enough time for the clinical signs of rabies to appear if your pet had been infected before or at the time of vaccination. Note that as long as your pet has its rabies vaccination booster on time it will not have to have another blood test and wait another 6 months.
You cannot bring a pet into the UK under the Pet Travel Scheme from a private boat or plane.
European countries eligible for PETS
You can travel to one or more of the following countries under PETS, but be sure to check with DEFRA for any special requirements for the countries you are going to:
Andorra-Austria-Belgium-Cyprus- Denmark-Finland-France- Germany-Gibraltar-Greece- Iceland-Italy-Liechtenstein- Luxembourg-Malta-Monaco-Netherlands- Norway-Portugal-San Marino- Spain-Sweden-Switzerland-Vatican
Some exceptions:
- · France excludes French Guyana, St Pierre and Miquelon
- · Norway excludes Svalbard
- · Portugal includes the Azores and Madeira
- · Spain includes the Canary Islands, but excludes Ceuta and Melilla
- · Under PETS, pets coming from the Channel Islands, Isle of Man and the Republic of Ireland can, having travelled to any qualifying country, return to the UK as long as they are accompanied by proper official certification.
Jersey, Guernsey, the Isle of Man and the Republic of Ireland have each produced their own official PETS certificate.
The list of eligible countries is growing so check the DEFRA site for the latest updates.
Travelling Long Haul
There are also approved countries, transport companies and routes for long haul travel. At present the list of countries includes:
Antigua and Barbuda-Ascension Island-Australia-Barbardos- Bermuda-Cayman Islands-Falkland Islands-Fiji- French Polynesia-Guadaloupe-Hawaii-Jamaica- Japan-Martinique-Mauritius-Mayotte-Montserrat-New Caledonia- New Zealand-Reunion-St Helena-St Kitts & Nevis- St Vincent-Singapore-Vanuatu-Wallis and Futuna
When you return to the UK from a long haul destination you will need to ensure a government official in the country you are leaving from fixes a seal to the carrier your pet is travelling in. The official will need to put the number of the seal on the tick and tapeworm certificate if you are bringing your pet into the UK from an approved long haul destination. There is often extra documentation required when you travel to a long haul destination, such as an import licence and an Official Export Health Certificate, so check the DEFRA website and the appropriate embassy well in advance to confirm.
Your pet's welfare
Your pet must be sufficiently fit and healthy to travel. A pet will not normally be considered if:
- · Ill or injured
- · It has given birth within 48 hours of a journey or is heavily pregnant and likely to give birth during the journey.
You need to make sure the carrier your pet is travelling in does not contain anything that could cause injury. It must also have adequate ventilation. Appropriate and absorbent bedding should be provided, and this may need to be changed during a very long journey. Introducing your pet to it's travel carrier for short periods of time before travelling should help reduce the stress of transport. A familiar object (e.g. toy or cloth) may assist the animal to settle into strange surroundings.
You also need to ensure your pet has access to water at all times and if the journey lasts longer than a few hours you also need to think about how to make food available. The utensils for watering and feeding should be placed in or fixed to the carrier so that they cannot be knocked over or the contents spilt and they should be capable of being re-filled easily.
another good and well constructed website is
http://www.dogsaway.co.uk
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