What is an Animal Health Certificate?
As of 1st January 2021, GB-issued pet passports are no longer valid for travelling to the EU with your pet.
In order to travel with your dog, cat or ferret to the EU or Northern Ireland from England, Scotland or Wales, you will now have to get an Animal Health Certificate, no more than 10 days before you depart.
An Animal Health Certificate is a document that must be completed and certified by an Official Veterinarian (OV) approved by the APHA (Animal and Plant Health Agency).
Can I use my pet passport?
As of 1st January 2021, you can no longer use your pet passport for travel to the EU or Northern Ireland, unless the pet passport was issued in an EU country or in Northern Ireland and the latest rabies vaccination was administered by an EU vet.
However, pet passports can still be used to provide proof of an up to date Rabies vaccination for the Animal Health Certificate.
We also recommend taking your old pet passport on your trip with you.
What species of animals require Animal Health Certificates to travel and why?
Animal Health Certificates are requried for Dogs, Cats and Ferrets to travel to the EU, because these species of pets are at highest risk of transmitting rabies.
What are the requirements for my pet to be eligible for an Animal Health Certificate?
In order to be eligible for an Animal Health Certificate, your dog, cat or ferret needs:
-
To have had a rabies vaccination at least 21 days before the Animal Health Certificate appointment (unless it is a booster vaccination).
If you are travelling with a
dog to Northern Ireland, Ireland, Norway, Finland or Malta, your dog will also need tapeworm treatment between 24 and 120 hours before you
enter into these countries. This will need to be certified by a vet on your Animal Health Certificate. Please let us know if you would like us to do this.
What do I need to provide prior to the Animal Health Certificate appointment?
When you book in an appointment, we will send you a link to our pre-appointment form for you to complete as soon as possible after booking.
As part of the pre-appointment form, you will be asked to enter your pet's details, and upload clear photographs or scanned copies of their latest rabies vaccination record. This can be in the form of a:
OR
-
Rabies vaccination certificate / vaccine card (provided it has your pet's microchip number on and details of the rabies vaccine administered including the manufacturer, batch number and the date it was administered)
You will also need to ask your vet to email us your pet's clinical history to
info@passpets.co.uk
Without the above documents we will not be able to issue an Animal Health Certificate.
What do I need to bring to the Animal Health Certificate appointment?
-
Their proof of rabies document (e.g. the Rabies Vaccination Certificate / Card with your pet's microchip number on
OR your old EU/GB pet passport with a valid Rabies Vaccination recorded)
Can I get an Animal Heath Certificate on the same day as I travel?
Yes. As long as we have all the required information prior to the appointment, we can issue the Animal Health Certificate on the same day as you travel.
This is particularly useful if you are catching the ferry from Portsmouth as we are only 10 minutes away.
Which countries ask for an Animal Health Certificate?
You will need an Animal Health Certificate for travel from Great Britain (England, Wales or Scotland) to any EU country or Northern Ireland.
Non-EU countries require different documentation and tests (please get in touch if you are travelling outside of the EU).
Does my journey to Europe need to be via a specific port of entry?
Yes. Pets must enter the EU via a designated Travellers’ Point of Entry (TPE). See List of TPEs
here.
Once your Animal Health Certificate is issued you cannot change the country of entry through which you are entering Europe.
How long is the Animal Health Certificate valid for?
Animal Health Certificates are valid for entry into the EU for 10 days from the date of issue (date of issue counts as day 0).
It is valid for
one trip only - if you exit the EU boundary, you will need a new Animal Health Certificate in order to enter again.
Once inside the EU, the Animal Health Certificate can be used for ongoing travel within the EU for up to four months from the
date of issue of the Animal Health Certificate
OR until the date of expiry of the rabies vaccination (whichever is earlier).
Who can apply for an Animal Health Certificate?
The owner of the pet (i.e. the name stated on the old pet passport or rabies vaccination certificate) must apply for the Animal Health Certificate and will be named on the Animal Health Certificate. They must be over 16 years of age.
I will not be the one travelling with my pet, what should I do?
If your pet is travelling with a pet transport company, you will need to provide details of the transport company to us prior to the appointment. You must be travelling to be reunited with your pet within 5 days of their departure date, and the transport company will need to carry proof of this with them.
If your pet is travelling with a
named person (a friend or relative), you must provide us with written authorisation that the named person is travelling with the pet. You
must be travelling to be reunited with your pet within 5 days of their departure date, and the named person will need to carry proof of this with them.
How long does it take to get an Animal Health Certificate?
Once you have booked an appointment, completed the pre-appointment form and we have received your pet's clinical history from your vet we will be able to issue the Animal Health Certificate.
Assuming we have all this information beforehand, we can issue the Animal Health Certificate at the appointment, which lasts up to 20 minutes.
Once issued, you have 10 days to use it to travel to the EU or Northern Ireland from this country.
How much does an Animal Health Certificate cost?
At PassPets, Animal Health Certificates cost £99 for your first pet, and £50 per additional pet.
For emergency AHCs (i.e. with less than 24 hours notice), we charge £198 for your first pet, and £50 per additional pet.
Repeat customers receive a 10% discount.
How old does my pet have to be to get their Animal Health Certificate?
Your pet must be at least 12 weeks old to get vaccinated against rabies, and once vaccinated you must wait 21 days until you can get an Animal Health Certificate.
Does my pet need tapeworm treatment?
Tapeworm rules apply for pet dogs only.
Leaving the UK
Tapeworm treatment is only required if you are travelling from the UK directly to
Northern Ireland, The Republic of Ireland, Malta, Finland or Norway. This must be administered by a veterinary surgeon within 24 and 120 hours of the time you enter these countries, and the vet must record this information in Section II of your Animal Health Certificate. It is not a requirement for the vet to be an OV to administer tapeworm treatment.
Returning to the UK
Each time you return to the UK, tapeworm must be administered by a veterinary surgeon within 24 and 120 hours of the time you re-enter the UK. The vet must record this information in Section II of your Animal Health Certificate. This does not apply if you are travelling back direcly from Northern Irealnd, Ireland, Malta, Finland or Norway.
How often do I need an Animal Health Certificate?
You require a new Animal Health Certificate for each trip to an EU country or Northern Ireland from Great Britain.
I have more than one pet. Do I need two Animal Health Certificates?
Up to 5 pets can be added onto the same Animal Health Certificate. They do not have to be the same species.
If you are travelling with more than 5 pets, please get in touch.
A maximum of 5 pets can travel with the owner or authorised person. You can only take more than five pets to the EU or Northern Ireland if you’re attending or training for a competition, sporting event or show. This requires written evidence of registration for the event before you travel.
Do assistance dogs also require an Animal Health Certificate?
Yes
Where is PassPets based?
We're based near Havant, Hampshire. Very close to Portsmouth, Chichester, Waterlooville, Fareham and Southampton.
Do you have parking?
There is free parking on Langstone High Street, outside the property.
If you are coming in a motorhome we would recommend parking in the large, free public car park at the
Ship Inn pub, or in the
layby on Langstone Road
.
