EU Pet Passports

From 22 April 2026, EU pet passports can no longer be used by residents of Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales) for travel to the EU.

EU pet passports are now intended only for pets whose owners are resident in the EU. This means that passports held by GB residents - even if issued previously, or linked to second homes or frequent travel - are no longer valid for entry into the EU.

In most cases, you will now need an Animal Health Certificate (AHC) for every trip to the EU.

For the official announcements, please see:

What this means

Pets travelling from Great Britain to the EU will now require an Animal Health Certificate (AHC) for each journey.

In general:

The AHC must be issued by an Official Veterinarian (OV)
It must be issued within 10 days of travel
It is valid for entry into the EU, onward travel within the EU, and re-entry to Great Britain for up to 6 months (used to be 4 months), provided the rabies vaccination remains valid

Using an EU pet passport as rabies evidence

Although EU pet passports are no longer valid travel documents, they may still be used as evidence of rabies vaccination when issuing an AHC, provided the vaccination is valid and recorded correctly.

We are currently seeing a number of issues with rabies vaccination records in EU pet passports, including:

Booster vaccinations recorded with incorrect validity periods
Vaccinations recorded as valid for 3 years where this may not be supported
Different vaccine brands used without clear evidence of compatibility or correct booster protocol

In these cases, it may not be possible to issue an AHC based on the passport provided.

Specific note on Rabisin and Rabigen Mono

We are seeing a high number of cases where Rabisin and Rabigen Mono rabies vaccinations have been recorded as valid for 3 years.

Based on manufacturer guidance:

These vaccines are typically valid for 1 year when used as a primary vaccination
They are only valid for up to 3 years when used as a booster to the same vaccine brand within the correct timeframe

If these vaccines have been used following a different brand, or where the history is unclear, the vaccination may need to be treated as a primary course. This would require a further rabies vaccination and a 21-day wait before an AHC can be issued.

Just because an EU vet has recorded a rabies vaccination as valid for 3 years does not mean UK Official Veterinarians can accept this when issuing an AHC.

Our current position

We are seeking clarification from vaccination manufacturers and the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) regarding cross-brand booster compatibility and duration of immunity.

Until formal guidance is confirmed, if your pet has received a Rabisin or Rabigen Mono vaccination more than one year before travel and it has been recorded as a 3-year vaccine, we strongly recommend revaccination in the UK at least 21 days before your AHC appointment, to avoid any delays to your trip.

How to get an AHC using an EU pet passport

If the rabies vaccination in your EU pet passport is valid and has been recorded in line with manufacturer guidance, we can usually accept it as evidence to issue an AHC.

When you book in for an AHC with us we'll send you a pre-appointment form to complete, and as part of that form you will need to upload clear, high-resolution images of the microchip page and the rabies vaccination page in the EU pet passport. If you have an EU pet passport, we do not require the history to be sent over from the EU vet.

Still unsure?

You can contact the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) at exports@apha.gov.uk, who may be able to review your documents and confirm whether the rabies vaccination is valid for travel.