Taking your pet abroad can be a fantastic experience for you both, but it can take some organising. If you’re looking for pet travel advice for taking your dog, cat, ferret or assistance dog abroad, you’ve come to the right place at STAR Vets in Appleby Magna.
Contact us to book a pet travel consultation
At STAR Vets, three of our vets hold Official Veterinarian status, authorised by the APHA to issue Animal Health Certificates and other documentation required for pet travel around the world.
One of them is our owner, Clinical Director and Veterinary Surgeon, Emma Poore, who has a wealth of experience dealing with animal travel requirements. She worked in a zoo for four years and spent a considerable amount of time dealing with imported and exported animals.
You can rest assured that Emma, and our other officiated vets will be thorough, as well as efficient, whilst helping you obtain the necessary documentation for your pet’s travels.
You should begin the process of obtaining the necessary pet travel paperwork at least 6 weeks before you are due to leave. This is because your pet may require a rabies vaccination and a blood test (after 21 days) to prove rabies protection, before they are deemed ‘fit’ to travel. They will also need some official paperwork, which can only be obtained by vets who hold the relevant qualifications.
Post-BREXIT, you can no longer use a pet passport issued in Great Britain (England, Wales & Scotland) for travel to an EU country or Northern Ireland. You can, however, still use a pet passport issued in an EU country
When travelling to an EU country, your pet needs:
You may need to produce your pet’s documents on arrival. Before re-entering Great Britain from the EU with a dog, they’ll need a tapeworm treatment. This must be given by a vet no less than 24 hours and no more than 120 hours (5 days) before re-entry.
You can find rules for repeat trips, travelling with more than five pets, and commercial animal exports on the Government’s travel advice site
New rules now apply for taking a dog, cat, ferret, or assistance dog from Great Britain to Northern Ireland. GB residents must now travel under the Northern Ireland Pet Travel Scheme (NIPTS).
To travel under the scheme, you’ll need to:
Your pet’s microchip will be checked at the port or airport to ensure it matches the PTD. If you’re travelling onwards to Ireland or another EU country, a rabies vaccination, Animal Health Certificate, and tapeworm treatment if required by the destination country, will still be required – see our EU travel information above.
More info:
www.daera-ni.gov.uk/…/great-britain-northern-ireland-pet-travel-guidance
www.gov.uk/…/travelling-to-northern-ireland
You should always check the rules for the country/countries you’re travelling to and from well before your travel dates, as they may have additional restrictions or requirements. Our pet travel vets can help you with this.
