From 1st January blue pet passports are obsolete. In order to travel with your pet to the European Union you will need to work through the following steps (allowing at least 1 month to prepare if you have never travelled before):
- Get your pet microchipped and / or have documentary evidence of the date chipped
- Get your pet a Rabies vaccination and / or have documentary evidence of vaccination history
- Wait at least 21 days from the date of vaccination
- Obtain an Animal Health Certificate (AHC) within 10 days of each trip to the EU
What are AHCs?
- The AHC replaces the pet passport
- It is only valid for up to 5 animals
- It must be issued by an Official (government authorised) Veterinarian following an examination of your pet. At Coomara both Charlotte and Jenny have the necessary qualifications.
- The certificate issued is printed in two languages - English, and the language of the EU state you will be entering the EU through e.g. French, Spanish etc
- You must bring microchip and vaccination records to this appointment - we need to attach certified copies of these documents to your AHC
- It must be issued within 10 days of the journey
- It will then be valid for 4 months onward travel through the EU and for re-entry into GB
- They are huge documents, 10 pages long, and will take considerable time to certify.
Are there any other rules to be aware of?
- Rabies vaccination may only be given to animals over 12 weeks old
- Tapeworm treatment must be given 1-5 days before travelling to Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland, Malta, Finland and Norway
- You still need tapeworm treatment 1-5 days before arriving back into the UK (if not travelling from one of the above countries)
- On arrival into the EU you must enter through a Travellers Point of Entry with all your documents ready
- If your AHC expires while you are away (over 4 months) you will need to obtain another one in the country you are in so that you can travel back to the UK
Need more information?
Call us at the Practice: 01228 524740
Call APHA: 03702411710
Email APHA: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.