Travelling to the EU with a Pet after Brexit

If you love taking your dog, cat, or ferret on holiday with you, you’ll be pleased to know that you’ll still be able to travel to the EU and Northern Ireland with a pet after Brexit. However, there are some extra steps that you’ll need to take in order to ensure that your furry friend can move between Great Britain, NI, and the EU with you.

 

If you currently have an EU pet passport that was issued in the UK, this will no longer be valid from 1st January 2021. You will need to get an animal health certificate (AHC) from your vet instead. If you're travelling from Great Britain to Northern Ireland you will not be subject to routine compliance checks. However, please keep in mind that officials reserve the right to carry out any checks should there be a suspicion of illegal activity or welfare concerns at any time.

 

Taking your pet to the EU after Brexit

 

You will need to follow these steps in order to take your pet to the EU or NI with you after Brexit (as per the UK government website):

 

  • You must have your dog, cat or ferret microchipped

  • Vaccinate your dog, cat or ferret against rabies – your pet must be at least 12 weeks old before it can be vaccinated

  • Wait 21 days after the primary vaccination before travel

  • Visit your vet to get an AHC for your pet, no more than 10 days before travel to the EU

 

Animal health certificates

 

Before travelling to the EU or NI, you must ensure that you have an animal health certificate which includes your pet’s microchipping date and vaccination history.

 

You will need a new animal health certificate every time to travel to the EU or NI, but your pet won’t need to have repeat vaccinations as long as they’re kept up to date with their rabies vaccination history.

 

If you’re travelling with your dog directly to Finland, Republic of Ireland, NI, Norway or Malta, it must receive tapeworm treatment 1 to 5 days before arriving in any of these countries. Your vet must enter full details of this treatment on your dog's AHC.

 

Arriving in the EU with your pet after Brexit

 

Once you arrive in the EU or NI, you’ll be directed to a Traveller’s point of entry (TPE). Here, you may need to produce your animal health certificate along with proof of your pet’s microchip, rabies vaccination, and tapeworm treatment (where applicable).

 

You can also download the latest government advice leaflet here.

 

Now that you know what to expect when travelling to NI and the EU with a pet after Brexit, book your ferry crossing to mainland Europe and start planning your trip today.

 
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