Pet Passport and Documents...

Within most EC countries, including UK, France, Spain, and Portugal, individual ‘Pets Euro Passports’ allow ‘relatively’ free and easy movement of dogs and cats across borders.

Small mammals, such as rabbits, guinea pigs and hamsters can be transported without passports but restrictions may apply to movement of cage-birds and other animals. In many cases, this may require only an export/import licence obtainable from your local DEFRA Office. EU PET PASSPORT. The Pet Passport, for dogs and cats, can be obtained from most local (ministry approved) vets in UK, France, Spain, Portugal, and most other EU countries within the pet travel scheme. The passport details and treatment required differ depending on direction of travel.

Export of Dogs and Cats from UK

In order to take your pet out of UK, it will require as minimum:

Microchip
Rabies vaccination
General identification and recent rabies vaccination details entered in the Passport.
A minimum of 3 weeks must elapse after the rabies vaccination before the passport can be issued.

Specimen documents required for travel FROM UK:

Import of Dogs and Cats to UK

The above is the minimum requirement in order to take your pet out of UK to most EU countries, and allows unhindered movement between most EU countries. However, in order to be able to return to UK again, or if your pet was born outside UK, your pet must also have a positive rabies blood test result, and the details included in the Passport.

In order to return to UK your pet will require additional entries within its Passport.

Items 1, 2 and 3 above.
Vaccination record to show that rabies booster vaccinations have been carried out on a regular annual (or bi-annual, depending on local regulations) basis.
A blood sample must be taken by the vet and sent to an approved laboratory for analysis. If it is the first rabies vaccination a period of approximately 21 days should elapse before the blood sample is taken, but a sample can be taken at any time if within the ‘annual booster’ period.
Provided the ‘blood test result’ is positive, i.e. shows sufficient rabies anti-bodies levels, your pet can return to UK and Eire six months after the date the blood sample was taken. (HINT. Keep photo-copy of the record of the date of blood sampling. From our experience, some vets do not record this date, and the next available date record is that of receipt by the laboratory – this can potentially put your pet’s return date back by many days, or even weeks).
Before allowing entry into UK, DEFRA require that your pet has veterinary treatment for possible tick and/or tapeworm infestation. This treatment is carried out by your local vet, not more than 48 hours nor less than 24 hours before leaving the embarkation ferry port and it is ESSENTIAL that these details are correct within the Passport:
- Tick treatment. Time, Date, signature and official stamp by Vet.
- Tapeworm treatment. Time, Date, signature and official stamp by Vet.

For pets returning to UK from Portugal and Spain, we will make the necessary veterinary visit, and the cost for this is included within our rates.

For Pets returning from elsewhere in Europe, the rates do not include the tick/tapeworm treatment, but we will advise you of time and date to be entered in the Passport.

Specimen documents required for travel TO UK:

Import of Dogs and Cats to UK via Quarantine

Pets can also be returned to UK immediately, or at any time within the six month period following the date of blood sampling, but will have to be placed in quarantine, for the balance of the six month period. Should you wish take this option, then locate a quarantine kennels or cattery in UK and send us their contact details. We can then liaise with them to obtain the necessary import license(s) and arrange with them for collection of your pet at the entry port.

The quarantine option is also available if your pet should fail its blood test.

Cage Birds

Movement of cage-birds will need an export/import license obtainable from your local DEFRA office.