The Pet Passport system to take our pets from Great Britain to countries in the EU expired after Brexit.  There is now a new set of rules to follow to take pets from Great Britain to an EU country.  Forward planning is essential and you'll need to keep track of dates carefully during the pet visa process.

There are 4 actions to take. Before travelling your pet or Assistance Dog must have:

• a microchip
• a valid rabies vaccination
• an Animal Health Certificate (AHC), or a valid pet passport that's accepted in the country you're travelling to
• tapeworm treatment for dogs if you're travelling directly to Finland, Ireland, Norway or Malta

You should also check the rules of the country you're travelling to for any additional restrictions or requirements before you travel.

Pet Passports

You cannot use a Pet Passport issued in the UK.   If you have a Pet Passport issued in one of the countries listed below* you may be able to use it to travel to an EU country.  You should check carefully that the passport is accepted for travel from Great Britain before you travel and find out if you need any other supporting documents.

* an EU country   Andorra   Faroe Islands   Gibraltar   Greenland   Iceland   Liechtenstein   Monaco   Northern Ireland   Norway   San Marino   Switzerland   Vatican City State

If your Pet Passport issued outside GB is not accepted, you'll need an Animal Health Certificate instead.

Travelling from Great Britain to Northern Ireland

Read the rules about taking pets to Northern Ireland on the NIDirect website before you travel.  And the later update from September 2021 is that 'DAERA Minister Edwin Poots MLA has instructed his officials to indefinitely allow all pet dogs, cats and ferrets to travel from Great Britain (GB) to Northern Ireland (NI) without checks while negotiations between the UK government (UKG) and European Union (EU) continue.'

Arriving in an EU country 

You'll need to go through a travellers' point of entry when you arrive in an EU country.   You may need to show your pet's animal health certificate or a valid pet passport, along with proof of their:

• microchip
• rabies vaccination
• tapeworm treatment (if required)   

Repeat trips to an EU country 

• Your pet will need a new animal health certificate for each trip to an EU country or Northern Ireland.
• Your pet will not need a repeat rabies vaccination so long as its rabies vaccinations are up to date.
• Your dog will need tapeworm treatment for each trip if you're travelling directly to Finland, Ireland, Malta or Norway.