What is an Animal Health Certificate (AHC)?
An AHC is the document you require for your pet to travel from the UK to EU countries. AHCs are valid for departure from the UK for a maximum of ten days from the date of issue and remain valid for onward travel within the EU or return to the UK within four months.
Please note that all AHCs are only valid for a single entry into the EU - they cannot be used multiple times. Once you have returned to the UK you will require a new AHC each time you want to re-enter the EU.
Up to five animals belonging to the same owner (who must also be travelling with the pet) can travel on the same AHC. Additional animals may be added to the same AHC provided that all of the other details remain exactly the same and they are all travelling together.
Are Pet Passports still valid?
In the UK, Pet passports were replaced by AHCs after the 1st January 2021. EU Pet Passports issued in the UK are no longer valid for travel so if you have one of these you will now need an animal health certificate instead.
You can still use an EU Pet Passport if it was issued in an EU country and your pet's rabies vaccinations have been given in the EU.
What vaccinations does my pet need for travel to the EU?
An up to date rabies vaccination is required for entry to the EU. Most Rabies vaccinations given in the UK are valid for three years before a booster is required. Your rabies vaccination must remain valid for the duration of your trip including your return travel date back to the UK. If your rabies vaccination is currently in date but will expire before you return to the UK you should visit your usual vet to get a booster vaccination at least 21 days before we can issue an AHC, unless the vaccine is an in-date booster. Pets must be at least 12 weeks old to have their first rabies vaccination.
Other annual vaccinations are not required for travel to the EU but we recommend keeping these up to date anyway.
How can I provide evidence of rabies vaccination?
Ask your vet to email over the clinical history showing proof of rabies vaccination and a statement that the microchip was scanned before giving the vaccination to pettravelcertificatevet@gmail.com
Vaccination cards are not sufficient proof of rabies vaccination. Vaccination cards are often missing various pieces of important information such as your pet's identification details, the veterinary practice details, the owner's details, and most of all, can easily be altered. Therefore I do not accept vaccination cards as proof of rabies vaccination. Please ask your vet to send through your pet's clinical history!
Does my dog need treating for tapeworm?
If you are travelling directly to Ireland, Northern Ireland, Finland, Norway or Malta your dog will need a tapeworm treatment before travel. This must be administered by a vet between 24 and 120 hours before arrival in your destination country and recorded on the AHC.
We are able to administer this for you and record it on your AHC if your appointment falls within the required time frame. As a limited service provider we are not able to supply you with any medication. Tapeworm tablets can be obtained from pet shops without a prescription. Please make sure you obtain the correct number of tablets for your dog's body weight and bring these with you for us to administer at the appointment.
If travelling to any other EU countries your dog will need to visit a vet in the EU for tapeworm treatment before you return to the UK. They will be able to administer the tapeworm treatment and record it on the AHC. You will be asked to show your AHC and evidence of the tapeworm treatment at the border crossing back into the UK. The tapeworm treatment must be given between 24 and 120 hours before arriving back into the UK.
What about short trips?
For short trips (less than five days) you will need to get your dog treated for tapeworm by a vet before leaving the UK then wait 24 hours before leaving, and return within 120 hours of the tapeworm treatment. If your plans change you will need to visit an EU vet to get another tapeworm treatment within the required timeframe for your return.