Thank you for contacting me about travelling abroad with pets.
The UK is formally listed as a ‘Part 2’ third country for the EU pet travel scheme, which means that certain rules apply to pet movements from Great Britain to the EU. The pet health and documentary requirements for non-commercial pet travel are set out under the EU Pet Travel Regulations.
This means that pet owners must ensure that their dog, cat or ferret is microchipped and has a valid rabies vaccination. As a Part 2 third country, pet owners can no longer use Pet Passports issued in Great Britain (GB) for travel to the EU. Instead, pet owners will also need to obtain an Animal Health Certificate (AHC) from an official veterinarian no more than 10 days before travelling. The AHC is valid for four months for onward travel into the EU, and re-entry into Great Britain.
Pets travelling to the EU must provide a declaration of non-commercial movement and enter the EU via a Travellers’ Point of Entry (TPE), where there may be documentary and identification checks. For travel to some countries including Norway, Malta, Finland, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, dogs will also need to be treated against the tapeworm Echinococcus multilocularis 24 to 120 hours before arrival.
I am aware that the Government is continuing to seek agreement from the European Commission on awarding GB ‘Part 1’ listed status and recognition of the UK’s tapeworm-free status, and Ministers see no valid animal health reason for these not to be granted.
You can find more information about what is required here: https://www.gov.uk/taking-your-pet-abroad/travelling-to-an-eu-country-o…. If you have any further questions, I would encourage you to contact the dedicated pet travel helpline on pettravel@apha.gov.uk.
Thank you again for taking the time to contact me.