Can you take your dog on holiday abroad?
Did you know that 62% of families in the UK currently own a pet and over half of them take their pets on holiday? But what do you need to do to make this a smooth stress-free process?
Picture the scene: you’re travelling to France with your family and loyal tail wagging companions, you breeze through passport control and before you know it you’re enjoying the sun, splashing in the sea and walking along the sands, or perhaps you’re experiencing the stunning mountains and lakes while immersing yourself in local food, culture and language.
The legal and logistical matters to get your furry friends to France with you can be overwhelming. Don’t worry we are here to help you say ‘au revoir’ to those stresses with a clear and simple guide to get you on your way to as much bread, wine, cheese and French culture as you like.
Your dogs are part of your family, and you don’t want them to miss out on their holiday with you. But, post-Brexit, the pet passport issued in Great Britain you would have used previously to take your canine friend is no longer valid.
So what has replaced the pet passport?
The answer: an animal health certificate.
What do you need to do to make sure your dog can join you on your holiday abroad?
You must take your dog to the vet to issue an animal health certificate no more than 10 days before you travel and it must be signed by an ‘official veterinarian’ (OV). It’s worth checking whether your usual vet offers this service in advance as you may need to find an alternative.
When you visit the vet, you’ll need to take with you with your dog’s microchipping date and vaccination history.
The animal health certificate will be valid after the date of issue for:
- 10 days for entry into the EU or Northern Ireland
- 4 months for onward travel within the EU
- 4 months for re-entry to Great Britain
Your dog will need a new animal health certificate for each trip to an EU country or Northern Ireland from Great Britain.
Your dog’s vaccination history must include an inactive or recombinant rabies vaccine which can’t be given until they are 12 weeks old and must be given at least 21 days before travel.
A-Z Animal Care offers an Animal Health Certificate service and is conveniently located 22 miles from the Folkestone Eurotunnel terminal. At this time, we are only issuing documentation for travel to Europe where your point of entry is France. If you are planning to take your pet to Europe via France then we would be more than happy to talk you through the process. Give us a call on 01233 822411 or email emma@a-zanimalcare.co.uk.
The rules and guidance around this documentation is very strict and there is a strict process that we need to follow along with timings.
At this time we are only issuing documentation for travel to Europe where your point of entry is France. If you are planning to take your pet to Europe via France then please get in touch so we can guide you through the process.
There are more details here: www.gov.uk/taking-your-pet-abroad
