Pet Passports
Going abroad and want to take your pet with you? Not sure what this might entail, or how difficult it might be? Here at Animal Friends we understand it’s not as easy as putting your pets into a carry box and putting them on the plane, so we’ve found the important information you’ll need to help you and your pet’s holiday together.
PETS and Passports
PETS (or the Pet Travel Scheme) is a system which allows you to take your pet out of the UK, and return with them without the need for 6 month quarantine. The rules are in place to stop diseases such as rabies being ferried back into the country, and should be taken very seriously. The PETS rules apply only to cats, dogs and ferrets being taken out of the UK to certain other countries and territories and before travelling you must ensure you have the correct paperwork, and understand the allowed routes of travel.
To enter EU countries from the UK you will require your pet to be micro-chipped and vaccinated against rabies, and a pet passport. With these you can enter most EU countries, however Malta, Cyprus have extra entry requirements, as does entering the republic of Ireland through any means other than the UK, and this extra requirement is a blood test which can be done before you leave the UK or while you are in another qualifying country.
To get an EU pet passport, you will need to get in touch with a government authorised vet, known as a local veterinary inspector, and take your pet along with its vaccination record and, if applicable, its blood test. This vet will fill out the relevant sections of your passport, enabling you to now travel with your pet.
Where does the passport let me go?
The pet passport and the PETS scheme cover a large number of countries, both EU and non-EU. DEFRA (the department for environment foods and rural affairs) have more information on this, however we have included the tables of allowed countries for your ease of reference. Pets must not have been outside any of the EU or non-EU listed countries in the 6 calendar months before travelling to the UK.
| Austria | Estonia | Hungary | Netherlands |
| Azores | Faroe Islands | Ireland | Poland |
| Balearic Islands | Finland | Italy | Portugal |
| Belgium | France | Latvia | Reunion |
| Bulgaria | French Guiana | Lithuania | Romania |
| Canary Islands | Germany | Luxembourg | Slovakia |
| Ceuta | Gibraltar | Madeira | Slovenia |
| Cyprus | Greece | Malta | Spain |
| Czech Republic | Greenland | Martinique | Sweden |
| Denmark | Guadeloupe | Melilla |
(Listed EU countries where PETS applies)
| Andorra | Fiji | New Caledonia |
| Antigua & Barbuda | French Polynesia | New Zealand |
| Argentina | Guam | Norway |
| Aruba | Hawaii | Russian Federation |
| Ascension Island | Hong Kong | St Helena |
| Australia | Iceland | St Kitts & Nevis |
| Bahrain | Jamaica | St Pierre & Miquelon |
| Barbados | Japan | St Vincent & The Grenadines |
| Belarus | Malaysia (3) | San Marino |
| Bermuda | Mauritius | Switzerland |
| Bosnia-Herzegovina | Mayotte | Taiwan |
| British Virgin Islands | Mexico | Trinidad and Tobago |
| Canada | Monaco | United Arab Emirates |
| Cayman Islands | Montserrat | USA (mainland) |
| Chile | Netherlands Antilles | Vanuatu |
| Croatia | Singapore | Vatican |
| Falkland Islands | St Lucia | Wallis & Futuna |
Remember...
The pet passport does NOT mean you can immediately take your pets abroad. Make sure you’ve completed all your documentation and have it with you. Be sure to check the countries individual laws on pets and entering/exiting the country, and double check your insurance clearly covers accidents and illness abroad as well as in the home country. Finally, remember that the safest your pet can be is when it is in your sight, and under control; don’t let your holiday away be ruined by an unfortunate accident.
Avoid the hassle of more paperwork! At Animal Friends we can insure your pets without the need for filling out endless forms. Phone us on 0844 55 70 300 and ask how we can help you today.
