Delayed Dogs and Caught Up Cats

More potential no-deal complications have come to light, and this time it’s our furry friends that look set to suffer the brunt.

Pet passports, micro-chips and tattoos have made travelling though Europe with animals relatively simple. However, once Britian leaves the EU, British citizens, and their pets, will no longer qualify as part of this scheme.

In fact, following a no-deal Brexit, the UK will be considered as an ‘unlisted’ country, and that will bring about a whole new set of criteria that pets and their owners must adhere to.

The latest statement from the British government states:

“To make sure your pet is able to travel from the UK to the EU after Brexit, you should contact your vet at least four months before travelling to get the latest advice.”

Although Britain has said that UK border agency staff will continue to accept pet passports for animals coming from Europe in to the UK, it has been suggested that they will not be accepted going the other way.

Travelling to France

A current EU pet passport issued in the UK will not be valid for travel to the EU if the UK becomes an unlisted country and so you will need to do the following, at least 3 months before your date of travel:

1. A UK vet must take a blood sample at least 30 days after your pet’s last rabies vaccination and send the sample to an EU-approved blood testing laboratory
2. The results of the blood test must show a rabies antibody level of at least 0.5 IU/ml
3. The vet must give you a copy of the test results and enter the day the blood sample was taken on an animal health certificate

Then, no more than 10 days before your date of travel, you must visit an official vet to get a health certificate, which will be valid for a UK departure within the following 10 days. It will also be valid for onward travel through Europe and a return to the UK for 4 months.

In order to get the certificate, you will need:

1. Your pet’s vaccination history
2. Your pet’s micro-chipping date
3. A successful rabies antibody blood test result

Returning to the UK

For the moment, the UK has confirmed that the Pet Passport will continue to be accepted when travelling with your pets. There will be no change to the current regulations in terms of preparing your pet for re-entry into the UK.

Obviously, as with all things Brexit, these details are just precautionary guidelines until such a time that the UK’s divorce settlement is agreed. Although, if you’re  planning to travel between France and the UK at Christmas, it may well be worth making a rendez-vous with your vet sooner rather than later.

For more details, visit the government website here.