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For British travellers, taking a pet abroad to an EU country is now fraught with formalities, from rabies vaccinations to tapeworm treatments.
These complicated procedures are a result of Brexit, which introduced several bureaucratic hurdles that previously did not exist.
However, the recent negotiations for a ‘Brexit reset’ deal between the UK and the EU look set to simplify pet travel rules again.
Here are the current regulations for bringing a pet into the EU and what is expected to change.
How Brexit complicated travelling with a pet between the UK and EU
Before Brexit, UK residents enjoyed straightforward travel with their pets involving minimal paperwork.
Dogs, cats, and other furry companions were stamped in and out using a simple pet passport system.
Pet travel between Great Britain and Northern Ireland was completely unrestricted in both directions.
But Brexit brought in a host of new bureaucratic requirements for Brits travelling with their animals.
The current requirements state that pets must be microchipped. Animals over 12 weeks old must receive a rabies vaccination, and more than three weeks must pass between the jab and travel.
Each journey requires a new EU animal health certificate (AHC) confirming both microchipping and vaccination.
Dogs need tapeworm treatment one to five days before entering the EU or Northern Ireland, with a health certificate issued within 10 days of entry. Vets charge approximately £200 (€236) per certificate.
When entering the EU, travellers must use dedicated entry points where officials will validate and stamp the pet’s documentation.
When returning to the UK, the same certifications used for departure remain valid.
Pet owners report that the paperwork is challenging and prone to errors that can prevent travel altogether.
While the certificates remain valid for up to four months for re-entry to Britain, this exceeds the 90-day limit that applies to British citizens in the EU, so it is irrelevant for most travellers.
Taking your pet to Northern Ireland, Ireland, Finland, Malta or Norway?
While there are still no restrictions on taking a pet from Northern Ireland to Great Britain, the above rules apply in the opposite direction because of the ‘border in the Irish Sea’ that Boris Johnson’s government negotiated.
For direct travel to Ireland, Finland, Malta, or Norway, dogs require veterinarian-administered tapeworm treatment between 24 hours and 5 days before arrival, documented in either the health certificate or a valid pet passport.
How the Brexit reset deal could simplify travelling with your pet
The UK government is seeking to negotiate with the EU to restore something closer to pre-Brexit ease of pet travel.
This would likely involve UK pet passports regaining a similar status to EU documents.
While there’s a small health risk in facilitating more animal movement between countries, officials believe this is outweighed by both social benefits (allowing more people to travel with their pets) and economic advantages for the tourism industry.
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