Taking your pets abroad withing the E.U.
This is the text of an email response I had from DEFRA. Explains the process in simple terms, although there is a lot of it!
Please be advised that you may use any of the routes and transport companies on the following link to bring your dogs into the UK under the Scheme, subject to the transport company’s agreement. You will see that there are routes/carriers that enter the UK by air, sea and rail and it is quite acceptable to travel with your dogs by car (obviously returning to the UK by ferry or the Euro Tunnel Shuttle Service)
http://www.defra.gov.uk/wildlife-pets/pets/travel/pets/routes/
When leaving the UK you can travel by any routes and with any transport company subject to the transport company’s agreement. For an animal to enter (or return to) the UK by use of the Pet Travel Scheme (PETS) and thus avoid quarantine, the following procedures must be carried out in the stated order:
1). Animal is micro-chipped, then
2). It is vaccinated against rabies, and then
3). A blood sample is taken and sent to a European Union (EU) approved laboratory for testing. If the required level of antibodies is reached, the animal may enter the UK 6 calendar months after the date that the sample was drawn, assuming that all other rules of the scheme are met.
*Your veterinarian should check the datasheet of the rabies vaccine used in order to ascertain when the blood test should be taken.
Please note that steps 2 and 3 above must be carried out in a PETS listed country and that your pets must remain within PETS listed countries. Entry into an unlisted country would mean your pets could no longer be deemed UK PETS compliant and all PETS preparations (with the exception of the microchip) would have to be started again, whilst in a listed country.
Further to this, pets must be treated against ticks and tapeworm not less than 24 hours and not more than 48 hours before checking in with a PETS authorised carrier (on a PETS approved route), for the journey that brings the pet into the UK. From 27 May 2010, a new EU law was introduced which limits the number of pets (dogs, cats and ferrets) that can be moved between EU countries under the pet passport system. From that date, only five pets per owner can be moved at any one time. This rule also applies to pets entering the EU from Andorra, Croatia, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Norway, San Marino, Switzerland and The Vatican. For pets entering the EU from other countries, the limit of five pets has been in place since 2004. For further information on how to prepare your pet for export to the UK under the Pet Travel Scheme (PETS), including documentary requirements and approved routes and carriers, please see the link below:
http://www.defra.gov.uk/wildlife-pets/pets/travel/pets/pet-owners/
Please be aware that your dogs must not enter any non-qualifying country. Entry of a PETS prepared animal into a non-listed country will result in immediate loss of UK PETS status.
http://www.defra.gov.uk/wildlife-pets/pets/travel/pets/countries/
Please also note, the UK, along with four other Member States (Republic of Ireland, Sweden, Finland and Malta), benefits from a derogation from EU Regulation 998/2003. This allows it to retain stricter controls than other ‘harmonised’ countries – for example requiring pets to wait 6-months before entering or re-entering the UK following vaccination and blood testing, and treating dogs and cats against tapeworms and ticks that could transmit diseases to people. The European Parliament and Council have agreed the UK’s derogation should be extended by 18 months to 31st December 2011 and all current legislation will apply until then. Details of the new regulations are currently under discussion and no decisions have yet been made on any changes to rabies quarantine. However, we appreciate that any amendments will of course have an impact on pet owners whom wish to travel with their pets and will update our website immediately upon confirmation of any applicable changes. We would suggest that the following link is checked periodically -http://www.defra.gov.uk/wildlife-pets/pets/travel/pets/ I hope this has answered your question, should you require further information you may wish to -
. Check our website http://www.defra.gov.uk/wildlife-pets/pets/travel/pets/index.htm . Contact our PETS helpline on 0870 2411710
. Or email us on [email protected]
http://www.defra.gov.uk/wildlife-pets/pets/travel/pets/routes/
When leaving the UK you can travel by any routes and with any transport company subject to the transport company’s agreement. For an animal to enter (or return to) the UK by use of the Pet Travel Scheme (PETS) and thus avoid quarantine, the following procedures must be carried out in the stated order:
1). Animal is micro-chipped, then
2). It is vaccinated against rabies, and then
3). A blood sample is taken and sent to a European Union (EU) approved laboratory for testing. If the required level of antibodies is reached, the animal may enter the UK 6 calendar months after the date that the sample was drawn, assuming that all other rules of the scheme are met.
*Your veterinarian should check the datasheet of the rabies vaccine used in order to ascertain when the blood test should be taken.
Please note that steps 2 and 3 above must be carried out in a PETS listed country and that your pets must remain within PETS listed countries. Entry into an unlisted country would mean your pets could no longer be deemed UK PETS compliant and all PETS preparations (with the exception of the microchip) would have to be started again, whilst in a listed country.
Further to this, pets must be treated against ticks and tapeworm not less than 24 hours and not more than 48 hours before checking in with a PETS authorised carrier (on a PETS approved route), for the journey that brings the pet into the UK. From 27 May 2010, a new EU law was introduced which limits the number of pets (dogs, cats and ferrets) that can be moved between EU countries under the pet passport system. From that date, only five pets per owner can be moved at any one time. This rule also applies to pets entering the EU from Andorra, Croatia, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Norway, San Marino, Switzerland and The Vatican. For pets entering the EU from other countries, the limit of five pets has been in place since 2004. For further information on how to prepare your pet for export to the UK under the Pet Travel Scheme (PETS), including documentary requirements and approved routes and carriers, please see the link below:
http://www.defra.gov.uk/wildlife-pets/pets/travel/pets/pet-owners/
Please be aware that your dogs must not enter any non-qualifying country. Entry of a PETS prepared animal into a non-listed country will result in immediate loss of UK PETS status.
http://www.defra.gov.uk/wildlife-pets/pets/travel/pets/countries/
Please also note, the UK, along with four other Member States (Republic of Ireland, Sweden, Finland and Malta), benefits from a derogation from EU Regulation 998/2003. This allows it to retain stricter controls than other ‘harmonised’ countries – for example requiring pets to wait 6-months before entering or re-entering the UK following vaccination and blood testing, and treating dogs and cats against tapeworms and ticks that could transmit diseases to people. The European Parliament and Council have agreed the UK’s derogation should be extended by 18 months to 31st December 2011 and all current legislation will apply until then. Details of the new regulations are currently under discussion and no decisions have yet been made on any changes to rabies quarantine. However, we appreciate that any amendments will of course have an impact on pet owners whom wish to travel with their pets and will update our website immediately upon confirmation of any applicable changes. We would suggest that the following link is checked periodically -http://www.defra.gov.uk/wildlife-pets/pets/travel/pets/ I hope this has answered your question, should you require further information you may wish to -
. Check our website http://www.defra.gov.uk/wildlife-pets/pets/travel/pets/index.htm . Contact our PETS helpline on 0870 2411710
. Or email us on [email protected]