Pet Animal health certificate
For Dogs, Cats · Consultation & preventative care
An animal health certificate is the document your pet needs to travel from Great Britain to the EU or Northern Ireland. It has to be issued by an Official Veterinarian within 10 days of travel, and the groundwork – microchip and rabies vaccination – has to be done well before that.
About Animal health certificate in pets
Pet travel paperwork is unforgiving: one missing date and you are turned away at the border. Start planning at least a month before you go, and more if your pet has never been vaccinated against rabies.
What your pet needs, in order
- A microchip. It must be implanted before the rabies vaccination, or the vaccination does not count. See microchipping.
- A rabies vaccination. Your pet must be at least 12 weeks old, and you must then wait 21 days from the date of the vaccination before you travel.
- The certificate itself. Issued by an Official Veterinarian no more than 10 days before you arrive in the EU or Northern Ireland.
- Tapeworm treatment for dogs, if you are travelling to Finland, Ireland, Malta, Northern Ireland or Norway. It must be given 24 to 120 hours before you arrive and recorded on the certificate.
How long the certificate lasts
One certificate covers one trip. It is valid for entry to the EU for 10 days from the date of issue, then for onward travel within the EU for 4 months, and for re-entry to Great Britain for 4 months. Come back and go again, and you need a new one.
Booking the appointment
Book early and bring your pet’s full vaccination history and microchip paperwork. The appointment takes longer than a normal consultation because the certificate has to be completed and checked carefully. One certificate can cover up to five pets travelling together; there is a charge for each additional animal, shown on our price list.
Rules change. Check the current requirements for your destination on GOV.UK before you travel, and ring us if anything is unclear.