Taking A Pet To The UK

UK Pet Passport Scheme:

Pet owners are returning to the UK that have not previously made preparations to take their dogs and cats with them.  Usually this is because they have had to make last minute arrangements to move back to the UK and haven’t obtained the necessary documents or the necessary tests and inoculations.  All dog owners please remember… have this done as soon as possible so that you are prepared in the event of having to return to the UK.  Spain has a huge problem with unwanted animals, please don’t add to it because you are unprepared.  The whole process takes at least six months to complete as follows:

·         The animal must be micro chipped and had the rabies inoculation. Always double check that the number on the passport matches the number of the chip in the dog.  

·         30 days later a blood sample must be taken by a vet and sent to a laboratory for analysis. The date of the blood taken is important as this starts the UK six month waiting period.

·         If analysis proves antibodies are working correctly, a certificate is issued and the vet has to enter this fact into pet passport. Keep the certificate and check that the microchip number on the certificate and in the passport match exactly the actual number of the chip inside your dog. THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT AS MISTAKES HAVE HAPPENED AND HAS CAUSED SEVERE STRESS AND HEARTBREAK AT THE FRENCH BORDER…. TRIPLE CHECK ALL THE NUMBERS.  

So, six months after the blood sample was taken, which results in a rabies antibodies certificate being issued, animals can enter the UK under the Pet Passport Scheme.

·         Now that everything is in order to take an animal into UK you must follow these additional rules:

·         Before entering the UK the animal must be treated for ticks etc, by a vet and the time/date of this treatment must be entered into pet passport.

·         You then have 24 hours before the animal is booked in with an authorised carrier or arrives at the French border to go into UK.