How to Bring a Pet to Britain

It used to be that bringing a pet into, or back into, the UK would involve a lengthy stay in quarantine for our furry friends in order to keep the country free from rabies and other animal borne diseases. Now, thanks to a new system called the Pet Travel Scheme (PETS), cats, dogs and ferrets are free to travel to and from certain countries if they are holders of a pet passport.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

1. Have an ISO approved microchip fitted just below your pet’s skin by your vet and ask them to test that it’s working after it has been fitted. This procedure can be carried out in any country, but must be done at least six months before travelling.
2. Get your vet to vaccinate your pet against rabies and ask for a vaccination record card with all the details of the inoculation and the pet’s microchip number. Your pet must be at least three months old to have the vaccination and cannot have the vaccination before the microchip has been fitted. This must be performed in a PETS qualifying country.
3. Let the vet perform a blood test on your pet at least six months before travelling. This must happen after the microchip and vaccination.
4. Visit the vet for mandatory rabies vaccination boosters after your pet has successfully completed the blood test. You will be given a date by which this must be done, otherwise your pet will have to have another vaccination, then another blood test and wait another six months before being able to leave the country. You will be given a renewal certificate after each booster with a new date on it.
5. Treat your cat or dog against ticks and tapeworms before it enters Britain. This treatment must be carried out by a registered vet between 24 to 48 hours before travel.
6. Obtain a Pet Passport if you are within an EU country or else an official government certificate that your vet must sign, stamp and date displaying your pet’s microchip number and all the required treatments it has undergone.
7. Purchase an IATA approved pet carrier to transport your pet on flights. It must be big enough to allow the pet to turn around and lie down in a normal position. Your pet will travel as excess baggage in the hold of the plane, unless you are not able to fly with them when they’ll be stored as cargo. It’s best to book your pet onto the plane with plenty of notice as some airlines have a limit as to the number of animals they’ll transport on one plane.
8. Bring your pet into Britain via the Eurotunnel or on a ferry for an extra fee of around £20. Be aware though that most ferry operators will require your pet to stay in its carry case in your car for the whole journey and you probably will not be able to see it until you alight in the UK.
9. Travel into the UK with your pet only on one of the PETS approved routes and using a PETS approved transport company. You are not permitted to bring animals into the UK via a private boat or plane.
10. Remember that rodents and rabbits are allowed to move without regulation between EU countries as long as you are not travelling with more than the maximum of five. Rules for the movement of other pet animals in and out of the UK have not yet been set, so in the meantime, birds, tropical fish and reptiles must all comply with UK import rules if you want to bring them into the country.

Tips & Warnings

• All household pets can travel freely between the UK and the Republic of Ireland
• Pets travelling to the UK from countries not listed in PETS must still be licensed into a six month quarantine upon their arrival. No exceptions to this rule are allowed and any animal found to have been illegally imported into the country is likely to be destroyed
• Some breeds of dog are banned from being kept in the UK under the Dangerous Dogs Act.