EU tightens rules for Brits travelling to Europe with pets

From Wednesday April 22nd, new EU rules come into effect making EU Pet Passports invalid if the owner is officially resident in the UK.

This tightens up the application of rules on travel between the UK and the EU which have been in place since the end of the Brexit transition period in 2021.

Since then, EU Pet Passports could no longer be issued to owners who lived in the UK – instead they have had to obtain a UK-issued Animal Health Certificate.

UK nationals who officially live in an EU country have still been able to get an EU Pet Passport for their dogs, cats or ferrets.

This rule has meant those travelling between the UK and EU with the EU Pet Passport could be required to show proof of the owner’s residency in the EU, such as a residency permit or long-stay visa.

However the issue of second-home owners had been something of a grey area, as many people who had a property in the EU already had an EU Pet Passport issued by a vet local to their holiday home in France, Italy, Spain or another EU country.

The French government clarified back in 2022 that EU Pet Passports should not be issued to second-home owners, but those who already had the passport have continued to use it.

However, from Wednesday April 22nd EU pet passports issued to UK or Northern Ireland residents before that date may no longer be valid documents for entry to the EU.

Instead, UK residents who have second homes in Europe will have to get an Animal Health Certificate for travel into the EU (more on that below). The duration of the Animal Health Certificate has now been extended from four months to six, but can still only be used for a single trip.

The EU has also tightened up some other rules on travel with pets, intended to clarify the difference between people travelling with their pets and the commercial transport of animals.

To this end;

• If someone else travels with your pet, extra paperwork is needed. If the owner is not travelling with the pet, the pet must travel within five days of the owner, and the person accompanying the animal must carry written permission from the owner. This permission must travel with the pet’s travel document.
• There is a new five‑pet limit per private vehicle. Non‑commercial travel into the EU is now limited to a maximum of five pets per private vehicle, rather than five per person. The existing limit of five pets for people travelling on foot stays the same. Exceptions apply for pets travelling to competitions, events or training, if specific conditions are met.

Animal Health Certificate

The big difference between the Animal Health Certificate and the passport is that the AHC is only valid for one trip, so you will need a new certificate in advance of each trip into the EU.

Vets in the UK have been issuing AHCs since December 2020. To get one you need;

• Proof of your pet’s microchipping history
• Your pet’s vaccination record
• A certificate for a rabies vaccination that was carried out at least 21 days before the date of travel

The certificate costs an average of £100, although different vets charge different amounts – practices close to the UK Channel ports often offer deals. 

If you are travelling with more than one animal you need a certificate for each one.

Once you have the certificate, it is valid for entry to the EU for just 10 days – so your appointment needs to be close to your date of travel. The certificate can only be used for one entry to the EU.

Once in the EU, the certificate is valid for onward travel to other countries within the EU for six months (previously four months) and for re-entry to the UK for six months. If you intend to stay longer than six months, you will need to get a new certificate in order to re-enter the UK.

The EU rules state that arrivals from a non-EU country should also have a written declaration that their pet’s relocation is for non-commercial reasons, although this can be in the form of a simple letter. 

READ ALSO: Pet Passports: The post-Brexit travel rules for trips between France and the UK✎