What pet owners need to do
How to bring your pet dog or cat into or back into the UK under the Pet Travel Scheme (PETS).
Pet travel rules before 31 December 2011
How to bring your pet dog, cat or ferret into or back into the UK under the Pet Travel Scheme (PETS)
Pet dogs and cats (including guide and hearing dogs) in the UK or one of the other qualifying (listed) countries and territories can re-enter or enter the UK without quarantine provided they meet the rules of the scheme. The PETS rules do not apply for pets entering the UK from a non-listed country.
UK PETS preparations must be done in listed countries and territories. Animals from unlisted countries must spend six months in quarantine on arrival in the UK. Animals prepared for PETS in a listed country or territory including the UK), and then go to a non-listed country would also have to spend six months in quarantine on arrival in the UK.
Animals which do not meet all the rules when they arrive in the UK must be licensed into quarantine. They may be able to be released early (before the full six month quarantine period has finished) if they can be shown to comply with the necessary PETS rules whilst in quarantine.
Preparing your dog and cat
To bring your dog or cat into the UK under PETS from one of the listed countries and territories you must have it first microchipped, then vaccinated against rabies and then blood tested. Make sure you have read and understood all of this guidance before you bring your pet into or back into the UK:
- Step 1 – Have your pet microchipped – Before any of the other procedures for PETS are carried out, your pet must be fitted with a microchip so it can be properly identified.
- Step 2 – Have your pet vaccinated – After the microchip has been fitted your pet must be vaccinated against rabies. There is no exemption to this requirement, even if your pet has a current rabies vaccination. Rabies boosters must be kept up to date
- Step 3 – Arrange a blood test – After your pet has been vaccinated, it must be blood tested to make sure the vaccine has given it a satisfactory level of protection against rabies. (NB: ferrets do not need a blood test when they come from the EU or listed third country or territory).
- Step 4 – Get PETS documentation – For animals being prepared in an EU country, you should get an EU pet passport. If you are preparing your animal in a non-EU listed country or territory you will need to obtain an official third country veterinary certificate although note that Croatia, Gibraltar, Norway, San Marino and Switzerland are also issuing passports.
- Step 5 – Before your pet enters the UK, it must be treated against ticks and a tapeworm – Treatment must be administered by a vet not less than 24 hours and not more than 48 hours before it is checked in with an approved transport company for its journey into the UK.
- Arrange for your animal to travel with an approved transport company on an authorised route – Your pet must enter the UK from a listed country or territory travelling with an approved transport company on an authorised route.
Where PETS procedures can be carried out
Your pet can be fitted with a microchip in any country or territory. The rabies vaccination (including boosters), blood sampling, issuing the PETS documentation and the tick and tapeworm treatment must all be carried out in the UK or any of the other qualifying countries and territories.
The six month rule for entry or re-entry to the UK
Your dog or cat may not enter the UK under PETS until six calendar months have passed from the date that your vet took the blood sample which led to a satisfactory test result. Once the vet has issued the PETS documentation and that six month period has passed, the PETS documentation is valid for your pet to enter the UK. For ferrets, the waiting period is 21 days from the date it was vaccinated (because they don’t need to be blood tested)
Pet travel rules from 1 January 2012
From the 1 January 2012 all pet dogs, cats and ferrets (including guide and hearing dogs) can enter or re-enter the UK without quarantine provided they meet the rules of the scheme, which will be different depending on the country or territory the pet is coming from.
Animals which do not meet all the rules must be licensed into quarantine. They might then be able to obtain early release if they can be shown to comply with the necessary pet travel requirements.
What you need to do if you are entering the UK from the EU and listed non-EU countries
Preparing your dog, cat or ferret
- Step 1 – Have your pet microchipped – Before any of the other procedures for pet travel are carried out, your pet must be fitted with a microchip so it can be properly identified.
- Step 2 – Have your pet vaccinated– After the microchip has been fitted your pet must be vaccinated against rabies. There is no exemption to this requirement, even if your pet has a current rabies vaccination. Rabies boosters must be kept up to date. The length of the waiting period before entry to the UK is 21 days after the first vaccination date. A waiting period is not required for subsequent entries into the UK, provided rabies boosters are kept up to date. If the vaccination is in two parts the 21 day wait will be from the date of the second vaccination.
- Step 3 – Get pet travel documentation – For animals being prepared in an EU country, you should get an EU pet passport. If you are preparing your animal in a non-EU listed country or territory you will need to obtain an official third country veterinary certificate although note that Croatia, Gibraltar, Norway, San Marino and Switzerland are also issuing passports.
- Step 4 – Tapeworm treatment – We expect the European Commission to shortly come forward with proposals to allow UK to still require pets to be treated against tapeworms. There will be no mandatory requirement for tick treatment.
- Step 5 – Arrange for your animal to travel with an approved transport company on an authorised route – Your pet must enter the UK from a listed country or territory travelling with an approved transport company on an authorised route.
What you need to do if you are entering the UK from unlisted non-EU countries
Preparing your dog, cat or ferret
- Step 1 – Have your pet microchipped – Before any of the other procedures for pet travel are carried out, your pet must be fitted with a microchip so it can be properly identified.
- Step 2 – Have your pet vaccinated – After the microchip has been fitted your pet must be vaccinated against rabies. There is no exemption to this requirement, even if your pet has a current rabies vaccination. Rabies boosters must be kept up to date.
- Step 3 – Arrange a blood test – After your pet has been vaccinated, it must be blood tested to make sure the vaccine has given it a satisfactory level of protection against rabies. The blood sample must be taken at least 30 days after vaccination. The length of the waiting period before entry to the UK is three calendar months from the date your vet took the blood sample which led to a satisfactory test result. The three month waiting period will not apply if your pet was vaccinated and blood tested in the EU and issued with an EU pet passport before it went to an unlisted country
- Step 4 – Get pet travel documentation –You will need to obtain an official third country veterinary.
- Step 5 – Tapeworm treatment – We expect the European Commission to shortly come forward with proposals to allows the UK to still require pets to be treated against tapeworms. There will be no mandatory requirement for tick treatment.
- Step 6 – Arrange for your animal to travel with an approved transport company on an authorised route – Your pet must enter the UK with an approved transport company on an authorised route.
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