Pet passport from the UK: do you need an animal health certificate?

No. If you live in England, Scotland or Wales, a pet passport no longer gets your dog, cat or ferret into the EU, even one issued in the EU. You need an animal health certificate (AHC) from an official veterinarian, valid for 10 days for entry into the EU. The rabies vaccination must be at least 21 full days before you travel.

This guide follows GOV.UK step by step for a pet dog, cat or ferret going from England, Scotland or Wales to an EU country: the microchip, the rabies vaccination, the certificate, tapeworm treatment for dogs, the crossing and the return. Check the operator's rules for assistance dogs. Northern Ireland and countries outside the EU have their own rules, summarised further down.

Every rule here comes from GOV.UK, read on 30 October 2026. It is not veterinary advice: your vet and the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) decide what applies to your own animal.

Six steps, always in the same order: microchip, rabies vaccination, a wait of at least 21 full days, the certificate, tapeworm treatment if your dog is going to certain countries, and entry through a travellers' point of entry. The order matters: a pet vaccinated before it was microchipped must be vaccinated again.

1. Microchip your pet
   It must be fitted before, or at the same time as, the rabies vaccination.
2. Vaccinate against rabies
   Your vet needs proof that the animal is at least 12 weeks old.
3. Wait
   At least 21 full days after the first vaccination, or after the last dose of the first course. Some vaccines need longer.
4. Get the AHC
   From an official veterinarian, for each trip. It is valid for 10 days for entry into the EU, counting the day it is issued as day 1.
5. Treat your dog for tapeworm
   Only for some countries, between 24 hours and 5 days before arrival.
6. Enter through a travellers' point of entry
   Show the AHC, with proof of the microchip, the rabies vaccination and any tapeworm treatment.

Count backwards from your travel date. A pet that has never been vaccinated cannot travel until at least 21 full days after the first injection, and the certificate comes after that. GOV.UK does not set a start date for the whole process, so ask your vet how long the vaccine you are given needs.

The chip must go in before, or at the same time as, the rabies vaccination, and its number must appear on the certificate with a date no later than the vaccination. If the order is the other way round, the pet is vaccinated again.

EU airlines, train operators and ferry companies can read chips that meet the ISO 11784 and ISO 11785 standards. If your pet's chip does not, you may need to bring your own reader, so check with your travel company before you leave.

The chip can be fitted by:

• A vet
• A vet nurse, student vet or student vet nurse, working under a vet's direction
• Someone trained before 29 December 2014 who has practical experience
• Someone assessed on an approved training course

At least 21 full days before you travel, counted from the day after the first vaccination, and only once the pet is at least 12 weeks old. Some vaccines take longer, so your vet gives the date from which your pet can travel.

Boosters keep the vaccination valid. Your pet's vaccination record shows the date the latest vaccination is valid until. A missed booster means restarting the course, which can delay your trip. If the vaccination runs out while you are away, the certificate cannot be used for onward travel or for the return to Great Britain.

An AHC is a certificate signed by an official veterinarian (OV), needed for each trip from Great Britain to the EU. Your own vet can issue it only if they are an OV; if they are not, ask them to help you find one.

• ✓
  Take your pet to the vet in person: Tell the practice beforehand that you need a certificate, so it can prepare it.
• ✓
  Bring proof of the microchip date and the vaccination history: These are the records the vet checks.
• ✓
  Sign the declaration: You confirm that you will not sell or rehome the pet while abroad.
• ✓
  Add up to 5 pets on one certificate: Every pet must meet all the other requirements.

A new certificate is needed for every trip from Great Britain to the EU. The same one is used for travel between EU countries during that trip, for up to 6 months after entry, as long as the rabies vaccination stays valid. GOV.UK does not state a fee for the certificate, so this guide gives none: ask your vet's practice for its price before you book the appointment.

Only for some destinations: Finland, Ireland, Malta, Norway and Northern Ireland (unless you hold a Northern Ireland pet travel document). The treatment is given no less than 24 hours and no more than 5 days (120 hours) before you arrive. GOV.UK explains the rule for dogs; it does not set one for cats or ferrets.

The vet records the product name and manufacturer, the date and time of treatment, and their stamp and signature in the "Echinococcus treatment" section of the certificate. The active ingredient is praziquantel, or an equivalent proven effective against Echinococcus multilocularis.

Yes to both, within limits: another person can take your pet if the journey is within 5 days of yours, and a private vehicle can carry up to 5 pets to an EU country.

• Someone else travelling with your pet
  The journey must be within 5 days of yours, before or after, to the same destination, with your permission. You sign a declaration naming the person, and only the owner named on the pet travel document can sign it. The traveller carries it, with proof of your own travel dates. Outside the 5 days, contact the APHA Pet Travel helpline.
• More than 5 pets
  Not allowed in a private vehicle to an EU country, except to attend or train for an event, or for commercial export. Foot passengers can take up to 5. For an event you need written proof of registration for the competition, show or sporting event.

Each carrier adds its own conditions to the legal ones, and GOV.UK tells you to arrive through a travellers' point of entry and to check that your travel company allows pets. Confirm that your pet is accepted before you plan anything else.

For the journey home through the tunnel, LeShuttle says dogs need tapeworm treatment given by a vet 24 to 120 hours before arrival in the UK, with the date and time recorded in the pet's documents. Its page was read on 30 October 2026 and advises checking the latest GOV.UK guidance before you travel.

Both follow different rules. From Great Britain to Northern Ireland you need a Northern Ireland pet travel document (PTD), which is free and applied for online, instead of an AHC. For countries outside the EU, GOV.UK sends you to separate guidance and says to check any extra requirements of the country you are going to.

The full GOV.UK page on Northern Ireland sets out the process. Commercial exports, such as a change of ownership, follow separate export rules.

The AHC used for the trip stays valid for 6 months for re-entry, provided the rabies vaccination does not run out while you are away, and a dog generally needs tapeworm treatment from most countries. GOV.UK sets out the rules for bringing a pet into Great Britain, and they depend on the country you travel back from.

Most mistakes come from the order of the steps and from dates. These are the ones GOV.UK's rules make costly.

• ✕
  Microchip after the rabies vaccination: The pet must be vaccinated again.
• ✕
  Travelling on a pet passport issued in England, Scotland or Wales: It cannot be used to enter the EU.
• ✕
  Getting the certificate too early: It is valid for 10 days for entry into the EU, counting the issue date as day 1.
• ✕
  Reusing a certificate for a second trip: Each trip from Great Britain to the EU needs a new one.
• ✕
  A booster missed or due while you are away: The certificate cannot then be used for onward travel or the return.
• ✕
  Forgetting your dog's tapeworm treatment: It is needed for Finland, Ireland, Malta, Norway and Northern Ireland (unless you hold a Northern Ireland pet travel document), and for the return from most countries.
• ✕
  Assuming the carrier follows only the law: Ferry, tunnel and airline operators set their own pet conditions.

The APHA Pet Travel helpline answers questions about taking a pet abroad, and GOV.UK lists its contact details. Your entry rules as a passport holder are a separate matter: see entry requirements for British passport holders, and more travel tips for UK travellers.

• Can I still use a pet passport to take my dog to France?

  No, not if you live in England, Scotland or Wales: GOV.UK says you cannot use a pet passport to enter the EU, even one issued in the EU. You need an animal health certificate for each trip. Residents of Northern Ireland can use an EU pet passport (GOV.UK, checked on 30 October 2026).

• Is there a dog passport, and can I still use one?

  No. If you live in England, Scotland or Wales, a pet passport can no longer be used to enter the EU, even one issued in the EU, as GOV.UK words it. Your dog needs an animal health certificate for each trip (GOV.UK, read on 30 October 2026).

• How long is an animal health certificate valid?

  It is valid for 10 days for entry into the EU, counting the issue date as day 1, then for 6 months for onward travel within the EU after entry and for 6 months for re-entry to Great Britain (GOV.UK, checked on 30 October 2026).

• How long before travel should my dog be vaccinated against rabies?

  At least 21 full days before you travel, counted from the day after the first vaccination, and the dog must be at least 12 weeks old. Some vaccines need longer, so ask your vet.

• Can I use the same certificate for two trips?

  No. A new certificate is needed for each separate trip from Great Britain to the EU. The same one can be used for travel between EU countries during that trip, for up to 6 months after entry.

• Do cats and ferrets need tapeworm treatment?

  The GOV.UK rule on tapeworm treatment is written for dogs. It applies to dogs going to Finland, Ireland, Malta, Norway and Northern Ireland (unless you hold a Northern Ireland pet travel document), and to dogs returning to Great Britain from most countries.

• Does my dog need tapeworm treatment to go to Spain?

  Spain is not among the countries GOV.UK lists as asking for it before arrival: Finland, Ireland, Malta, Norway and Northern Ireland. Your dog does generally need treatment before the return to Great Britain, and GOV.UK advises checking any extra rules of the country you visit.

• Can a friend take my dog abroad for me?

  Yes, if the journey is within 5 days of yours and to the same destination, with your signed declaration naming them. Only the owner named on the pet travel document can sign it. Outside the 5 days, contact the APHA Pet Travel helpline.

• How many pets can I take in one car?

  No more than 5 pets in a private vehicle to an EU country, unless you are attending or training for an event or exporting commercially. LeShuttle also sets a limit of 5 pets per vehicle.

• What happens if my pet's microchip cannot be read?

  The whole process starts again: the pet is rechipped and revaccinated and, for the EU or Northern Ireland, gets a new certificate, with the waiting time that follows. If the chip can only sometimes be read, a vet can add a new one while the old one stays in place.

• Do I need an animal health certificate for Northern Ireland?

  GOV.UK does not ask for one on this route. You need a free Northern Ireland pet travel document, applied for online, and your pet’s microchip is scanned at the port or airport.

• How much does the certificate cost?

  The GOV.UK page does not state a fee, so we give none. Ask your vet’s practice for its price before you book the appointment.

• Who can I call if the rules are unclear?

  The APHA Pet Travel helpline on 03000 200 301, Monday to Friday, 8:30am to 5pm, closed on bank holidays (GOV.UK, checked on 30 October 2026).