Travelling with your dog to or from the UK

You can enter or return to the UK from EU country with your dog if it:

• has been microchipped
  Your dog could be refused entry or put into quarantine if its microchip can’t be read when you enter or return to the UK.
• has a pet passport or third-country official veterinary certificate
  You don’t need a third-country official veterinary certificate if your pet was issued with a pet passport before leaving the EU and the treatments are still valid. Any booster vaccinations or blood tests carried out from outside the EU must be recorded on a third-country official veterinary certificate.
• has been vaccinated against rabies
  You must wait 21 days after the vaccination (or the last of the primary course of vaccinations) before bringing your dog to the UK. Booster vaccinations: check your pet passport to find out when the booster vaccination is due.
• had a tapeworm treatment
  A vet must treat your dog for tapeworm and record it in the dog passport every time you want to bring it to the UK.
  The treatment must have been given no less than 24 hours and no more than 120 hours (5 days) before you enter the UK.
  You don’t need to treat your dog for tapeworm if you’re coming directly to the UK from Finland, Ireland, Malta or Norway.
  The treatment must:
  1. Be approved for use in the country it’s being given in
  2. Have praziquantel or an equivalent as its active ingredient

Note: your dog may be put into quarantine for up to 4 months if you don’t follow these rules – or refused entry if you travelled by sea. You’re responsible for any fees or charges.

Countries the UK accepts pet passports from:

• all countries in the EU: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Republic of Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden.
• the UK also accepts pet passports from: Andorra, Azores and Madeira, Canary Islands, French Guiana, Gibraltar, Greenland and the Faroe Islands, Guadeloupe, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Martinique, Monaco, Norway, Reunion, San Marino, Switzerland and Vatican City

Note: there are different rules for entering other countries from the UK with your pet. Check the rules for the country you’re travelling to.

Travelling with your dog:

Check the transport companies and routes you can use to bring your dog to England, Scotland or Wales.

Note: you can only bring a dog into the UK on a private boat or plane if you’re travelling from Ireland.

Check the routes before you travel – they can change or may only operate at certain times of the year.

Note: dogs usually travel as cargo, but there are different rules if you’re arriving by air or sea with an assistance dog.

Arriving in the UK

When you arrive in the UK, staff from the travel company or airport will scan your dog’s microchip and check your documents. Your dog might be checked before you board, for example if you’re travelling by sea or Eurotunnel.

More information:

Pet Travel Scheme Helpline
pettravel@apha.gsi.gov.uk
Telephone: 0370 241 1710
Monday to Friday, 8.30am to 5pm (closed on bank holidays)

Pet Travel Section
Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA)
Centre for International Trade
Eden Bridge House
Lowther Street
Carlisle
CA3 8DX

You can find more: www.gov.uk

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