In the absence of an EU Pet Passport or UK issued Animal Health Certificate, a GB Pet Health Certificate is accepted for cats, dogs and ferrets arriving in Great Britain. For anyone who isn’t aware, Great Britain (GB) consists of one less country than the United Kingdom (UK) – Northern Ireland (NI). Therefore, when you see references to Great Britain, this means Scotland, Wales and England, whereas the UK is Scotland, Wales, England and Northern Ireland. Following Brexit, GB is subject to different requirements from NI under the Pet Travel Scheme (PETS). When entering the EU and Northern Ireland from the UK with a cat, dog or ferret, you now need to obtain an Animal Health Certificate (AHC), as GB issued pet passports are no longer valid for travel.
However, you can still use a valid EU or GB issued pet passport when entering Great Britain.
What’s the difference between an Animal Health Certificate and the GB Pet Health Certificate?
An Animal Health Certificate replaces GB issued pet passports for travel from Great Britain to the EU and Northern Ireland.
A GB Pet Health Certificate is for travel to Great Britain, in the absence of a an EU pet passport, or an Animal Health Certificate issued in GB within 4 months of the re-entry date.
When do I need a GB Pet Health Certificate?
A GB Pet Health Certificate is needed for a cat, dog or ferret that’s entering or returning to Great Britain (Scotland, Wales & England) from a listed or unlisted country, and doesn’t have:
- a valid EU or Northern Ireland (NI) Pet Passport
- a Part 1 Listed Country Pet Passport
- an Animal Health Certificate issued in the UK within 4 months of the date of re-entry
How do I obtain a GB Pet Health Certificate?
A GB Pet Health Certificate can be issued within 24 hours, but if the rabies vaccination is needed you’ll have to wait 21 days after your pet has the jab before you travel.
When arranging the Certificate take your pet to the vet along with proof of:
- Microchip Details
- Vaccination History
What information is on a GB Pet Health Certificate?
The Certificate will include the following information:
- Your details
- A description of your pet (species, breed, colour etc.)
- Microchip Number
- Vaccination History
- Rabies Vaccination information (brand, batch number etc.)
- Tapeworm Treatment details (if needed)
How much does a GB Pet Health Certificate cost?
It costs around €100 for a GB Pet Health Certificate depending on your vet and country of origin and whether or not your pet is up to date with their rabies vaccination.
