When you’re travelling from a country that isn’t authorised to issue an EU Pet Passport under the Pet Travel Scheme (PETS), you must obtain an Animal Health Certificate (AHC) for your cat, dog or ferret. Following Brexit, pet passports issued in the United Kingdom (UK) are no longer accepted. Instead, an Animal Health Certificate is now required when travelling from Great Britain (Scotland, Wales & England) to mainland Europe, including Northern Ireland. You don’t need an animal Health Certificate (AHC) if you’re travelling to Great Britain with a pet passport issued in the EU or Northern Ireland (NI). If you live in NI, you can also speak to your vet about updating your UK issued pet passport to an EU one instead.
Note that pet passports issued prior to 1 January 2021 in a GB country (Scotland, Wales or England) are still accepted if you’re entering the GB with your pet.
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What’s the difference between an Animal Health Certificate and 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.
How do I obtain an Animal Health Certificate?
You must take your cat, dog or ferret to a registered vet to get an Animal Health Certificate (AHC) no more than 10 days before you travel.
The AHC needs to be signed by an Official Veterinarian (OV) so ask your usual vet if they can issue AHCs. If they cannot, ask them to help you find an OV who can issue the documentation for you.
When arranging the AHC, take your pet to the vet along with proof of:
- Microchip Details
- Vaccination History
What information is on an Animal Health Certificate?
The AHC 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 an AHC cost?
It costs £100-£150 for an Animal Health Certificate, depending on your vet and country of origin, and whether or not your pet is up to date with their rabies vaccination and has a working microchip.
How long does an AHC last?
From the date of issue, your pet’s AHC will then be valid for:
- 10 days for entry into the EU or Northern Ireland
- 4 months for onward travel within the EU
- 4 months for re-entry to Great Britain
Your pet will need a new AHC for each trip to an EU country or Northern Ireland from Great Britain.
