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You need an Animal Health Certificate or Export Health Certificate to take your cat, dog or ferret into the EU. Find out more about the documents you’ll need to travel overseas with your pet.
If you want to take your pets overseas, you’ll need to get an Animal Health Certificate (AHC) for travel to an EU country or Northern Ireland. To travel to a non-EU country you need an Export Health Certificate (EHC). Both of these need to be signed off by a vet.
Your pet needs to be microchipped and will need to be up to date with rabies vaccinations to get either of these documents from your vet.
Cats and dogs and ferrets will need an AHC or EHC to travel.
No, not in the UK. The rules for travelling to the EU with your pet changed on 1 January 2021.
Read the latest advice for travelling to Europe with your pet after Brexit.
Your pet will need a new AHC for each trip, which you’ll need to arrange at least 10 days before you travel, every time. The AHC proves you’ve kept vaccinating your pet for rabies.
It’s not just dogs, cats and ferrets you can travel with. You’ll need to check the specific regulations of the country you plan to travel to, and have the right documentation and vet records, but you should be able to travel with:
The requirements for your pet to be granted entry vary by country. There are extra conditions if you're travelling to an unlisted country – somewhere that’s not on the list of EU and non-EU countries.
For up-to-date information check government guidelines.
When you return to the UK, your pet’s microchip will be scanned and AHC or EHC checked.
If you don't have the right documents, your pet could be taken into quarantine or sent back to the country you've just travelled from.
The number of pets you can normally travel with is limited to five. If you want to travel with more than five dogs, cats or ferrets, the group of animals will need an additional health certificate and will be subject to checks at point of entry.
Your journey must also be for non-commercial reasons, which excludes the sale of animals.
You can get insurance that covers your pets while they’re abroad. If you already have pet insurance, your pet might be covered – check your policy before you travel. Most horse, dog and cat insurance will cover trips abroad, assuming all of the paperwork required to travel is in place.
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