Travel Advice

You will always require export paperwork to take your pet abroad. As this process can be quite involved and lengthy you should start planning well in advance. Please feel free to speak to us early on in this process so we can advise you, however it is vital that you contact your local DEFRA office as soon as possible for detailed information on the requirements for the country you wish to travel to. This can be done by telephone or through their website (see link below)

However for many countries it is now possible to travel more easily with your pet, and return back to the UK without the need for quarantine. This is the basis of the Pet Travel Scheme. In order to take advantage of this scheme you need to register your pet, i.e. the animal is issued with a Pet Passport. We can arrange this for you, but it involves a specific procedure, i.e.:

1. Microchipping. This must occur before, or on the same day as, the first Rabies vaccination. Any Rabies vaccinations prior to microchipping are not valid.
2. Rabies vaccination.
3. If the animal is returning to the UK a blood test is performed no sooner than 30 days after vaccination to confirm protection has been generated in response to the vaccination.
   Your pet is not permitted to leave the UK for 21 days after the initial Rabies vaccination, whether returning or not.
4. NO ANIMAL IS PERMITTED TO RETURN TO THE UK FOR 6 MONTHS FROM THE DATE OF THE BLOOD TEST, although they may leave as soon as 21 days after the Rabies vaccination.
5. 24 hours before entry to the UK, our pet must be certified by a vet as having been treated for ticks and tapeworms with specific products.
6. Rabies vaccines are valid in the UK for 2 years, and as long as your pet is re-vaccinated within that 2 year period the passport will continue to be valid. Failure to revaccinate on time (even being 1 day late) will necessitate repetition of the blood tests. However as a number of European countries require annual vaccination with Rabies we recommend giving Rabies every year.

In addition if travelling into Southern Europe, i.e. Southern France, Italy, Greece, Spain etc. your pet will be exposed to a number of diseases that do not occur in the UK. Many of these are transmitted by biting insects, and as such veterinary authorities in these countries normally recommend regular treatment with specific anti-insect products. Some of these need to be started prior to leaving the UK and we can advise you on the various products required.

More detailed information is available on the DEFRA website and we would strongly advise you to examine it as the requirements for travel can change at any time.

DISCLAIMER

The material contained in this website is presented for information purposes only . The material is in no way intended to replace professional veterinary care or attention from a professional veterinary surgeon. 

The advice given in any of our web pages cannot be used as the basis for a diagnosis or choice of treatment.

Clyde Vet Group advises that you should always consult a veterinary surgeon about any queries with animals under your care.