Defra (the UK government’s Department of Environment, Food & Rural Affairs) has updated its advice about post-Brexit pet travel between the UK and EU countries.
Key points from Defra’s advice are summarised below and on our website.
For the latest guidance, please visit the Defra website, whose information takes precedence.
Pet travel post Brexit from the UK to the EU
To make sure your pet can travel from the UK to the EU after Brexit, contact your vet at least four months before your travel date to get the latest advice.
The UK will become a third country when it leaves the EU. Under PETS, there are three categories of third country:
- unlisted
- Part 1 listed
- Part 2 listed
Unlisted
If the UK leaves the EU without a deal, it’s likely to be treated as an unlisted country under the EU Pet Travel Scheme (PETS).
That means a current EU pet passport issued in the UK won’t be valid for travel to the EU. You’ll need to allow four months between your pet’s rabies vaccination and the date of travel.
Part 1 or Part 2 listed
You’ll need to obtain documents from an official vet that replace the EU pet passport. The type of document you’ll need will depend on whether the UK becomes a Part 1 or Part 2 listed country.
Part 1 listed. The UK will operate under the same PETS rules as EU member states but with a different type of pet passport — the UK pet passport.
Part 2 listed. You’ll need to have your pet microchipped and vaccinated against rabies at least 21 days before travel. You’ll also need to visit an official vet no more than 10 days before the date of travel to get an animal health certificate confirming your pet is microchipped and vaccinated against rabies.
UK nationals living in the EU
If you’re a UK national living in the EU and plan to travel with your pet after Brexit using a UK-issued pet passport, speak to your vet to find out about the effect of Brexit and ensure you comply with PETS.
If you have a pet passport issued by an EU member state, you’ll be able to use it to bring your pet to the UK.
More information
Visit our summary web page or get full information from the Defra website, whose information takes precedence over ours.
wow that can become complicated… but we hope that there is a fair way possible and the EU will not make an example from Brexit to avoid that other countries leave too…
Fair would be good but hope is fast running out 🙁
Looks like your job will get more complicated.
It’s going to get more complicated for everyone, sadly.
Good information
It’s the best we can do during a time when so little information is fixed.
Interesting. Makes pet travel more complicated than ever.
It does indeed but at least we’re not going back to the bad old days of quarantine.
My goodness! I never thought about having to have contingency plans regarding whether Brexit occurs with or without a deal. I hope it gets sorted smoothly, for everyone’s sake!
Oh, there are so many things that require contingency plans depending on deal or no deal!
Yikes! It hadn’t occurred to me how Brexit might affect your passengers. As if you needed any additional complications!
We’ve been worrying about it since the very beginning of the sorry fiasco. Nothing we can do but warn people and give them the options.
Good luck, I hope that people try to work things out.
Thanks — we do hope that people will try to prevent the worst case scenarios, all round!
Wow, the implications of Brexit just keep rolling in. I feel for the pet owners (and AC). –Curt
Don’t they just. Planning has become really rather difficult for us 😉
wishing you continued
compassionate success 🙂
Thank you for your kind wishes, we all need them!
What a mess. Good luck.
Wonderfully succinctly put! Thanks.
There is so much to know now. I’m sure this will make your services even more important.
Oh dear this sounds like a lot of extra checks and procedures, do animals travel right now without rabies shots?
Such a mess to sort out with passports etc due to Brexit! Did all the leavers think about this when they wanted to leave the EU and had pets that go abroad often?
It does make things a bit complicated. Good luck!