Be Prepared

UK and Irish passports are valid for ten years. Bertie’s Pet Passport will be valid from Friday until all the pages are full or until we leave the EU without a deal. Then it becomes complicated for Bertie.

If the UK is designated an ‘unlisted country’ this is what happens:

1. You must have your dog, cat or ferret microchipped and vaccinated against rabies before it can travel. Your pet must have a blood sample taken at least 30 days after its last rabies vaccination (whether that’s a booster or initial vaccination). Your vet may recommend a booster rabies vaccination before this test.
2. Your vet must send the blood sample to an EU-approved blood testing laboratory.
3. The results of the blood test must show a rabies antibody level of at least 0.5 IU/ml.
4. You must wait 3 months from the date the successful blood sample was taken before you travel.
5. The vet must give you a copy of the test results and enter the day the blood sample was taken in an animal health certificate.

You must also take your pet to an official vet no more than 10 days before travel to get an animal health certificate.

You must take proof of: your pet’s vaccination history, microchipping date and a successful rabies antibody blood test result.

Your pet’s animal health certificate will be valid for:

• 10 days after the date of issue for entry into the EU
• onward travel within the EU for 4 months after the date of issue
• re-entry to the UK for 4 months after the date of issue

On arrival in the EU, pet owners travelling with pets will need to enter through a designated Travellers’ Point of Entry (TPE). At the TPE, you may need to present proof of microchip, rabies vaccination, successful blood test results and tapeworm treatment (if required) with your pet’s health certificate.

Returning to the UK from the EU is relatively simple so long as you travel on an approved route. I cannot find a list of Travellers’s Points of Entry into EU countries or approved routes into the UK. There are  more important things to sort out before 31st October no doubt.

If the UK becomes a Part I listed country the requirements are less demanding:

You must have your pet microchipped and vaccinated against rabies before travel. You’ll need to make sure your pet’s rabies vaccinations are kept up to date and make sure your dog has tapeworm treatment if needed.

You must also apply for a new document, the UK pet passport. You can use this for travel to the EU for your pet’s lifetime (or until full) as long as your pet’s rabies vaccinations are kept up to date.

If the UK becomes a Part 2 listed country:

You must have your pet microchipped and vaccinated against rabies before travel. You’ll need to make sure your pet’s rabies vaccinations are kept up to date and make sure your dog has tapeworm treatment if needed.

You must also visit an official vet no more than 10 days before you travel to get an animal health certificate confirming that your pet is microchipped and vaccinated against rabies.

Your pet will need a new animal health certificate for each trip to the EU if the UK becomes a Part 2 listed country. On arrival in the EU, pet owners travelling with pets need to enter through a designated TPE. At the TPE, you may need to present proof of microchip and rabies vaccination and tapeworm treatment if required.

I have quoted these details fully to show how unprepared the UK is in this small part of the Brexit picture. Bertie will be holidaying in France while he can, in September. I have no idea what happens if you want to take a rabbit or a horse to Europe after Brexit. Meanwhile the green car, aptly, will need an insurance Green Card, a GB sticker (why not UK?) and I will need an International Driving Permit and remember to take my driving licence and log book. I have heard a rumour that post-Brexit British cars must drive on the left hand side of roads in the EU.