Animal Health Certificate In Colchester

Pet Travel

Following Brexit, UK issued pet passports are no longer valid for entry into Europe. Instead, you will need a document called an Animal Health Certificate (AHC) to travel with your pet dog, cat, or ferret to any European Union (EU) country or to Northern Ireland.

 

The AHC must be completed by an Official veterinarian (OV).  At Mayne Vets we have several OV’s available to assist with this. An AHC is only valid for ten days after the date of issue and it can only be used for a single entry into the EU or Northern Ireland. Onward travel within the EU for up to 4 months during the same trip is allowed. This means a new AHC must be issued for each new trip to the EU or Norther Ireland. The AHC can cover the travel of up to 5 pets. The AHC documents are bilingual and must be issued in the language of the country of entry into the EU. So, for example, if your final destination is Portugal via arrival in France then you need to have the AHC issued in French. It is important to remember this as once you have the AHC issued you cannot change the point of entry, otherwise a new AHC would need to be completed.

 

For a pet dog, cat, or ferret to be eligible for an AHC they must first be:

  • Microchipped
  • At least 12 weeks of age
  • Be vaccinated against Rabies at least 21 days before issue
  • Have had a tapeworm treatment if applicable (for entry into Ireland, Northern Ireland, Malta, Finland and Norway)

 

To apply for an AHC please phone the clinic and advise them of your intended date of travel. These documents are time consuming for our vets to complete and require an extended consultation, to ensure we can accommodate this we ask that you give us as much notice as possible. It is the owner’s responsibility to ensure the appointment booked falls within the 10 day window prior to travel. Once booked we will email you a form to complete ahead of your appointment. We will need to know:

  • Pet owner details
  • Pets details
  • Microchip details
  • Rabies vaccination details
  • Date of travel
  • Intended country and entry into the EU
  • The person travelling with the pet

 

At your appointment you will need to bring your pet with you for a microchip check. We will also need to see microchip and vaccination records including proof of rabies vaccination. The AHC then needs to be signed by the owner or a person authorised in writing by the owner, and they must be over the age of sixteen. The cost for an AHC is £200

 

Arrival into the EU or NI

  • You will need to present your pet’s original AHC
  • You will also need proof of your pet’s microchip, rabies vaccination and tapeworm treatment (if applicable)

 

For re-entry into Great Britain using an AHC:

  • You must return within 4 months of the date of issue of the AHC
  • Your dog will need a tapeworm treatment to be administered by a veterinary surgeon 24 to 120 hours before re-entry into Great Britain. Animals entering Great Britain from Ireland, Malta and Finland are exempt from this rule. Please note it is advisable to repeat the tapeworm treatment 28 days after your return to Great Britain.

 

Tick treatment isn’t a requirement of the pet travel scheme, but we strongly recommend you use tick prevention treatment if you’re visiting a region where tick-borne diseases are common. It matters because some of these diseases are fatal to pets. If you need advice about tick control, ask us. We’ll be delighted to help.

For full information about pets and travel, visit the Pet Travel Scheme website or call their helpline on 0370 241 1710.