A Guide to Dog Travel in 2023

Organizing a family holiday needs to be enjoyable. You need to make arrangements in advance if you want things to run smoothly, just like many things in life. You need your passport, boarding pass, insurance, and so on. This is the same case when you are planning on pet travel.

The UK left the EU in January 2021, and this has resulted in requirements for taking the dogs on holiday change. EU pet passports by British can no longer be used when entering the EU. If you had a UK-registered dog that has a valid EU pet passport that was issued before December 31st, 2020, you can still get back to the UK from the EU.

The reason why these passports are valid for entry to the UK is that the pet passport is still an EU-registered document. This is why pets owned by UK nationals living in the EU can still be used when entering the UK with a valid EU pet passport.

If you want your dog to be eligible for entry to the EU, below are some requirements you need to meet:

Microchipped

The dog has to be microchipped, which most Vets can easily do. The microchip is going to contain all the dog’s details. Even if you are planning for a trip with your dog or even when still thinking about it, it is a good idea to get a Rabies vaccination when getting your dog microchipped. The vet is going to advise you on this.

Rabies

You should have your dog vaccinated against rabies and the process is going at least 4 months. Your dog has to be at least 12 weeks old for it to be vaccinated. 30 days from the day of vaccination, the blood sample is going to be taken by the vet so it can be tested. If the blood sample is successful, you have to wait for three months before traveling to the EU. If it is unsuccessful, you will need further blood tests and treatments, which is going to add to the time before being allowed to travel with your dog. When your dog’s rabies vaccination is up to date, you don’t have to keep getting blood tests before going for trips to the EU.

AHC

The dog has to get an Animal Health Certificate (AHC) that has to be issued by a vet not more than 10 days before traveling to the EU. This is going to be active after 10 days after being issued and that is when you can travel to the EU. AHC is going to be valid for four months for onward travel when traveling with the EU until re-entry to the UK. Before you can be issued with the AHC, you have to provide proof of – the date of the successful rabies vaccination, the date of microchipping, and proof of successful rabies antibody test result. One thing to keep in mind is you are going to need a new AHC every time you make a trip to the EU.

Proof

When you travel to the EU, you have to show proof that your dog was microchipped, rabies antibody test results, and the dog’s vaccination history.

Tapeworm Treatments

You don’t have to get this when traveling to most EU countries. However, there are some countries that have different requirements when it comes to tapeworm treatments. Some of the countries include Ireland, Northern Ireland, Malta, Finland, and Norway.

Dogs that travel from the UK to the EU need to:

Have either of these documents – A valid AHC issued in the UK: a pet passport that was registered in the EU or UK before 31/12/2020; A UK pet health certificate (you are only going to need this when you want to travel to the UK).

You don’t need to have the documentation for a dog that travels from Northern Ireland; The Isle of Man; The Channel Islands.

It is important to treat dogs traveling back to the UK for tapeworm. You need to make sure you buy tapeworm treatment from an Official Vet and it has to be marked on the pet passport before you travel. This treatment needs to be administered at least 24 hours before returning to the UK and not more than 120 hours. After returning to the UK, dog owners are advised to treat their dogs again at least after 28 days. When traveling back to the UK from Norway, Malta, the Republic of Ireland, or Finland, your canine friend isn’t required to be treated for Tapeworm.

When you want to travel with the EU or even further with your dog, you need to visit your vet because they will provide you with the right advice based on your dog’s needs. This is going to make things easier and you will be better prepared.

Tip – you need to start by testing the water and see how they are going to react inside a moving car or vehicle for the first time or for a long period of time. Doing this before your day of travel is going to make things easier. The dog is going to be comfortable traveling in cars, trains, boats, and airplanes. You should work on anxiety or stress before going to the vet or on the day of your holiday. A little planning is going to go a long way.