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Pet passports explained

A  pet passport is a means of allowing your pet to travel between certain qualifying countries (mainly the EU & a few others) as often as you like during the life of the passport without export certificates or quarantine.   For most countries all that is required is an identity-chip and a rabies vaccination, we can then issue the passport and  21 days after vaccination you can go.  If you want to come back into the UK afterwards, however, the procedure is more complicated as UK requires your pet to have a blood test and then wait 6 months before re-entry, we need plenty of notice for those ones!  See below for the precise protocol.  If you want to travel to a country outside the qualifying countries you need an export certificate, you can find details here.

What steps are involved in getting a pet passport to return to the UK?

Day 1 - An identity-chip is inserted (if required) and the first rabies vaccine given.

Day 14 - The second rabies vaccination is given.

Day 44 (or later) - 30 days or more following rabies vaccination a blood sample is taken to check the vaccine has taken and sent to a government approved laboratory.

What paperwork will I receive?

All the following documents will be sent to you; you should also obtain a list of the qualifying countries and routes from DEFRA:

The pet passport - a small blue booklet which will allow you to travel between qualifying countries with your pet subject to certain conditions.

PETS 9 ----- This is a DEFRA document with important information for you to read.  It also tells you the date from which you can enter the UK with the passport.

Orchard Veterinary Group’s "Your Pet Passport has arrived" leaflet which explains many of the pros and cons of the PETS scheme.

The first pet passport a pet has is valid for the UK only from 6 months after the date of the blood sample although you can go to other countries from 21 days after the certificate is issued. You can see from the timings above that the soonest a pet can return to the UK is seven & a half months from the date of the first rabies vaccination. These things need to be started well in advance!

But my pet already has an identity-chip!

The identity-chip must be inserted before the first rabies vaccination. So if you have already had your pet identity-chipped that is fine, the vet will simply check the ‘chip’ at each stage of the process.

Why do I need two rabies injections?

Our advice is to have a double rabies vaccination initially because although you will get protective antibody levels with one injection, you may not get the precise antibody levels required to obtain the passport.   A second vaccination improves the chances of successful results thus avoiding having to repeat the vaccination and the blood sample (the expensive bit)!

When are rabies boosters required?

The passport will last for 3 years if issued in the UK. So, if the last rabies vaccination was on 15th January 2007 the certificate will last to 15th January 2010. Although this interval is correct for the UK data sheet the same vaccine on the continent has only a one year booster interval. This should be borne in mind if you are staying in an area abroad where rabies vaccination is compulsory.  Although the pet passport will remain valid for getting you into and out of all the countries on the scheme for the full 3 years you cannot rely on it to satisfy local residency requirements which are often more strict, you need to take advice in the area you are living.  Your pet is normally deemed as being a “resident” after staying in a country for 3 months but you need to check with the local authorities.

If your pet already has a pet passport the rabies booster is a single injection up to 3 years following the second part of the primary course. You can have the booster as far in advance as you like but if it is even one day late you will have to repeat the blood test 30 days later AND WAIT 6 MONTHS AFTER THAT before the new passport becomes valid for re-entry to the UK. This can be annoying to say the least so it pays to plan well in advance. We do send reminders for rabies vaccination but this is not guaranteed - booster reminders are as likely as any other mail to fall foul of the human and technological vagaries of our otherwise excellent postal service.

How much will it cost?

Costs change from time to time so for an up-to-date price you should telephone the surgery (01458 832972) for a quote. The charges include:

  • Inserting an identity-chip (if required)
  • Rabies vaccination course
  • Rabies blood test
  • An administration fee (to cover completing the certificates and postage and packing)

Be sure to let us know if your pet already has an identity-chip when obtaining a quote as this will reduce your total cost.

For further advice:- For further advice follow the links on this page. You can also contact the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) by ringing the PETS help line on 0870 241 1710.