Jane and my ears prick up when we hear the words pet passports as our old boss at Eurotunnel, John Noulton was responsible for the set-up of pet passports and the rules and regs around taking our furry friends to continental Europe.
Since Brexit the rules have changed and whether you travelling to your maison secondaire or your new home in France there are a number of rules to be followed!
Starting on Jan 1 this year it is ‘interdit’ to use pet passports issued in the UK but if you are taking your pet from Northern Ireland you can still use the pet passport issued there but even so it is probably best to double-check with your local vet before travelling. It’s worth noting if your pet has not been micro-chipped or ever had a rabies vaccination you’ll need to plan approximately ahead to make sure you have everything sorted before you leave for your trip!
In order to pass go your pet will need the following:
- a microchip – this needs to be done before departure. Either before or at the same time as your pet receives their rabies vaccination.
The small print says this procedure must be carried out by a vet, vet nurse, student vet or student vet nurse (directed by a vet)
In addition to the above they have to be trained in microchipping before 29 December 2014, and with practical experience.
For those with pets in Northern Ireland the ‘microchipper’ must have been assessed on a DAERA* approved training course.
*approved training course – contact the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA).
This microchip number must be entered onto your animal health certificate and the date of entry must be before your pet has their vaccinations.
An extra tip is to make sure the microchip meets International Organization for Standardization (ISO) standards. There are two magic numbers ISO 11784 and ISO 11785. This means that all forms of transport will accept it eg airlines, train and ferry companies in France and other EU countries.
For more information on the nitty gritty visit: UK government website.
SO, vaccinations…..
- a valid rabies vaccination.
You must get your dog, cat or ferret vaccinated against rabies before it can travel.
Your vet will need proof that your pet’s at least 12 weeks old before vaccinating them.
You HAVE to wait 21 days after the primary vaccination before you travel. The vaccine must be an inactivated vaccine or recombinant vaccine that’s approved in France.
Don’t forget that you’ll need to get regular rabies booster vaccinations for your pet.
The animal health certificate will show when the booster vaccination is due.
Talking of animal health certificates…..you will need an
- animal health certificate unless you have a pet passport issued in an EU country or Northern Ireland.
The animal health certificate will contain a vaccination record, which must show:
- your pet’s date of birth
- microchip number, date it was put in or read, and where it is on your pet’s body
- vaccination date
- vaccine manufacturer and product name
- vaccine batch number
- date the vaccination is valid until
- the vet’s signature and contact details
Remember that your pet can be stopped from travelling if the details in their animal health certificate are in the wrong place or not up-to-date.
Assistance dogs also have to comply with these rules.
In general you can’t travel with more than five pets!
Once you arrive in France you’ll need to go through a travellers’ point of entry.
At this point you may need to show your pet’s animal health certificate along with proof of their microchip and rabies vaccination.
For dogs it is not obligatory to have tapeworm treatment to enter France, however, your pooch must have tapeworm treatment from a vet before returning to the UK.
The French vet must record it in the pet passport or health certificate every time you want to bring your dog back to the UK (England, Wales and Scotland).
The treatment must have been given no less than 24 hours and no more than 120 hours (5 days) before you return to the UK.
Your furry friend can be refused entry or put into quarantine if you do not comply with this rule.
The tapeworm treatment must:
- be approved for use in France and
- contain praziquantel or an equivalent proven to be effective against the Echinococcus multilocularis tapeworm
Don’t forget to check the vet has put the following details in the ‘Echinococcus treatment’ section of your dog’s pet passport or health certificate:
- the name and manufacturer of the product
- the date and time they treated your dog
- their stamp and signature
It is worth considering getting a pet passport from your local French vet if you’re planning on staying in France for extended periods of time. This will stop you having to get an animal health certificate every time you travel. Don’t forget though you still need to make sure that your pet has an up-to-date rabies vaccination and that their microchip can be read. Also don’t forget to make sure you visit the vet for the obligatory tapeworm treatment before returning to the UK.
Then you can pack your furry friend ‘treats’ and enjoy your travels en famille!
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