Changes to the pet travel scheme will come into effect on 29 December 2014
Changes to the pet travel scheme will come into effect on 29 December 2014. The changes are mainly designed to strengthen enforcement across the EU, increase levels of compliance and improve the security and traceability of the pet passport.
The main requirements of the scheme will stay the same. All dogs, cats and ferrets travelling with their owner will still require:
• microchipping
• vaccination against rabies
• a blood test 30 days after vaccination (if travelling to or from an unlisted third country)
• a pet passport (or third country certificate) issued by an authorised vet
• a waiting period after vaccination and prior to travel: 21 days if travelling from another EU country or a listed third country and 3 months (following blood test) for unlisted countries
• treatment against the EM tapeworm (dogs only)
The key changes affecting pet owners are:
- A new style pet passport.
However if owners already have a passport for your pet you do not need to get a new one. The new style passport will include laminated strips designed to cover those pages with the pet’s details, microchip information and each rabies vaccination entry. The vet issuing the pet passport will also need to fill in their details on a new ‘Issuing of the passport’ page and must make sure that all their contact details are included when they certify vaccinations and treatments.
- The introduction of checks across the EU
All pets entering Britain on approved routes will continue to be checked by the carriers either prior to boarding (for rail or sea) or upon entry (air).
- A new minimum age for rabies vaccination
From 29 December 2014 pets must be at least 12 weeks old before owners can get them vaccinated against rabies for the purposes of pet travel.
- New rules for those travelling with more than five pets
If owners have more than five pets and wish to travel with them within the EU and/or return to the UK they will need to comply. These include:
• travelling from a registered premises
• using an authorised transporter and
• registering the movement on the TRACES system
More information on the changes can be found here.
