Welcome To The Animal Health Centre Pet Passports Page
Welcome To The Animal Health Centre Pet Passports Page
Pet Passports
The PETS - Pet Travel Scheme allows for entry or re-entry into the UK without quarantine subject to strict measures that include species of animal, country or countries they are going to or coming from, including countries of transit, and regulations governing parasite control, identification, vaccination against rabies and, usually, blood test confirmation of that vaccination. For the purpose of this section most of our pet owners will be looking to take their pets abroad on holiday. If you are looking to emigrate then see the export section instead. The regulations have been subject to change and ultimately the owner is responsible for making sure that they have complied.
Links to DEFRA (department of environment and rural affairs) and associated links are provided below and this short article is here to highlight some of the problems owners may experience. The Pet Travel Scheme (PETS) allows pet animals from certain countries to enter the UK without quarantine as long as they comply with the rules.
Important Notes
To enter or re-enter the UK from qualifying listed countries under PETS you must have had the following procedures carried out on your pet (dog, cat or ferret) :
Microchipping.
Rabies vaccination.
Passed a qualifying rabies blood test (except ferrets).
Pet Passport. This is only issued by a Local Veterinary Inspector (LVI) after examination of the pet and documentary proof of the above.
Required Treatment for Parasites between 24 and 48 hours prior to return to the U.K.
Entry into the UK is through approved Ports of Entry.
Entry/return into the UK requires a period of at least 6 months after the date of successful blood testing. You may leave the UK before that period but most countries require at least 21 days from the date of vaccination before entry.
Rules of entry into other countries do vary. Check them BEFORE departure or transit.
It is the owners responsibility to make sure that these regulations are complied with and they have all necessary documentation with them otherwise entry may be refused or the animal may be taken into quarantine at your expense. The rules do not state a specific time after vaccination for the rabies blood test but, for previously unvaccinated animals, the manufacturers generally recommend a period of 3 weeks to 1 month. Some patients may fail to respond to vaccination at a level that passes this blood test. Whilst this does not necessarily mean that the pet is unprotected against rabies (a different and complicated discussion) it does mean that repeat vaccination and blood test is required to try and fulfill the government requirements. There is a suggestion that very young or very old animals might benefit from a second vaccine prior to blood testing to reduce the rare failure rate. Such additional vaccines and blood tests will be at the owners expense. Very rarely a pet will fail to ever respond to qualifying levels on test.
The issue of a PETS Passport must be carried out by an LVI (Local Veterinary Inspector) and most veterinary practices will have one or more employed vets qualified to carry out such certification. Please make it clear at the time of booking an appointment if it is for the issue of a PETS Passport. Ferrets have been added to the list of pets that may travel of the PETS scheme but interestingly there is no requirement for a qualifying blood test although microchipping and vaccination are still needed. Rabbits and other rodents have their own set of regulations for PETS Travel and can enter from a limited list of countries without the above requirements.
Rabies vaccination duration keeps changing. Our understanding is that the duration of vaccination is as according to the manufacturer's datasheet license as it applies to the brand of vaccine in the country of vaccination at the time of vaccination. (You may want to read that again.) At this time we have rabies vaccines with a 3 year licensed duration in the UK. However the same vaccine was previously licensed for one year and then upgraded to 2 years and similar vaccines given abroad may have such varying licences at the time they were given. If any pet goes even 1 day over the license duration at the time the vaccine was given then it becomes subject to repeat vaccination and blood test and the 6 month wait before UK entry. (It is allowable to blood test immediately after a revaccination and many pets will pass on the strength of the original vaccine. However if they fail then revaccination is required before yet another blood test is taken.)
We do not send reminders for Rabies vaccinations since many vaccinated animals will have emigrated. It is your responsibility to make sure that revaccination is within the date limit.