If you live in England, Scotland or Wales and take a dog, cat or ferret to the EU, you normally need an Animal Health Certificate for each trip. Your pet also needs a microchip and valid rabies vaccination, and you must enter through an accepted travellers' point of entry.
The rules changed in April 2026 for Great Britain residents who held EU pet passports. This guide explains the current position, the order of preparation and the documents to keep with you. It applies to non-commercial travel with dogs, cats and ferrets from Great Britain. Northern Ireland has different arrangements.
Published and updated 15 October 2026. Pet travel rules can change, so check the linked official sources again before your vet appointment and departure.
The short answer: what documents are needed?
For a typical non-commercial pet journey from Great Britain to an EU country, prepare:
- proof that the pet is microchipped;
- a valid rabies vaccination recorded against that microchip;
- an Animal Health Certificate issued by an official veterinarian;
- the non-commercial travel declaration supplied with the certificate;
- written authorisation if someone other than the owner will travel with the pet;
- any extra treatment or document required by the destination country.
Carry the original documents. A photograph on a phone is useful as a backup, but it should not replace the original certificate required for travel.
Start with the current GOV.UK pet travel guidance. The EU pet travel page explains the EU framework and the rules for an authorised person.
The 2026 change for Great Britain residents
New EU rules took effect on 22 April 2026. GOV.UK says residents of Great Britain should no longer use an EU pet passport to enter the EU, even when that passport was issued in an EU country. A passport that was previously accepted may no longer be valid for that outbound journey.
The current GOV.UK instruction is to obtain an Animal Health Certificate when travelling from England, Scotland or Wales to the EU. A valid EU pet passport can still be relevant for some people who are resident in the EU or Northern Ireland, but residence and the direction of travel matter.
Do not assume that an old passport remains valid because it worked on a previous trip. Read the official 2026 announcement and ask an official veterinarian which document applies to your circumstances.
Step 1: check the microchip record
The pet must be microchipped before, or at the same time as, the rabies vaccination used for travel. The chip number on the Animal Health Certificate and vaccination record must match the pet's microchip.
Ask the vet to scan the chip during the preparation appointment. This simple check can uncover a transcription problem before it becomes a border problem.
If the microchip cannot be read by the standard scanner used at the point of entry, the traveller may need to provide a compatible reader. Discuss an unusual or older chip with the vet before travel.
Step 2: confirm the rabies vaccination
The rabies vaccination must be valid and recorded after the microchip was fitted or read and recorded. For a first rabies vaccination, or the final injection in an initial course, the waiting period is at least 21 full days. Day one is the day after the vaccination.
Some vaccines take longer to become valid, so the vaccine manufacturer's period and the vet's advice still matter. A booster does not normally restart the waiting period if it was given before the previous vaccination expired. A break in cover can change the position.
Check the vaccination date, validity date, microchip number and vet entry rather than relying on memory. The official veterinarian will need evidence of the microchipping date and vaccination history to issue the Animal Health Certificate.
Step 3: obtain an Animal Health Certificate
An Animal Health Certificate must be issued by an official veterinarian. Not every veterinary surgeon can sign one, so ask the practice whether an official veterinarian is available when booking.
Under the current rules, the certificate is valid for entry into the EU for 10 days from the date of issue. Day one is the issue date. The same certificate can then be used for onward travel within the EU for up to six months after entry and for re-entry to Great Britain during that period, provided the rabies vaccination remains valid.
You need a new Animal Health Certificate for each separate trip from Great Britain to the EU. The certificate is not a reusable pet passport.
Since 1 October 2026, official veterinarians must use the new Animal Health Certificate template introduced with the April rule change. Older certificates issued during the transition can still be encountered because a correctly issued certificate may remain valid for return travel. Ask the practice to use the current form when issuing a new certificate.
The official details are on the GOV.UK Animal Health Certificate page. GOV.UK also explains the current certificate template and transition.
Step 4: complete the non-commercial declaration
The declaration confirms that the pet is travelling for a non-commercial reason and will not be sold or transferred as part of the journey. Your vet normally provides the declaration with the Animal Health Certificate.
Read it before leaving the practice. Check that the owner details and pet details are consistent across the certificate, declaration, vaccination record and microchip evidence.
If someone authorised by the owner will travel with the pet, that person must carry the required written authorisation. Under the EU non-commercial movement rules, the owner's own journey must normally take place within five days of the pet's journey. GOV.UK publishes authorisation forms and guidance.
Step 5: use the correct EU entry point
Pets entering the EU from Great Britain must use an accepted travellers' point of entry where the documents and microchip can be checked.
For a EuroPaw Travel journey through LeShuttle, the Channel route runs from Folkestone to Calais. France is therefore the first EU country entered, even when the final destination is Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, Spain or another EU country.
The Animal Health Certificate must be valid on the date of that first EU entry. The destination address does not move the entry check from France to the final country.
Check the current point-of-entry arrangements before departure, particularly if the crossing or route changes.
Travelling onward after France
Once the pet has entered the EU correctly, the same valid Animal Health Certificate can support onward non-commercial travel between EU countries during the certificate's permitted period. This is useful for a road journey where France is the entry country but Spain, Germany, Belgium or the Netherlands is the destination.
Individual countries can have additional animal-health rules, especially for species other than dogs, cats and ferrets. Check the official destination-country information as well as the general EU rules.
An Animal Health Certificate does not replace the passenger's passport, visa, immigration or customs requirements.
What changes if more than five pets travel?
The standard non-commercial rules normally cover no more than five pets per private vehicle, rather than five pets per person. Exceptions can apply when pets are travelling for a competition, exhibition or sporting event and the required evidence is carried.
If more than five animals will travel, do not assume that a normal passenger-and-pet booking is sufficient. Check whether the movement becomes commercial and which certificate, authorisation and transport rules apply.
Tell EuroPaw Travel the correct number and species before requesting a journey. The service and vehicle must be assessed against the real booking.
Documents for returning to Great Britain
An Animal Health Certificate issued in Great Britain can normally be used for re-entry during its current validity period, subject to valid rabies cover. If it no longer applies, another accepted Great Britain travel document may be needed.
Dogs entering Great Britain from most European countries also need tapeworm treatment. A vet must administer it no less than 24 hours and no more than 120 hours before the expected entry time and record it correctly in the travel document.
The return timing catches people out because the window is measured against arrival in Great Britain, not the appointment date alone. Read our dog tapeworm treatment guide and the current GOV.UK tapeworm guidance.
The site also has a broader UK pet travel requirements guide for entry to Great Britain.
A practical document check before leaving home
Check each item against the original paperwork:
- The microchip scans and its number matches every document.
- The rabies vaccination is valid for the complete journey.
- At least the required waiting period has passed after the first vaccination.
- The Animal Health Certificate was issued by an official veterinarian within the entry window.
- Names, addresses, dates and microchip numbers are consistent.
- The non-commercial declaration is complete and signed where required.
- An authorised traveller carries the correct owner authorisation.
- The route uses an accepted EU travellers' point of entry.
- Destination-country requirements have been checked.
- The return document and dog tapeworm appointment have been planned.
Keep the papers together in a waterproof folder that stays with the passenger, not buried under luggage.
How EuroPaw Travel uses the information
EuroPaw Travel provides private pet taxi and pet transport from the UK to Europe, with passengers travelling in the vehicle alongside their dog or cat. We use the collection address, destination, date, passenger count, pet details and luggage to review the route.
We can remind passengers which documents are commonly checked, but we do not issue Animal Health Certificates and cannot replace an official veterinarian, GOV.UK or the destination authority. The passenger remains responsible for carrying valid documents.
For France-bound journeys, the dog travel checklist from the UK to France provides a route-specific preparation list and downloadable PDF.
Frequently asked questions
Does a Great Britain resident need an Animal Health Certificate for every EU trip?
Yes. Under the current guidance, a new Animal Health Certificate is needed for each separate journey from Great Britain to the EU.
Can I use an EU pet passport if I live in England, Scotland or Wales?
Current GOV.UK guidance says Great Britain residents should not use an EU pet passport to enter the EU, even if it was issued in the EU. Obtain an Animal Health Certificate and check your individual circumstances with an official veterinarian.
How soon before travel can the Animal Health Certificate be issued?
It is valid for EU entry for 10 days from the date of issue. Plan the appointment against the date the pet will first enter the EU, not only the day the UK road journey starts.
Can one Animal Health Certificate cover several EU countries?
Yes. After valid entry, the certificate can support onward EU travel for up to six months under the current rules, provided the rabies vaccination remains valid.
Can another person take my pet to the EU?
An authorised person can travel with the pet when the correct owner declaration is carried and the movement meets the applicable five-day timing rule. Check the current GOV.UK authorisation guidance.
Does my dog need tapeworm treatment before leaving Great Britain?
That depends on the destination. The better-known 24 to 120 hour requirement applies when dogs enter Great Britain from most countries. Check the outbound destination rule and the return rule separately.
Can EuroPaw Travel check or issue the AHC?
EuroPaw Travel does not issue the certificate. An official veterinarian must complete it, and the passenger is responsible for the valid original documents. We can use the confirmed route and travel date to help you identify when the EU entry will occur.
Plan the transport after checking the documents
Once the vet timeline and EU entry date are clear, contact EuroPaw Travel with the UK collection address, European destination, preferred date, passenger details, pet information and expected luggage. We will review the road route and crossing plan before the journey is confirmed.