British travellers have been hit hard by Brexit – from tight restrictions on length of stay to complicated red tape at European Union frontiers. Ryanair passengers have even found themselves stranded overnight in Portugal because their UK plane developed a fault, and an EU jet was not permitted to fly them home.
But at least human British travellers do not require a rabies jab and treatment against tapeworm before being allowed to visit Ireland. Those are among the unfortunate canine constraints to which Boris Johnson’s government signed up.
As part of the “Brexit reset” between the European Union and the UK, there are hopes that the rules could be eased. These are the key questions and answers for animal owners.
What was the situation before Brexit?
For many years, British travellers had been able to take a cat, a dog or even a ferret abroad with minimal formalities, being routinely stamped in and out. But pet passports for UK residents ceased to be valid from the start of 2021.
Prior to Brexit there had never been any restrictions on taking animals between Great Britain and Northern Ireland. It is still no problem to take a pet from Northern Ireland to Great Britain, but rules apply in the opposite direction due to the unusual status created along with a “border in the Irish Sea” that the Johnson government negotiated.
What are the rules now for taking a pet to the European Union?
You must get your pet microchipped. Assuming the animal is 12 weeks or older, it must then be given a rabies vaccination. At least three weeks must elapse between the rabies jab and travelling.
For each journey, the pet must have an EU animal health certificate (AHC) confirming the microchipping and the vaccination.
For dogs, tapeworm treatment must be administered between one and five days before entering the European Union or Northern Ireland.
The certificate must be issued within 10 days of entry to the EU or Northern Ireland. Vets charge around £200 for the certificate. A new one is required for each journey.
Lindsay Mayor, owner of border terrier Dusty, says: “The form itself is tricky and can be incorrectly completed on which case you are not free to travel.”
The maximum validity for re-entry to Great Britain is four months – but in any event humans with UK passports are limited to 90 days, so that is not relevant for most people.
What’s the tapeworm rule?
Travelling direct to Ireland (or, much less likely, Finland, Malta or Norway)? A vet must treat your dog for tapeworm and record it in either an animal health certificate or a valid pet passport. The treatment must be given no less than 24 hours and no more than five days before you arrive.
What happens on arrival in the EU?
You must arrive at a recognised point of entry; all the transport operators to the EU qualify. Officials will stamp the paperwork.
And coming home?
The steps you needed to take in order to travel with your pet are all valid for readmission to the UK.
I have heard about pet “freedom of movement”. How does that work?
In contrast to the rules for human migration, it is something of a doddle to register a pet at an address in the European Union, and for it to adopt the appropriate nationality. Because the rules for travel from the EU (and Northern Ireland) to the UK are easier, this works well for many people. But the animal may need more regular rabies jabs than in Great Britain.
What is the government hoping to negotiate with the EU on pet travel?
To return to something like the relative ease that prevailed before Brexit. British pets are not regarded as a threat to EU nations, but as part of “taking back control” after the Brexit vote the UK government agreed to the current complicated arrangements. It would involve a UK pet passport having roughly the same status and acceptability as an EU document.
Risks and benefits?
There is an inevitable small health risk in having more animals travelling to and from Europe. But that is outweighed by the social benefits of more people feeling able to travel abroad with their pets, and the economic advantages to the tourist industry.
