Pet Passport – International Travel With Pets

If you’re planning to travel internationally with your pet, you should know that there are several requirements – you must have proof of vaccination, blood tests (to some destinations) and proof of certain medical treatments. In order to travel internationally with your pet, authorities around the world also require certain certificates/documents. One of these required documents could be a Pet Passport.

This handy document helps simplify the process of crossing borders and ensures that you have proof of all your pet’s treatments. That’s right, a pet passport contains all the necessary paperwork, vaccinations and health records needed for international travel, making it easier for your pet to cross borders without any unexpected surprises.

With a pet passport, you can ensure that your pet will have a stress-free experience while traveling. Read on to learn more about how to get a pet passport and what you need to prepare for an international trip with your four-legged companion.

What Is A Pet Passport?

Most pet owners think that they need their pets to have a “pet passport” to travel internationally. They think this because they assume a pet passport has the same power and meaning as a their passport (“an official document issued by a government, certifying the holder’s identity and citizenship and entitling them to travel under its protection to/from foreign countries”).

Unlike our (human) passports, a pet passport is, in short, an organized vaccination booklet. This booklet contains important information about the pet, such as its breed, age, microchip number (and implantation date), vaccine information (the administrated date of the vaccine, expiry date, batch number, manufacture, etc.), blood tests (such as the rabies titer test) and health information.

EU Pet Passport

Around the year 2000, the European Parliament introduced the Pet Travel Scheme, or in short – PETS. If the conditions of the scheme were met, pet owners of dogs (Canis lupus familiaris), cats (Felis silvestris catus) and/or ferrets (Mustela putorius furo), were allowed to travel into and between EU countries without quarantine. European pet passports can’t be issued for other type of pets, such as birds, reptiles, rabbits, etc.

Pet passports are only issued in the EU and only authorized EU vets can fill in the main sections of the passport. The pet passport is valid for life as long as your pets rabies vaccination are kept up to date (renewed on time by an EU vet).

Important note: having a pet passport, on its own, isn’t always enough to re-enter the EU. We recommend you view the requirements with your airline and destination country. If help is needed, you can always get in touch with us. We have a consultation service where we could check your docs and guide you exactly what your pet will need.

Pet Passports After Brexit

If you travel frequently between the EU and the UK, you are probably wondering if your pet’s passport is still valid. Well, unfortunately, there has been some changes since Brexit.

In January 2021, Great Britain became a “Listed Country”. For pet owners, this means that a pet passport won’t be enough – an “Animal Health Certificate” will be needed as well.

If you would like to travel with your pet from the UK to an EU country or Northern Ireland, your pet will need a microchip, a valid rabies vaccine, an animal health certificate and a tapeworm treatment (if you have a dog and you travel to Finland, Ireland, Northern Ireland, Norway or Malta).

If you would like to travel with your pet to the UK, you will need one of the following documents:

• a pet passport if you come from a “Part 1 Listed Country” or if the passport was issued in the UK before 2021.
• an Animal Health Certificate issued in the UK. The certificate is valid for 4 months from the date it was issued.
• a UK health certificate.

FAQ

Here are some frequently asked questions about Pet Passports:

Question #1: Do pet passports exist?

Yes, but only in the EU and only for dogs, cats and ferrets.

Question #2: Why get a pet passport?

Having a valid pet passport will allow your pet to travel into and between EU countries without quarantine.

Question #3: What countries accept pet passports?

The following countries accept pet passports: Andorra, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Republic of Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Faroe Islands, Finland, France, Germany, Gibraltar, Great Britain, Greece, Greenland, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, Netherlands, Northern Ireland, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, San Marino, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden, Switzerland and Vatican.

Question #4: When is a pet passport required?

It isn’t a requirement, but a recommendation, in order to simplify traveling with your pet.

Question #5: Who can enter information in an EU Pet Passport?

In general, only “authorized veterinarians” (EU vets) can enter details in the main sections of a pet passport (such as the rabies vaccination section). However, a vet that isn’t in the EU can enter information related to other vaccinations and tapeworm treatments. Pet owners should make sure that non-EU vets don’t enter information in any section that is designated to authorized vets as this could make their pet’s passport invalid.

How Can We Help?

We are a private company that specializes in pet relocation. Our team has all the knowledge and experience to assist pet owners with their pets’ relocation.

We provide a wide range of services including pet transport, customs clearance and documentation. We also offer personalized guidance/consultation to ensure that the relocation process is stress-free for both you and your pet.

Not every pet owner needs assistance. If you are one of those that don’t, we hope that you at least enjoyed our article!