C4.7 Bringing Pets to the UK¶
Bringing Your Pet Dog, Cat or Ferret to Great Britain (October 2025)
Official link: https://www.gov.uk/bring-pet-to-great-britain
Reminder: This document mainly covers bringing pet dogs, cats or ferrets into or back to Great Britain (here referring primarily to England, Wales and Scotland). Different processes apply to other animals.
To bring your cat, dog or ferret into England, Wales and Scotland, you must complete the following steps:
Check your travel route: Ensure the travel route and company you use are approved. No approved route is required if departing from within Great Britain, Ireland or Northern Ireland. Guide dogs/assistance dogs have access to more routes.
Have a microchip implanted: A microchip must be implanted in your pet before or at the same time as the rabies vaccination.
Get a rabies vaccination: Your pet must be vaccinated against rabies. After the initial vaccination, you must wait at least 21 full days before travelling. The specific waiting period depends on the type of vaccine.
Obtain pet travel documents: Depending on the country/region you are departing from, you need to get the corresponding travel documents from a vet.
Dog tapeworm treatment: If you are bringing a dog, it generally needs to receive tapeworm treatment from a vet between 24 hours and 5 days before entry, with the treatment recorded.
Complete a declaration: If you do not intend to sell or transfer ownership of the pet, you need to fill out a declaration.
Comply with additional rules: Additional rules apply if the pet is for sale/transfer of ownership, arrives more than 5 days after you, or if you are bringing more than 5 pets (and they are not for participating in/training for events/competitions).
Consequences of non-compliance: Your pet may be quarantined for up to 4 months, or refused entry (if arriving by sea), and you will be liable for related costs.
Authorise others to carry your pet: You can authorise someone in writing to carry your pet for travel.
Detailed Requirements
1. Travel Routes
You can only enter England, Wales and Scotland using approved routes and companies.
Always check the "approved routes" list before travelling, as it may change or be open seasonally.
Guide dogs/assistance dogs have access to more routes.
Confirm before booking: Whether the travel company accepts pets, any quantity restrictions, and whether documents such as health certificates are required.
Transport methods:
Air travel: Pets generally must be transported as cargo, unless you are travelling on a private charter flight or carrying a guide dog/assistance dog.
Sea travel or Channel Tunnel: Confirm with the company that pets are allowed.
Private boats: Private boats can only be used to bring pets into England, Wales and Scotland if departing from Ireland or Northern Ireland.
No approved route or company is required when travelling from Ireland to England, Wales and Scotland. For travel to Northern Ireland, contact the relevant Northern Ireland authorities.
2. Microchipping
Implantation: Must be done before or at the same time as the rabies vaccination.
Operator: Must be carried out by a qualified person (e.g., a vet, a trained and assessed individual, etc.).
Records: Ensure the vet records the microchip number and implantation/reading date in the pet passport or health certificate, with the date being earlier than the vaccination date.
Reading standards: Generally must comply with ISO standards. If not, you may need to bring your own microchip reader and confirm with the travel company in advance.
Consequences of unreadable microchips: If the microchip cannot be read upon entry, the pet may be refused entry or quarantined.
Handling microchip issues:
If completely unreadable: A new microchip must be implanted, the pet must be re-vaccinated against rabies, re-tested for blood, new documents obtained, and the waiting period recalculated.
If intermittently readable: The vet should attempt to read it and implant a new microchip (without removing the old one), then record detailed information about both the old and new microchips, the date, and sign and stamp the passport.
Tattoos: Can only replace microchips under specific conditions (e.g., tattooed before 3 July 2011, clearly legible, and vaccinated after tattooing), with detailed information recorded in documents.
3. Rabies Vaccination and Boosters
Requirement: Vaccination is mandatory.
Timing: Pets must be at least 12 weeks old to be vaccinated. A microchip must be implanted first. You must wait at least 21 full days (counting from the day after vaccination) before travelling; some vaccines require a longer waiting period.
Vaccine type: Must be an inactivated or recombinant vaccine, approved for use in the country of administration.
Primary course: Pets must complete the initial rabies vaccination (which may involve multiple doses).
Missed boosters: If a booster is not given on time, the entire vaccination process must be restarted. If coming from a non-EU, unlisted country, a new blood test is also required.
Boosters within validity period: If vaccine protection is not interrupted, no waiting period is needed after a booster vaccination before travelling.
Record content: The rabies vaccination record in the passport or health certificate must include the pet’s date of birth, microchip details, vaccination date, vaccine details, validity period, vet’s signature and contact information, etc.
Passport versions: Note the differences in completion requirements between pet passports issued after 29 December 2014 and those issued after 1 January 2021.
4. Rabies Blood Test
Only required if departing from a non-EU, unlisted country.
Process:
Blood samples must be taken at least 30 days after vaccination.
Blood samples must be sent to an EU-approved laboratory for testing.
Results must show success (antibody level ≥ 0.5 IU/ml).
The vet must provide a copy of the test results and record the blood sampling date in the passport or health certificate.
A 3-month waiting period after the blood sampling date is required before travelling.
Exception: If the pet completed rabies vaccination, blood testing and obtained a passport or health certificate in the EU before travelling to an unlisted country, no additional 3-month waiting period is needed when returning.
Continuous validity: As long as the pet’s rabies vaccination remains valid, the blood test result remains valid.
5. Dog Tapeworm Treatment
Requirement: Before each entry of a dog into England, Wales and Scotland, it must receive tapeworm treatment from a vet, with the treatment recorded in documents.
Exemption: No treatment is required when entering England, Wales and Scotland directly from Finland, Ireland, Northern Ireland, Malta or Norway.
Treatment medication: Must use medication approved in the country of treatment and containing praziquantel or an equivalent ingredient.
Record content: The vet must record the product name and manufacturer, treatment date and time in the "tapeworm treatment" section of the document, then sign and stamp it.
Treatment timing: Must be completed between 24 hours and 5 days (120 hours) before entry.
Travel delays: If a delay causes entry to occur more than 5 days after treatment, the dog may need re-treatment.
Short trips:
Returning within 24 hours of departure: Treatment must be completed before departure, and you must wait 24 hours before re-entering.
Returning within 5 days of departure: Treatment can also be completed before departure, with re-entry required between 24 hours and 5 days after treatment.
If the above time limits are exceeded, re-treatment must be done abroad. It is recommended to administer treatment again within 28 days of return.
6. Required Pet Travel Documents
Documents required depend on the country/region of departure:
Departing from an EU country: You can use an EU or country-specific pet passport, an animal health certificate (AHC) issued in England, Wales and Scotland within the past 4 months, a Great Britain pet health certificate, or a pet passport issued in the UK before 1 January 2021.
Departing from Northern Ireland, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man: No pet passport or health certificate is required.
Departing from other parts of the world (listed and unlisted countries):
Listed countries: Most countries/regions (e.g., the USA, Canada, Australia, Japan, etc.) generally require a Great Britain pet health certificate. A small number of countries/regions (e.g., Norway, Switzerland, Iceland, etc.) also accept EU pet passports or AHCs. Refer to the provided country list for details.
Unlisted countries: A Great Britain pet health certificate is required, and the pet must undergo a rabies blood test.
Special requirements:
Cats from Australia: A certificate issued by the Australian Department of Agriculture is required, confirming the cat had no contact with Hendra virus within 60 days before departure.
Dogs and cats from Peninsular Malaysia: A certificate issued by Malaysia’s government veterinary health department is required, confirming the pet had no contact with pigs, no access to Nipah virus outbreak sites within 60 days before departure, and tested negative for Nipah virus antibodies.
7. Pet Passports
Place of issue: Must be issued by an authorised vet in an authorised country (primarily EU countries and listed countries such as Andorra, Switzerland, Norway).
Application: Take your pet, identification, vaccination records and blood test results (if required) to a vet authorised to issue pet passports.
Content requirements: Must correctly complete sections for owner details, animal description, identification, rabies vaccination, blood test (if required), issuing vet details (for passports issued after 29 December 2014), and dog tapeworm treatment (if required).
Completion authority: Only vets in EU countries can complete rabies vaccination details in EU pet passports. Vets from any country can complete tapeworm treatment details.
When travelling: Original copies of all documents must be carried. In some cases (e.g., if a blood test was done), it is recommended to carry old passports.
8. Animal Health Certificates (AHCs)
Applicable conditions: Departing from an EU country or a country that accepts AHCs, with the AHC issued in England, Wales and Scotland and less than 4 months old at the time of entry.
Content: Must be correctly completed, signed and dated by a vet, and include records of vaccination and tapeworm treatment.
Expiry handling: If staying abroad for more than 4 months, a pet passport (if available) or a Great Britain pet health certificate obtained in the country of stay is required for return.
9. Great Britain Pet Health Certificates
Applicability: Can be used when travelling from any country.
Issuance: Must be signed, stamped and dated by an Official Veterinarian (OV). If your vet is not an OV, contact the local competent authority to complete the process.
Validity: Entry into England, Wales and Scotland must occur within 10 days of the certificate being issued.
Arriving in England, Wales and Scotland
Inspections: Upon arrival, your pet’s microchip and documents will be inspected. Inspections may sometimes take place before boarding (e.g., for sea travel or Channel Tunnel crossings).
Consequences of non-compliance: If documents are incorrect or not prepared as required, the pet may be quarantined or returned, and you will be liable for related costs.
Entry from outside the EU: Pets generally need to go through customs clearance before you can collect them. You can pay an agent, travel company or airline to handle this. Otherwise, contact the arrival port customs or HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) National Clearance Hub in advance.
Special Categories
1. Guide Dogs and Assistance Dogs
Advantages: Have access to more travel routes and can enter areas generally off-limits to pets (e.g., aircraft cabins).
Definition: An "approved assistance dog" refers to a dog trained to actively assist its owner with disability or health needs, including guide dogs, hearing dogs, medical alert dogs, etc. Dogs providing only emotional support are generally not recognised.
Must still comply with general dog travel rules.
Different transport methods:
Air travel: Airlines must allow assistance dogs when departing from the EU or travelling on UK/EU airline flights. Advance notice is required (usually at least 48 hours).
Sea travel: Ferry or cruise services departing from the EU must allow assistance dogs. Advance notice is required.
Rail travel: Rail companies in Great Britain must accept assistance dogs, but additional conditions may apply—confirm in advance.
2. Bringing More Than 5 Pets
General restriction: You cannot bring more than 5 pets unless they are for participating in/training for competitions, exhibitions or sports events (written registration proof is required).
Requirements: All pets must be at least 6 months old, meet pet travel regulations, and you need to complete a declaration.
Additional rules: If bringing more than 5 pets not for the above purposes, or involving pet rehoming, sale or ownership transfer, additional rules must be followed.
Help and Support
Pet travel assistance:
Email: pettravel@apha.gov.uk
Phone: 03000 200 301
Working hours: Monday to Friday, 8:30 am to 5:00 pm (closed on bank holidays)
Complaints: Contact the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) [https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/animal-and-plant-health-agency/about/complaints-procedure].
Reporting illegal pet imports: Contact your local Trading Standards office [https://www.gov.uk/find-local-trading-standards-office]. In London, contact the City of London Animal Health and Welfare Team.