Taking your pet abroad in 2021? - Thu 25th February 2021
Some helpful inforamation about taking your pet abroad in 2021.
Extract from MoneySavingExpert
Taking your pet to the EU or Northern Ireland? What you need to do
The new rules only apply to dogs - including assistance dogs - cats and ferrets. If you want to take another animal abroad, you'll have to comply with the national rules of the EU country you're going to.
You also won't be able to take more than five pets to an EU country or Northern Ireland unless you’re attending or training for a competition, show or sporting event - and you'll need to provide proof of this.
If you want to take five or fewer dogs, cats or ferrets to the EU or Northern Ireland from 1 January 2021, you'll need to complete the following steps the first time you go:
You must have your dog, cat or ferret microchipped, if they're not already
You must vaccinate your dog, cat or ferret against rabies – your pet must be at least 12 weeks old before it can be vaccinated
You'll need to wait 21 days after the primary vaccination before travel
You must visit your vet with your pet to get an animal health certificate, no more than 10 days before travel
In addition, if travelling to Finland, Malta, Northern Ireland, Norway or Republic of Ireland with a dog, you need to ensure it's received treatment for tapeworm one to five days before arrival in these countries. This needs to be detailed on the pet's animal health certificate
The following requirements will allow you to take your pet away for a maximum of four months. If you remain in the EU or Northern Ireland for longer than four months, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs says you should speak to a vet in the EU or Northern Ireland regarding documentary options for onward travel or returning to Great Britain.
As long as you keep your pets' rabies vaccinations up-to-date, you don't need to get repeat vaccinations for subsequent trips to the EU or Northern Ireland (other than tapeworm treatments for dogs visiting those countries listed above). But you will need to apply for a new animal health certificate for each trip.
Remember to take your animal health certificate with you when you travel, alongside proof of microchipping, rabies vaccinations and tapeworm treatment (where required), as you made need to show these when you enter the EU country or Northern Ireland.
Posted by Bruce Gibson
