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Pet travel rules

Taking a pet from Great Britain to the EU

Placeholder: this page summarises the rules as we understand them on the date shown below. Confirm every detail with your vet before travelling.

  • Microchip fitted before, or on the same day as, the rabies vaccination.
  • Rabies vaccination at 12 weeks of age or older, and at least 21 days before travel.
  • An Animal Health Certificate issued by an Official Veterinarian within 10 days of arriving in the EU. Since 22 April 2026 GB residents cannot use EU pet passports to enter the EU.
  • No more than five pets per vehicle for non-commercial travel.

Bringing a dog into Great Britain

  • Tapeworm treatment given by a vet 24 to 120 hours before arrival, recorded in the documents.
  • Dogs that are being sold or rehomed, or that travel more than five days apart from their owner, count as commercial moves and need a health certificate and advance notification.

We keep this page under review and update it whenever the rules change.

Last reviewed on

Documents

Questions about paperwork

What documents does my pet need to travel from the UK to the EU?

Your pet needs a microchip, a rabies vaccination given at least 21 days before travel (the pet must be at least 12 weeks old when vaccinated), and an Animal Health Certificate issued by an Official Veterinarian no more than 10 days before you arrive in the EU. Dogs entering some countries also need a tapeworm treatment recorded by a vet.

We check every document before we leave and tell you exactly when each vet appointment needs to happen.

Can my pet travel on an EU pet passport?

Since 22 April 2026, EU pet passports issued to people living in Great Britain are no longer accepted for entering the EU. GB residents need an Animal Health Certificate for each trip. Passports issued to residents of an EU country are still valid.

Rules change, so we confirm the current requirements with your vet before every journey.

What is the tapeworm rule for dogs coming into Great Britain?

A vet must treat your dog against tapeworm (praziquantel) between 24 and 120 hours before arriving in Great Britain and record it in the pet’s documents. We plan the treatment window around the departure time and remind you the day before.

Where we go

From any UK address to these countries

Regular destinations across Europe, with the price a journey starts from. Every country page explains what your pet needs to enter.

Popular journeys

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Not sure what your pet needs?

Send us the route and we will list every document and the date each one needs to be done.

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