Pet Travel Documentation

In January 2021, UK pet passports stopped being valid for pet travel outside of Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales), including to Northern Ireland. An Animal Health Certificate (AHC) or Export Health Certificate (EHC) must be obtained for every trip outside of Great Britain. The type of documentation required will depend on the country you are travelling to. 

It is your responsibility to find out the requirements for the country you are travelling to, and ensure you have everything you need to be eligible for travel. 

Who can issue pet export documents?  

To be allowed to issue export AHCs and EHCs, vets must qualify as an Official Veterinarian (OV) and complete revalidation every four years. This is not compulsory, and not every practice will have a qualified OV.  

A standard OV qualification allows a vet to certify non-commercial exports of cats, dogs and ferrets, as well as some exotic species kept as pets. Different qualifications are required for export of large animals (such as farm animals or horses), zoo animals, laboratory animals and poultry.  

What do I need to do? 

Requirements to travel will depend on where you are travelling to, and with what type of pet. For more information, see the following articles: 

• Pet travel within the EU 
• Pet travel outside of the EU 
• Travelling with your pet 

It is essential to plan well in advance for any trip and speak to your veterinary practice as soon as possible to ensure appointment availability. 

Disclaimer

Please note that the content made available on this webpage is for general information purposes only. Whilst we try to ensure that at the time of writing all material is up to date and reflects industry standards, we make no representation, warranties or guarantees that the information made available is up to date, accurate or complete. Any reliance placed by yourselves is done so at your own risk.