Pet Passports: The post-Brexit travel rules for trips between France and the UK

Since the end of the Brexit transition period, the UK is no longer part of the EU-created Pet Passport scheme.

READ ALSO Travel to France: What has changed since Brexit

Here's what this means if you are travelling with a dog, cat or a ferret:

You live in France

If you live in France and your pet's passport was issued by your vet in France, then nothing changes.

You can continue to use the French-issued passport on trips to the UK, and to countries within the EU.

If you live in France but are still using a UK-issued Pet Passport, you will need to get your French vet to issue you a new one. In order for this to be issued, your pet must be registered in the I-CAD national register (which is a legal requirement even if you don't plan on travelling).

You live in the UK

However for people who live in the UK, there are big changes to travel.

The EU says: "From January 1st 2021, EU pet passports issued to a pet owner resident in Great Britain are no longer valid for travel with pets from Great Britain to an EU country or Northern Ireland."

However the UK has been granted 'listed' status by the EU, which means things are not as complicated as they might have been.

Instead of a Pet Passport, dogs, cats and ferrets now need an Animal Health Certificate (AHC) - the big difference between this and the passport is that the AHC is only valid for one trip, so you will need a new certificate in advance of each trip to France.

Vets in the UK have been issuing AHCs since December 2020. To get one you need;

• Proof of your pet's microchipping history
• Your pet's vaccination record
• A certificate for a rabies vaccination that was carried out at least 21 days before the date of travel

The certificate costs an average of £100, although different vets charge different amounts, and obviously if you are travelling with more than one animal you need a certificate for each one.

Once you have the certificate, it is valid for entry to the EU for just 10 days - so your appointment needs to be close to your date of travel. The certificate can only be used for one entry to the EU.

Once you are in France, the certificate is valid for onward travel to other countries within the EU for four months and for re-entry to the UK for four months. If you intend to stay longer than four months in France, you will need to get a new certificate in order to re-enter the UK.

The EU rules state that arrivals from a non-EU country should also have a written declaration that their pet's relocation is for non-commercial reasons, although this can be in the form of a simple letter. 

Second-home owners

There had previously been some confusion about the situation for second-home owners as some French vets had been happy to issue certificates with only proof of an address in France (eg a utility bill).

However the French government has now clarified the rules on this, requiring that pets be registered within the French domestic registry in order to get an EU Pet Passport.

This can only be done if the pet is staying in France for more than three months. The three months must be consecutive, not over the course of a year.

UK pets’ owners will normally require a visa if they want to stay in France for more than three months at a time (unless they have dual nationality with an EU country) – find full details on the rules for people HERE.