Pet Microchip

The first step to prepare your dog, cat or ferret to enter Wales is to have your pet microchipped with an ISO 11784/11785 compliant 15 digit pet microchip.

If your pet currently has a microchip that is not ISO 11784/11785 compliant, then you have 3 choices:

• You can bring your own microchip scanner.
• You can contact the officials at the Border Inspection Post in the United Kingdom where you will arrive and inquire as to whether they have scanners that can read your pet's chip.
• If your pet's current microchip can still be read, your veterinarian can implant compliant chip. The number and implant dates of both microchips must be documented on the EU Health Certificate (see step #5).

A tattoo is an acceptable form of identification as long as it was given prior to July 3, 2011, is clearly visible and your pet was vaccinated for rabies after the tattoo was applied.

Rabies Vaccinations

All dogs, cats and ferrets must have proof of a current rabies vaccination administered after a microchip was implanted to enter Wales.

The first rabies vaccination after the microchip is implanted is called the primary vaccination and it should be a one year vaccine unless manufacturer specifications permit its use as a primary vaccination. If your pet's previous rabies vaccination had expired before being revaccinated, the next vaccination becomes the primary vaccination.

All vaccinations that are administered after the primary vaccination are called booster vaccinations.

If your pet is entering Wales from a rabies-free (click here) or rabies-controlled country (click here), the primary rabies vaccination must be administered no sooner than 21 days before entering Wales.

There is no waiting period after booster vaccinations as long as:

• the previous vaccination was administered after a microchip was implanted AND
• the booster vaccination was administered before the previous vaccination had expired.

Wales does honor the 3 year rabies vaccination for dogs, cats and ferrets; however, it should only be administered as a booster, not as a primary vaccination. You can speak to your veterinarian about this.

Once your pet has entered Wales, a 21 day waiting period is not required for subsequent visits, provided rabies boosters are kept up to date, and the other entry requirements are met.

If your pet is entering Wales from a high-rabies country, it must wait for a minimum of 30 days after the primary or booster vaccination before receiving a rabies titer test (see step #3).

Rabies Titer Test

If your pet is entering Wales from a high-rabies country (click here), your pet must be microchipped, then vaccinated for rabies (in that order). After waiting a minimum of 30 days after the primary or booster vaccination, a rabies titer test must be administered (Have your veterinarian scan your pet's microchip prior to the titer test.) Samples must be processed at approved laboratories. Assuming test results within acceptable limits, your pet can enter Wales no sooner than 3 calendar months after the date the blood was drawn and avoid quarantine. This step is not required unless entering Wales from a high-rabies country (click here). If you do not have 3 calendar months before traveling, your pet will be quarantined for the balance of time required to fulfill the 3 months.

Tapeworm Treatment - Dogs Only

Before your dog can enter Wales, it must be treated against certain tapeworms between one and five days prior to entering the country unless your pet is entering directly from Finland, Ireland, Malta or Norway.

Pet Health Certificate

The type of pet health certificate required for your pet depends on whether or not your pet's transport is accompanied OR it involves a purchase, sale or transfer of ownership. Choose from two options below.

Non-Commercial Transport: the owner or a legal representative of the owner is traveling with or within 5 days of the pet AND the transport does not involve purchase, sale or transfer of ownership.

Non-Commercial Transport to Wales from a country outside of the EU:

Regulations in steps 1 and 2 apply. If entering Austria from a high-rabies country, step 3 applies as well.

A licensed veterinarian in the originating country must complete the non-commercial UK health certificate for Wales within 10 days of travel. Then the forms must be endorsed by the government agency responsible for the import and export of animals.

This form is good for transports of 5 or less dogs, cats or ferrets. The form is good for 4 months of travel within the EU as long as the rabies vaccination documented on it does not expire.

Non-Commercial Transport to Wales from another EU Member State:

Regulations in steps 1 and 2 apply.

Have your veterinarian update an EU Pet Passport for your pet. An EU health certificate is not required for pets traveling to Austria from another EU Member State unless a rabies booster was administered by a veterinarian outside of the EU at any time after your pet received its microchip.

No matter what country you are entering Wales from, you or your representative must sign a Declaration of Non-Commercial Transport stating that your pet's transport does not involve the sale or transfer of ownership of your pet.

The owner or a legal representative of the owner is not traveling with or within 5 days of the pet OR the purpose of the transport involves a sale or transfer of ownership OR more than 5 dogs, cats or ferrets are traveling. If any of these is correct, then your pet will travel under commercial regulations as follows:

Commercial Transport to Wales from a rabies-free or rabies-controlled country outside the EU:

Regulations in steps 1 and 2 will apply. Step 3 will not apply.

A licensed veterinarian in the originating country must complete the commercial UK health certificate for Wales within 48 hours of travel.

This form is good for transports of 5 or less dogs, cats or ferrets. It is valid for 4 months of travel within the EU as long as your pet's rabies vaccination does not expire.

Your pet must enter through an approved Border Inspection Post (BIP) at an international airport in London Heathrow or Gatwick. Notice must be given 24 hours prior to arrival.

All dogs must be vaccinated against distemper.

Commercial Transport to Wales from high-rabies countries outside the EU:

Dogs, cats and ferrets can only enter Wales from these high-rabies countries. Pets must conform to all rules above and also have a titer test according to step 3 above.

Commercial Transport to Wales from another EU Member State:

Regulations in steps 1 and 2 will apply. Step 3 will not apply.

Your pet must travel from a licensed premises which is registered with the governing authority in your EU country responsible for the import and export of animals.

Your veterinarian must obtain and update an EU Pet Passport for your pet.

Your pet's veterinarian must issue an Intratrade health certificate completed within 48 hours of entry.

If your pet is traveling to Wales under commercial regulations from another EU Member State, a licensed agent in the origination country who is registered to enter transports into IPAFFS must handle the transport.

Entering Wales from Malaysia & Australia

If your cat or dog is entering Wales from peninsular Malaysia, the following conditions must be met:

1. Your pet has had no contact with pigs during at least the past 60 days prior to export.
2. Your pet has not lived in a place where cases of Nipah disease have been confirmed during the past 60 days.
3. Your pet has been tested with negative a result to an IgG capture ELISA test carried out in a laboratory approved for testing for Nipah disease viruses within 10 days of export.

Cats may only enter Wales from Australia under the condition that they have not lived in areas where cases of Hendra disease have been confirmed during the past 60 days.

Traveling with more than 5 pets

If you are traveling with 6 or more cats, dogs or ferrets, in order to transport them under non-commercial regulations, they must be 6 months or older and attending or training for a competition, show or sporting event. If this is not the case, your pets must meet the requirements for commercial transport. (see step #5)

Entering Wales by Air

Due to regulations set by commercial airlines approved to fly animals to Wales, pets must arrive as manifest cargo on an approved airline unless they are medically certified service animals or documented emotional support animals and your airline has a program that supports the transport of these animals in the cabin. Accompanied pets entering by air from outside the EU must do so on an approved airline at Border Inspection Posts (BIPs) in London Heathrow, London Gatwick or London Manchester as there are no approved BIPs in Wales. Pets traveling unaccompanied from outside the EU must custom clear at London Heathrow or Gatwick Airports.

Pets should enter Wales directly or transit through another EU Member State. If your pet transits through a high-rabies country, then a Transit Declaration will be required stating that your pet has had no contact with rabies-carrying animals and remained secured within the airplane or airport.

All domestic dogs and cats must be free of evidence of disease communicable to humans when examined at the port of entry to Wales. If your dog or cat is not in apparent good health, further examination by a licensed veterinarian may be required at your expense.

Beginning January 1, 2021, Value Added Tax (VAT) will be due for pets entering the UK from the EU as well as any other country. If entering the UK as visitors, the VAT will be refunded when exiting the UK.

If your pet is transferring residency to the UK, then a Transfer of Residency Form must be filed with customs to avoid paying the tax. Pet owners who have not filled out the form will be refunded when the form is completed and filed.

Pets returning to the UK from another EU country will not be charged VAT as long as proof that the pet exited the UK with the owner is provided.

Pets who have not been owned for at least 6 months or are being purchased are subject to 20% of the value of the pet and the cost of transport and import charges.

Puppies and Kittens

Unvaccinated puppies and kittens under 12 weeks of age are not permitted to enter Wales. Puppies and kittens must be microchipped, then vaccinated for rabies no sooner than 12 weeks of age. All regulations in steps 1-5 will apply.

Banned Breeds

The following breeds are not permitted to enter Wales: Brazilian Fila, Dogo Argentino, Japanese Tosa Inu, or American Staffordshire Pit Bull Terrier. If you have a wolf hybrid or Savannah cat, then you must seek advice from the Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency before you enter Wales.

As of December 21, 2023, American XL Bully breeds will added to the Dangerous Dog Laws and will no longer be approved for import to England and Wales. Owners of these dogs must have them spayed or neutered by June, 2024. They cannot be bred, sold, abondoned or rehomed. They must be muzzled whenever in public.

On February 1, 2024, it will be illegal to own an XL Bully dog if it is not registered on the Index of Exempted Dogs.

Dogs can only be considered for the Index of Exempted Dogs from Dangerous Dog Laws through the courts. Pet owners cannot apply fo exemption when importing their dogs. Only dogs that are returning to the UK after being placed on the exemption list can enter the country.

Exporting Pets Living in Wales

All dogs, cats and ferrets leaving Wales for another EU Member State, it must be microchipped, vaccinated for rabies (in that order) and wait 21 days before leaving the country.

All dogs, cats and ferrets leaving Wales for an EU Member States or Northern Ireland must have an EU health certificate issued within 10 days of travel if they are traveling with their pet. Unaccompanied transports must be recorded in IPAFF and TRACES by a licensed agent.

If you are planning to take your pet on a trip to a high-rabies country, your veterinarian should do a rabies titer test before you leave Wales if you intend to return to the country.

Export Health Certificates will be required for unaccompanied transports. The transport must be entered into the TRACES system if the destination is an EU Member State.

Other Animals

There are no rabies requirements for other species of rodents, rabbits, birds, ornamental fish, intervebrates, amphibians and reptiles imported to Wales from other EU Member States as well as Andorra, Switzerland, Croatia, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Norway and San Marino. However, pet rabbits and rodents imported to the UK will be quarantined for 4 months unless they have lived in an EU Member state for at least 4 months prior to import.

Birds, invertebrates, tropical fish, reptiles, amphibia, mammals such as rodents and rabbits should have a health certificate to enter Wales. Pet owners are strongly advised to seek further information from the relevant authority of their country and/or that of the destination country.

CITES

If your pet is not a dog, cat or ferret, and especially if it is a turtle or parrot, you should verify that it is not protected under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).  You will need to apply for additional permits if this is the case. Over 180 countries participate and enforce CITES regulations.

Need More Assistance?

To the best of our ability, we ensure that recommendations given on PetTravel.com reflect the current regulations. We cannot predict how a given country may enforce these regulations. Noncompliance may result in the need to make arrangements to put your pet into quarantine at your expense, return your pet to the country of origin, or euthanize your pet. We suggest that you minimize the disruptions that may occur by following the rules of the country you are visiting.

Further detail on import permits, costs, tests and procedures are available at minimal cost at PetTravelStore.com. We also stock all the equipment and accessories you will need for traveling with your pet. Same day shipping Monday through Friday until 4:00 PM EST.

 

HAVE QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS???

Due to the high demand, we may be unable to respond to your  question quickly if posted below. If you need a fast response, you can post them directly to our Facebook page, blog, or forum. We will respond as soon as we can.

Please note that the accuracy of comments made from Facebook users other than Pet Travel have not been verified. We do not endorse any person or company that may offer transport services through posts to this webpage.