Pet Microchip

The first step to prepare your dog, cat or ferret to enter England 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 England 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 Vaccination

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

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 England 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 England.

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.

England 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 England, 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 England 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 England from a high-rabies country, your pet must be microchipped, then vaccinated for rabies (in that order, but same vet visit is acceptable). After waiting a minimum of 30 days after primary or booster vaccinations, a rabies titer test (FAVN) 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 England no sooner than 3 calendar months after the date the blood was drawn and avoid quarantine. This step is not required unless entering the United Kingdom from a high-rabies country. 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 England, it must be treated against certain tapeworms one to five days prior to entering the country unless your pet is entering directly from another UK country, Finland, Ireland, Malta or Norway.

Health Certificate

The type of 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 England from a country outside of the EU:

Regulations in steps 1 and 2 apply. If entering England 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 England within 10 days of travel. If your pet is traveling from the United States, the veterinarian must be accredited by the USDA and the health certificate must be endorsed by the State USDA office.

The CFIA must endorse forms issued by Canadian veterinarians.

If traveling to England from another country, 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. (see step 7 if you are traveling with more than 5 pets). 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 England from another EU Member State or a Country Whose Pet Passport is Accepted:

Pet Passports are accepted from the following countries: Andorra, Azores and Madeira, Canary Islands, French Guiana, Gibraltar, Greenland and the Faroe Islands, Guadeloupe, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Martinique, Monaco, Norway, Reunion, San Marino, Switzerland and Vatican City.

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

Have your veterinarian update your pet's Pet Passport. A UK health certificate is not required for pets traveling to England from another EU Member State or countries listed above (EU Pet Passports are accepted) unless a rabies booster was administered by a veterinarian outside of the EU at any time after your pet received its microchip which is not recorded in the EU Pet Passport.

A GB health certificate is required for pets traveling to the United Kingdom from another EU Member State or countries listed in step #6 unless your pet has a current EU Pet Passport. Pets entering the UK from Northern Ireland non-commercially are not subject to these requirements. Checks on pet travel between the UK and Northern Ireland have been suspended indefinitely.

No matter what country you are entering England 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.

Commercial Transport: 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 with or without their owner.

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

Regulations in steps 1 and 2 apply.

A licensed veterinarian in the originating country must complete the commercial UK health certificate within 48 hours of travel. If your pet is traveling from the United States, the veterinarian must be accredited by the USDA for endorsement by the State USDA.

The CFIA must endorse forms issued by Canadian veterinarians.

If traveling to England from another country, 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. (see step 7 for transports of more than 5 pets.) The form is good for 4 months of travel within the EU as long as the rabies vaccination documented on it does not expire.

Your pet must enter england at an approved Border Inspection Post (BIP) at an international airport in Heathrow or Gatwick. Notice must be given a minimum of 48 hours prior to arrival.

All dogs must be vaccinated against distemper.

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

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

Commercial Transport to England from another EU Member State:

Regulations in steps 1 and 2 apply. Step 3 does 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 either obtain and update an EU Pet Passport for your pet.

An Intratrade health certificate completed within 48 hours of entry will be required.

If your pet is traveling to England 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 England from Malaysia & Australia

If your pet is entering England 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 England 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 England by Air

Due to regulations set by commercial airlines approved to fly animals to the UK, pets must arrive as manifest (air) 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.

Unless traveling from Ireland, accompanied pets entering by air from outside the UK must do so on an approved airline at Border Inspection Posts of London Heathrow, London Gatwick, London Manchester, Edinburg, Glasgow aor Dublin. Pets traveling unaccompanied must enter the United Kingdom at London Heathrow, Gatwick or Edinburgh Airports.

Pets should enter England 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 England. 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 are not permitted to enter the UK. 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 or their mixes are not permitted to enter or transit England: Brazilian Fila, Dogo Argentino, Japanese Tosa Inu or American Staffordshire Pit Bull Terrier. Also some kinds of American Bulldogs have been found to be Pit Bulls.

It is illegal to enter or transit England with any of these breeds or their mixes.

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 Frbruary 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 UK 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.

Please note that the ban also applies to dogs that spend time in the United Kingdom during transit to other countries.

If you have a wolf hybrid or Savannah cat, then you must seek advice from the Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency before you travel.

Exporting Pets

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

All dogs, cats and ferrets leaving England for an EU Member States or Northern Ireland must have an Export Application Form and an Animal Health Certificate issued by an Official Veterinarian unless they have an EU Pet Passport issued in the European Union. All pets must enter the EU or Northern Ireland at travelers point of entry (border inspection posts). Dogs, cats and ferrets leaving England for other countries must have an Export Health Certificate issued by an Official Veterinarian.

If you are planning to take your pet on a trip to a country with a high incidence of rabies, your veterinarian should do a rabies titer test before you leave the country if you intend to return. You don't have to wait 3 months if your pet has an EU Pet Passport and its vaccination and blood test were done in the EU and recorded in the pet passport.

Other Animals

There are no rabies requirements for other species of rodents, rabbits, birds, ornamental fish, intervebrates, amphibians and reptiles (except red-eared sliders) imported to the UK 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.

Red-eared sliders need a special license to enter the United Kingdom.

Bird owners or their representative are permitted to enter the UK from certain countries with their birds under the following conditions:

• Application for a Licence to Import Pet Birds, health certificate and owner's declaration must accompany your bird.
• Your bird must reside in an OIE member country.
• You are not importing more than 5 birds.
• Your bird must have undergone isolation for 30 days prior to export OR
• Two vaccinations against avian influenza with the H5 vaccine between 60 days and 6 months of import OR
• 10 days of isolation and undergone a test to detect the H5N1antigen or genome OR
• 30 days of quarantine in a registered premesis in the United Kingdom or other EU countries.
• All permits must accompany birds that are covered by CITES.
• Export permits may be required by the wildlife authority in the exporting country.

Pet owners of other animals 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 Advice?

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.

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