The most popular travel destination in the world and the one we get the most questions about is undoubtedly Europe. Europe is filled with beauty, history, great food, adventure and has been pet friendly for many years. It has also become easier for pet owners to bring a pet to Europe and enjoy the Member States without being subjected to quarantine. And it all started with the advent of the Pet Travel Scheme (PETS) on October 1, 2001.
Pet Travel Scheme (“PETS“) is an EU legislation that allows pets traveling with their owners to travel at their leisure within all EU Member States with the use of either an EU Pet Passport or an EU Health Certificate (Annex IV). The latter is valid for 4 months of travel or until your pet’s rabies vaccination expires, whichever comes first.
The History of the Pet Travel Scheme
For more than 100 years, the United Kingdom (then a member of the European Union) had a strictly enforced quarantine program in effect. If you brought in a dog, cat, or ferret, and they had to spend six months in one of 80 quarantine kennels in Great Britain, with virtually no exercise and with only the kennels’ contracted veterinarians to check them out. There were no uniform statutes governing these kennels; the kennel owners voluntarily agreed to provide respectable care, but this often was lacking.
The final straw came in 1987, when Lady Mary and Sir John Fretwell returned to England from their final post in Paris. “We came back with our basset hound,” Lady Fretwell says, “and it was a terrible quarantine experience. Our beloved Bertie, our favorite of all the bassets we’ve had over the years, was a different dog after this horrible experience, and died soon afterwards. This pushed us into doing something about the quarantine situation in the UK.”
The result was an organization called “Passports for Pets,” and because of the untiring efforts by the Fretwells and 10,000 members and many volunteers who pushed for changes in the pet entry system, there is now in place a specific method of bringing cats and dogs into the UK and EU without going through quarantine.
On February 28, 2000, the first phase of the Pet Travel Scheme was implemented, and the first pets arrived at Folkestone via the Eurotunnel Shuttle Service and Ferries. Since that time, thousands of pets from designated non-EU countries have come into the United Kingdom without quarantine and with surprisingly few problems.
The Pet Travel Scheme Today
Over the years, the Pet Travel Scheme has changed. One change was in December 2014 where the concept of commercial versus non-commercial transport was legislated. (More about this below.)
The latest change in the news is the withdrawal of Great Britain from the European Union (Brexit). To date, Northern Ireland, although a member of the United Kingdom, is still under PETS legislation with regard to the import and export of animals. Great Britain has adopted a number of PETS policies; however, it has developed its own health certificates.
Bringing a pet to the European Union
To import your dog, cat or ferret to any European Union country, it must be microchipped first. No vaccinations that are given before the microchip will be recognized. Even if your pet’s current rabies vaccination has not expired, it still must be re-vaccinated for rabies at the same time or after the microchip is implanted.
Entering the European Union from an unlisted country
The next step depends on which country you are entering the EU from. If it is an unlisted country, then your pet must wait for a minimum 30 days after the rabies vaccination (not counting the day of veterinary visit) before getting your dog, cat or ferret a rabies titer test. The sample must be sent overnight in a refrigerated blood pack to an approved laboratory for processing. Assuming your pet’s antibody levels are at least 0.5 IU/ml, then your pet can enter the EU without quarantine 3 calendar months after the day the blood was taken for the test.
Good news is that the EU will consider your pet’s titer test valid for the life of your pet as long as its rabies vaccination does not expire before booster shots are administered.
Entering the European Union from other countries
If your pet is entering the EU from any other country other than an unlisted country, it will not need the titer test. It can enter the EU after waiting at least 21 days after the rabies vaccination is administered. So basically, the only documentation required is proof of microchip, rabies vaccination and an endorsed health certificate. No import permits or special tests or treatments (other than the tapeworm treatment referenced below) are required by PETS legislation.
One last thing: if your dog is traveling to the UK, Ireland, Norway, Finland Malta, it will need a tapeworm treatment administered by a licensed veterinarian between one and five days of entering those countries. This assumes that it is not entering any of these countries directly from another country listed here. (Entering the UK from Ireland, or entering Finland from Norway) In these cases, the tapeworm treatment is not required.
Commercial Versus Non-Commercial Transport
The regulations of the Pet Travel Scheme also define transport as commercial or non-commercial. The regulations apply only to non-commercial transport. The EU defines non-commercial transport as pets that are either traveling with or within 5 days of their owners. The purpose of the transport cannot be for resale, adoption or transfer of ownership.
If you or a designated representative cannot travel with or within 5 days of your pet, it will travel under the Balai Directive regulations. (commercial regulations)
Related: More information about your destination country pet import regulations.
Arriving in the EU
If you are flying to the EU, whether you fly with your pet in the cabin, or they must travel in the cargo hold is an airline pet policy and differs with every airline. No EU Member State requires that your pet arrive as air cargo. Pets can enter the EU by ground, in the cabin or cargo hold of an aircraft as checked baggage.
Consider bringing your pet to visit the European Union. Thank the Pet Travel Scheme for making it much easier for you both to enjoy.
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