Travelling Abroad with your Pet

May 14, 2024

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As the summer gets closer, we know that lots of you will be wanting to take your pet on holiday abroad with you.

At Larkmead, a number of our vets are Official Veterinarians, meaning they are licenced to provide you with an Animal Health Certificate for travel.  This AHC replaced the old Pet Passport scheme.

In order to travel to the EU, your pet will need an AHC which can only be issued a maximum of 10 days before the date of travel. This involves an appointment in branch where the vet will check your pet’s fitness to travel and ensure all of the checks are done in order to issue the AHC. The paperwork is then completed and you will be asked to return to collect it once this has been done.

Your pet must be microchipped and have been vaccinated against rabies a minimum of 21 days before travelling.

For some destinations, your dog will also need a tapeworm treatment before travel. Depending on the length of your visit, you will also need to visit a vet abroad and have them give your pet a tapeworm treatment and certify this has been done on your AHC paperwork. Without this your pet will not be allowed back in to the UK.

There are also a number of diseases endemic in Europe that we would recommend you consider protecting your pet against whilst travelling. These include Babesia  and Erlichia (spread by ticks), Heartworm (spread by mosquitoes) and Leishmaniasis (spread by sandflies). Please discuss preventative treatments with your vet.

Some further information is available here.