I recently began investigating the idea of traveling to Europe with my two dogs and discovered that it’s not always an easy thing to do, but it is possible, providing you do your research far in advance regarding shots, health requirements of the country you’re visiting and the rules governing in-cabin pet travel with various transatlantic airline carriers.
The first thing I did was contact the embassy for the countries I was thinking of traveling to, namely England, Spain and France. Although Spain and France are similar in requirements, i.e. EU ISOP subcutaneous microchip and rabies vaccination at least one month and not more than one year prior to arrival and a licensed vet certificate saying your dog is in good health, England, being an island, is quite different in its requirements. Firstly, you need to know you’re going to England at least 6-7 months in advance because the rabies shots require blood test work done to show that there is enough antibodies in your dog’s blood at least six months prior to entering the United Kingdom. You also will need a subcutaneous microchip (Euro ISOP) implanted into your dog, proof of treatment for fleas and tapeworm 24 to 48 hours prior to traveling as well as a certificate of good health.
Once inside the United Kingdom with your pet, you can go to a U.K. veterinarian and get a Pets Travel Scheme Passport (PETS) that is valid for travel to and from the United Kingdom as long as your pet’s shots are up to date. If you travel to the U.K. with your dog, remember that if you plan on going on to another European country with your pet, you must wait at least 21 days after arrival into the U.K. If you plan to move around the EU with your pets, you may want to consider getting a pet passport once you arrive in the EU. The EU Pet Passport confirms your dog is in good health and has its shots up to date. It is good in all European countries except the United Kingdom, which uses the Pet Travel Scheme Passport (PETS). While all this seems like a lot of work to bring your pet to the United Kingdom, keep in mind it has only been a few years since they lifted their mandatory six month quarantine on pets entering the country. With the new rules, you are really doing the quarantine period at home. This includes the blood tests six months in advance of bringing your dog to the U.K. For more information on the requirements for entering the United Kingdom with your pet, go to https://www.bajatraveler.net/