Travelling with your dog to Europe

You can travel with your dog to EU countries and others around Europe without them needing quarantine. All you need is your dog to be microchipped, have the rabies jab before travel and tapeworm treatment before return plus, of course, a Pet Passport.

Here are more details on what you need to do before your dog is eligible for a Pet Passport:

1. Your dog must be microchipped.
2. To be vaccinated against rabies your pet must be at least 12 weeks old, and if it’s their first vaccine, you will have to wait at least 21 days before you can travel with them. The reason is that your dog must be at least 15 weeks old before returning to the UK.
3. If your dog needs a booster and doesn’t have it, you will need to wait 3 weeks before travelling after the vaccination.
4. Before re-entering the UK, your dog must have tapeworm treatment at least 24 hours and not more than 5 days before the return. If your trip is short, you can have it done by your vet before you leave the UK and this treatment will need to be repeated 28 days later.

After meeting all the of the above requirements, your Pet Passport can be issued by the Pet Travel Scheme, and your vet needs to be an Official Vet to be able to issue the passport for your dog.

Your Pet Passport will be valid for life as long as you keep it up to date with rabies and booster vaccinations which are required every 2-3 years.