What is an EU Pet Passport?
An EU Pet Passport is a document, which follows an EU standard model and is essential for travelling with your dog within the European Union and the UK. The pet passport includes the following important information:
- Description and details of pet including their date of birth.
- Microchip number
- Record of a valid rabies vaccination
- Vaccination records
EU Pet Passports can only be issued by an authorized veterinarian in the EU. When Pedro and I travelled to Europe in April of 2023, we entered the EU with an Animal Health Certificate issued by our veterinarian in Canada. As soon as I registered Pedro in the EU, I was able to get an EU Pet Passport for him. I still had to travel with copies of his vaccination records from Canada until such time as they expire and a veterinarian in the EU administers and records the updated vaccinations in Pedro’s EU Pet Passport.
Since Brexit the UK no longer issues EU Pet Passports and if you are travelling from the UK to the EU you will need to get an Animal Health Certificate from an authorized veterinarian in the UK.
Important Notes:
An EU pet passport is valid for life as long as your pet’s rabies vaccination is up-to-date. Only an authorized veterinarian located in the EU can record vaccinations in the EU pet passport with the exception of the Tapeworm (Echinococcus) Treatment, which can be recorded by a veterinarian outside the EU.
Animal Health Certificate
If you are travelling from a non-EU country or territory, your dog must have an EU animal health certificate issued by an official State vet in the country of departure not more than 10 days before your dog arrives in the EU. The certificate is valid for travel between EU countries for 4 months from this date or until the anti-rabies vaccination expires, whichever lapses first.
When I travelled with Pedro from Canada to Europe, I had to first make an appointment with my veterinarian to have them complete the required documentation for the Animal Health Certificate. Afterward, I had to have all of the documentation reviewed and signed by the Canada Animal Inspections Local Animal Health Office.
For more information see:
Vaccinations
It is crucial that your dog is current on all of their vaccinations and that they are administered in the correct sequence.
Rabies
A rabies vaccination is mandatory for travelling with your dog within the EU and the UK. You need to make sure that your dog is vaccinated against rabies at least 3 weeks before your scheduled travel time. You don’t have to wait for the full 21 days if your pet has had yearly booster shots. Your dog needs to get a rabies vaccination every 12 months in Europe. If they have a 3-year vaccination, you will need to get them a rabies booster if the vaccination is older than a year.
Tapeworm (Echinococcus) Treatment
Dogs travelling to Finland, Malta, the Republic of Ireland, and the United Kingdom must receive tapeworm (echinococcus) treatment no later than 120 hours and no earlier than 24 hours before their planned entry time.
Microchipping
The microchip should comply with the ISO standard 11784.
Please note that according to EU regulations, a rabies vaccination is not considered valid unless the animal is properly identified at the time of vaccination. In other words, it is essential that the microchip is implanted before the rabies vaccine is administered to ensure that your pet is identified prior to vaccination. A rabies vaccine given before microchip insertion is invalid.
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