Taking your Pet Abroad

The Pet Travel Scheme (PETS) was started in 2000 to allow cats and dogs resident in the UK to visit certain other countries and return to the UK without the need for quarantine, provided that certain conditions are met. This is to prevent the transmission of disease from country to country.

If you intend to take your pet to Spain then you need to plan ahead in order to meet the necessary requirements. You should contact your Vet at least 6 months before you intend to travel.

Certain procedures must be undertaken to transport your pet to Spain and there are additional requirements if you intend to bring your pet back to the UK

• Your pet must be fitted with a microchip. A small identification chip will be placed under the skin in the animal's neck
• Your pet must be vaccinated against rabies. A blood test will be required 30 days after the vaccination to ensure that the jab was successful. It the blood test fails then it will be necessary to repeat the procedure over again until the required results are obtained. It is also advisable for your pet to have a rabies booster once a year. A pet can only be vaccinated against rabies if they have already been microchipped and are over 3 months old. It is necessary to wait at least 6 months for a successful blood test result before your pet can travel back to the UK.

The above can be carried out by your local Vet, and once your Vet confirms the success of this procedure then your pet will be issued with a Pet Passport. The cost of the examination is approx £200 and the rabies booster vaccination is approx £60.

Documents Required

• The PETS re-entry certificate is issued by your Vet in the UK, and certifies that the pet has been vaccinated and microchipped and is fit to travel.
• An Official "Certificate of Treatment" is required, this document confirms that the pet has no potentially dangerous type of tape worms and ticks. The Vet must carry out this procedure and issue the certificate 24-48 hours before the pet re-enters the UK.
• You will need to sign a declaration of residence to confirm that your pet has not been outside of the qualifying EU countries that are covered by the PETS scheme.
• An Export Health Certificate is required by the Spanish Authorities before your pet enters Spain. This is not covered by the PETS Scheme and is an additional requirement, without this document your pet will not be authorised to enter the country. You can obtain this certificate from an authorised UK Government vet.

Transportation of your Pet

To qualify for the PETS travel scheme, pets can only travel by air from certain UK airports, via sea from Dover of Portsmouth or via the Channel Tunnel. Again you should book flights well in advance as there is limited space. It is not possible to enter into the PETS Scheme unless you use the designated routes and your pets can not re-enter the UK on private boat or plane.

For further information on taking your pets to Spain:

Pet Travel Scheme Helpline — 0870 241 1710

DEFRA (Dept for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs)
Library Enquiry Desk
DEFRA Room 320
Nobel House, 17 Smith Square
London SW1P 3JR

Tel: 08459 335577
Fax 0207 238 6609
www.defra.gov.uk

Your local Veterinary Surgeon