European Pet Passport
We have just adopted a dog with a European Pet Passport and are hoping some members might be in the same position and may even have travelled to France using it.
I would be very grateful if anyone could give any tips or warn of any problems/pitfalls about the experience. I do know that UK vets are not allowed to add any treatment records in the passport, so all rabies boosters would have to be done in France.
I telephoned DEFRA and was advised to get an Animal Health Certificate for my first trip and see if a French vet could help but I cannot understand why I would be allowed to use the passport to travel to France in order to do this.
Any information will be gratefully received.
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Not an expert but if it is a UK pet passport it is no longer valid since Brexit yo now need a health certificate that lasts 4 months. If it was issued in a EU country it is still valid so you can use it.
If you search here and google etc. there are many threads about trying to obtain a EU passport.
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Hello....
Happy to help as far as I understand the rules. We have two Spaniels both on French passports.
First I would take the dog to any UK vet to get the dog's ID scanned and check it is the same in the passport. Once we were refused boarding due to a fault with the number on the passport and had to have new passports issued (before Brexit).
Providing that all stacks up then you can travel freely with the dog and there is no need for an AHC which is a costly exercise. Check in at the port when you leave the UK - your passport and the dog's is inspected - the dog's chip scanned and Bingo - you are on board. Passport validity is dependant on the Rabies Jab which must be done in the EU - we recently went to Ireland to get this done for one of our two dogs.
The only time a British Vet can write in an EU pet passport is for the tapeworm treatment prior to travel - predominantly to Ireland as mainland Europe does not require it.
Many readers will I am sure be jealous - we had family travelling to Spain a few weeks back and the AHC cost them £220 each.
Hope this helps
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Thanks for your reply. My dog still has the original (foreign) owner’s name in the passport so I would like to know how to change this. Did you have to? If so, what was the process? I showed the passport to a vet and she didn’t know how to.
She agreed with my opinion of DEFRA, although I’ll try an email to them to see if I can get a more satisfactory response.
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The name and address of the owner can be crossed out and a new one added - indeed the French Vet who issued the passport for the second of our two dogs actually made a mistake so just crossed it out and put the correct spelling above it. We also have friends who have adopted a dog from Europe like you which came with a passport and they just changed the name of the dog owner in the passport.
It is the picture, dog details, vaccination record and chip number which are the most important. With many European journeys under our belt I do not remember a time when on check in, the agent looked at the ownership page.
From what you have said, I suggest you are ready to travel.
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We have just had a pet passport for our dog issued in Spain - no problems coming back. The Spanish vet had to give a rabies jab so the visit cost 110€ - much cheaper than the British vet.
my tip, if you are travelling to France regularly would be to adopt a vet and use the same one every time. You will have to have the 3 year rabies there but why not have the annual boosters and the tapeworm tablet done there too? Save some money. Most vets speak English but pigeon French/Spanish doesn’t always hack it with the receptionist!
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I contacted our usual vet (Dr Dandrifosse in St Omer) and he has told me that in order to vaccinate a UK dog we would need a French residential address. This could be a second home but I guess a campsite address wouldn’t be acceptable!
Looks like we’ll have use the eye-wateringly expensive Animal Health Certificate after the rabies vaccine period runs out.
Thanks again for all your replies.
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You might also want to look at the thread I started a couple of months ago on AHCs and Pet Passports. I’ve succeeded in getting a French passport for my dog whilst over here in France. The vet who issued this said I didn’t need a French address. But all future rabies vaccinations will need to be done in France / another EU country.
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