Description:

It has never been easier to travel with your beloved pets on holiday or if you move abraod within the EU, thanks to the European Pet Passport.  This document permits dogs, cats and ferrets to move freely throughout Europe.

The European Pet Passport

The European pet passport is a small document in the form of a booklet which acts as a passport for your animals and is issued by a licensed vet.  Before travelling, all animals will require the passport and must have the following confirmed by a vet :

• That they have been identified by a micro chip in the neck or tattoo in the ear
• That they have valid vaccines against rabies
• That they have had a blood test to confirm the vaccine is in the system

The booklet contains information such as animal identification number and proof of a recent rabies vaccine.  It is valid for the life of your pet as long as the appropriate vaccinations are kept up to date.

Please note that if your pet has not been vaccinated against rabies before then a blood test will be needed 21 days after the vaccination and then your pet will have to wait for 6 months before being allowed to travel.

Bringing cats, dogs or ferrets to Aquitaine on holiday

If you want to bring your pets to Aquitaine with you on holiday then each pet must have a full and valid EU Pets Passport in order to return to the UK without being quarantined for 6 months.

Before returning to the UK you will need to visit a French veterinary surgeon in order to carry out flea and tick treatment this must be carried out between 24 and 48 hours before your pet is due to travel back to the UK. After your pet has been treated the vet will stamp and sign your pets passport to prove they have been treated, without this your pet will not be allowed entry to the UK.

Your pet must be at least 3 months old to travel.

Bringing cats, dogs or ferrets to Aquitaine permanently

If you are moving to France permanently with dogs, cats or Ferrets and do not plan to return with them to the UK then you need to make sure that each animal has a valid pet passport.

Although not compulsory it is advisable to get your pet treated for ticks, worms and other parasites as these can be common in France and your pet may not have had the chance to build up resistance in the UK.

Your pet must be at least 3 months old to travel.

Bringing birds to Aquitaine

The EU rules concerning the moving of birds around Europe have been tightened in response to the recent bird flu alert.  However it is thought that these rules may be relaxed once again by the end of 2010.

A family is allowed to bring 5 birds into France from the UK per family unit not per individual.  Each bird must fulfil one of the following criteria;

• A 30 day quarantine prior to leaving the home country 
• A 30 day quarantine after the bird arrives in France 
• The bird has been vaccinated and re-vaccinated at least once against avian influenza, with the H5 vaccine. The bird must have been vaccinated within the last six months and not later than 60 days prior to departure from the home country.
• A quarantine for at least 10 days before leaving the UK and a test to detect the H5N1 antigen or genome 

Bringing horses to Aquitaine

Horses may be brought into France as long as they have  a horse passport.  Please contact DEFRA, on the details below, for further information.

Bringing other pets to Aquitaine

Other pets such as rabbits, gerbils, guinea pigs and reptiles, may travel to France without a passport but you should declare that you are travelling with them when you leave the UK.  However, it is also advisable to obtain a certificate from your vet stating that your pet is in in good health as this may be requested.

An individual can bring up to 5 animals each into France as long as they are personal animals and not for commercial purposes

Further information