Until recently it was impossible to import your dog or cat into the United Kingdom, without your pet having to be quarantined for six months.

With more of us buying holiday homes abroad, and the ease and affordability of travel to Europe, it was only a matter of time before the very strict quarantine regulations would be revised to allow pets to travel along with their owners for a holiday too.

However, a pet passport requires much more than a photograph and a paw print signature. The whole process takes a minimum of seven months to complete, and should ideally be started before you have even booked your holiday!

Obtaining a Pet Passport

There are several stages to the PETS process and entry into the UK; each one must be completed in the correct order otherwise the results become invalid and the process must be repeated.

A vet will organise all of the paperwork and ensure the correct procedure is followed.

Each cat or dog must be:

1. Identified with a microchip.
2. Vaccinated against rabies.
3. Blood-tested for rabies antibody titre levels.
4. Issued with an official PETS certificate.
5. Treated against ticks and tapeworm then issued with an official certificate.

Any vet may perform some stages of the process, but only a government-authorised veterinarian (Local Veterinary Inspector) can verify that these procedures have been carried out correctly, and issue the official PETS certificate to the owner. The vet will let you know if they have an LVI to issue the passport or where the nearest one is.

The rabies vaccination (including boosters), blood-sampling, issuing the PETS certificate, the tick and tapeworm treatment and the issuing of the official certificate of treatment must all be carried out in the British Isles, the Republic of Ireland or a qualifying country. Microchipping can be done in any country.