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Cats, dogs and ferrets travelling to the UK

Here we will explain the general rules for non-commercial pets travelling to the UK. Different rules apply depending on whether your pet is travelling from an approved or non-approved country. Please see the below lists of approved countries:

  • Please see here for EU countries
  • Please see here for the Non-EU listed countries

If your country is not listed on the above PDFs, then it is classed as an “Unlisted” country and additional rules apply – see below.

Pets arriving from EU and Non-EU APPROVED/ LISTED countries

If a cat, dog or ferret pet is arriving in the UK from an EU or Non-EU country the requirements are as follows:

  • Microchip A microchip must have been inserted prior to the rabies vaccination
  • Current rabies vaccination The rabies vaccination must be administered after the microchip has been inserted. All pets must be at least 12 weeks old at the time of vaccination.
  • 21 day wait 21 days must pass from the date of vaccination before entry into the UK. The date of vaccination is counted as day 0.
  • Dogs only – tapeworm treatment Unless arriving from Ireland, Finland, Malta or Norway, dogs are required to have a treatment against tapeworm issued by a vet no less than 24 hours prior to arrival and no more than 120 hours prior to arrival. The treatment must contain the active ingredient Praziquantel. Cats and ferrets do not require this treatment.

Pets arriving from UNAPPROVED/ UNLISTED countries

 If your cat, dog or ferret is travelling from an unlisted county the requirements are as follows:

  • Microchip A microchip must have been inserted prior to the rabies vaccination
  • Current rabies vaccination The rabies vaccination must be administered after the microchip has been inserted. All pets must be at least 12 weeks old at the time of vaccination.
  • A blood test at least 30 days after rabies vaccination Blood sample for rabies blood test must be taken at least 30 days after the rabies vaccination- date of vaccination is counted as day 0. The sample must be tested at an EU approved laboratory (http://ec.europa.eu/food/animal/liveanimals/pets/approval_en.htm)
  • The blood test must show a titre level of 0.5iu or above.
  • 3 months wait  3 months from the date that the blood sample was taken (NOT date of testing) must have passed before entry into the UK.
  • Dogs only – tapeworm treatment Unless arriving from Ireland, Finland, Malta or Norway, dogs are required to have a treatment against tapeworm issued by a vet no less than 24 hours prior to arrival and no more than 120 hours prior to arrival. The treatment must contain the active ingredient Praziquantel. Cats and ferrets do not require this treatment.

Please note additional requirements for the below countries:

Cats from Australia

Cats from Australia must be accompanied with a certificate from the Australian veterinary authorities confirming that they have not been on a holding where Hendra virus has been confirmed during the 60 days before export.

Dogs and cats from Malaysia (Peninsula)

Health certification must be provided by the Malaysian veterinary authorities which confirms that the cat or dog:

  • Has had no contact with pigs during at least the 60 days prior to export.
  • Has not been resident on holdings where during the past 60 days any case of Nipah disease has been confirmed.
  • Has had anIgC capture ELISA test with a negative result. This must be carried out in a laboratory approved for testing for antibody against the Nipah disease viruses by the competent veterinary authorities on a sample of blood taken within 10 days of export

Jamaica

Although Jamaica is a qualifying country under the EU regulation, Jamaican law precludes the country from involvement in the Pet Travel Scheme. Animals prepared for the Scheme may not enter Jamaica and animals may not be prepared for the Pet Travel Scheme in Jamaica.

Cyprus

Dogs, cats and ferrets from the republic of Cyprus, may enter or re-enter the UK without a blood test. However, animals travelling from north Cyprus – the area north of the Buffer Zone, must be blood sampled at least 30 days after vaccination against rabies and wait 3 months before travelling to the UK.

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