Travel and passports
Cambridge Cat Clinic can provide many of the documents and procedures required for your cat to travel abroad.
We recommend contacting us at least one month in advance of any planned journey outside the UK.
Since the UK left the EU, the rules have changed with respect to taking your cat abroad.
You must get your cat microchipped and then vaccinated against rabies and an Animal Health Certificate issued in both English and the language of your destination. Previously issued UK pet passports will no longer be valid for travel into the EU.
To take your cat to an EU country:
1. You must get your cat microchipped and then vaccinated against rabies before it can travel. Your cat must be older than 12 weeks.
2. You must wait for at least 21 days after the vaccination before travelling.
3. You must take your cat to an Official Veterinarian (Dr Mini Wright is an OV), no more than 10 days before travel, in order to get an Animal Health Certificate.
Your Animal Health Certificate will then be valid for:
• 10 days after the date of issue for entry into the EU
• 4 months of onward travel within the EU
• re-entry to the UK for 4 months after the date of issue
On arrival in the EU, pet owners travelling with their pets would be required to enter through a designated Travellers’ Point of Entry (TPE). At the TPE, the pet owner may be asked to present proof of microchip, rabies vaccination alongside the pet’s health certificate
RETURN TO THE UK
Your cat must have one of the following documents when returning to the UK:
• an existing EU pet passport (UK or EU issued)
or
• the EU health certificate issued in the UK used to travel to the EU
or
• a UK pet health certificate (issued outside the UK for travel into the UK only)
Check the routes before you travel. On existing approved routes your documents and microchip will be checked. If you’re not travelling on an approved route talk to your vet about what preparations, you need to make before travel.
There will be no change to the current health preparations for pets entering Great Britain from the EU from 1 January 2021.
RULES FOR PET TRAVEL TO NON-EU COUNTRIES
These vary from country to country and may be subject to change over the next years. Please contact us as soon as you know the time of your trip or relocation as some countries require more extensive preparation procedures and official documentation that cannot be sped up.
While we will do everything we can to help, it is ultimately your responsibility to ensure that all the requirements are completed correctly and at the appropriate time.
Before travelling with your cat, it is a good idea to consider how the stress associated with transport and change of environment will affect your particular puss. For short holidays abroad we recommend your cat remains in the comfort of familiar surroundings with a familiar carer. For longer trips or relocation, we can advise you on techniques and ideas that may improve the experience, especially for more nervous travellers. For general advice on getting your cat used to the carrier click here.
Remember to keep flea, tick and worm control current throughout your time abroad. Different treatments may be required from your cat’s normal flea and wormers, depending on your location and we can advise you on this prior to your trip.
For more information, please contact us to speak to a member of our cat clinic team.