PETS Travel Scheme

Question 1

which animals does the PETS Travel Scheme apply to?

Answer 1

• cats
• dogs
• ferrets

Question 2

what is the purpose of the PETS Travel Scheme?

Answer 2

a system which allows animals to travel between member countries without undergoing quarantine

Question 3

what must an animal be accompanied by?

Answer 3

a pet passport or an animal health certificate

Question 4

what must pets have when entering GB or travelling to the EU or NI?

Answer 4

• a microchip
• valid rabies vaccination
• an animal health certificate or passport issued in EU or NI
• tapeworm treatment (if applicable)

Question 5

rabies vaccination (3 points)

Answer 5

• must be 12 weeks old before having the rabies vaccination
• must wait 21 days after primary vaccine before travelling
• pets entering from non- listed countries must have a blood test 30 days after the vaccine that shows immunity followed by a 3 month wait before travel

Question 6

what is an unlisted third country?

Answer 6

countries which have not been accepted for listed status because of less robust veterinary or administrative systems, higher rabies incidence or because they’ve never applied
(e.g. India, China, Sri Lanka)

Question 7

what is a listed third country?

Answer 7

• countries which the EU consider do not present a higher risk of disease incursion
• or where there is convincing evidence that they have effective systems in place to report, control and manage rabies
  (e.g. Australia, New Zealand, USA)

Question 8

what happens if an inaccuracy is detected?

Answer 8

• will prevent the pet from being able to travel
• those found on arrival will result in the pet being licensed into quarantined, re-exported back to the country from which it travelled, or euthanised

Question 9

are there any animals that cant travel by plane?

Answer 9

• brachycephalic dogs (boxers, pugs, bulldogs)
• brachycephalic cats (persian, himalayan, burmese)

Question 10

why can’t these certain animals travel by plane?

Answer 10

they have difficulty breathing and maintaining their body temperature so many airlines refuse to fly them due to the risks to the animals health and welfare

Question 11

how many animals can one individual travel with?

Answer 11

5 of their own pets

Question 12

when can you travel with more than 5 pets?

Answer 12

if you’re travelling to an EU country or NI if you’re attending, or training for a:
- competition
- show
- sporting event
you will need written evidence of registration for the event

Question 13

what are the requirements for these animals in groups larger than 5?

Answer 13

• must be attending the event or training
• must be over 6 months old
• must meet all other requirements for that country
• a health certificate must be obtained at least 10 days before travel

Question 14

what are the requirements for travelling with guidance/ assistance dogs?

Answer 14

• must meet requirements like any other dog
• can travel on more routes than other animals
• are permitted to travel in areas of other forms of transport where other animals cannot
• they are permitted to travel in the aircraft cabin with their owner on approved routes