Taking your pet from the UK to the EU: the animal health certificate route

The official sequence: 1. Microchip — before, or at the same time as, the rabies vaccination; otherwise the vaccination must be repeated. 2. Rabies vaccination — with vet-held proof your pet is at least 12 weeks old before vaccinating, and no break in vaccine cover. 3. Animal health certificate — from your vet, for travel to an EU country. 4. Tapeworm check — some countries require dogs to have tapeworm treatment before entry. These rules also apply to assistance dogs, and per the same guidance you enter the EU through a travellers' point of entry, where the certificate may be checked.

Source: gov.uk — Taking your pet abroad: travelling to an EU country, read 10 September 2026.

Per gov.uk, after the date of issue the animal health certificate is valid for 10 days for entry into the EU, 6 months for onward travel within the EU after entry, and 6 months for re-entry to Great Britain — and you will need to get a new animal health certificate for each trip. That last line is the cost driver of post-Brexit pet travel: the AHC is per-trip vet paperwork, not a durable document like the EU pet passport UK pets lost at Brexit.

Source: gov.uk — animal health certificate validity, read 10 September 2026.

This page is the GB→EU visitor/mover route. Once resident in the EU, your pet can enter the EU system — the EU pet passport, issued by EU vets to EU-resident animals, replaces the per-trip AHC for travel within and back into the EU. The US routes (dog to Spain and siblings) and the general EU pet rulebook cover the other corners. Northern Ireland runs on its own scheme, per the same gov.uk guidance family.

Source: gov.uk — Taking your pet abroad, read 10 September 2026.