PETS Passport - Take your dog on holiday

PETS Passport Procedure

To take your dog abroad on a Keycamp holiday, you must obtain a PETS Passport. This passport allows for your dog to return to the UK, without the requirement for quarantine. The PETS scheme consists of a rigid process and timescale of veterinary requirements which can be performed by your local vet. These are:

Step 1 - Have your dog micro-chipped.
Before any of the other procedures for travel are carried out, your dog must be fitted with a microchip so it can be properly identified.

Step 2 - Have your dog vaccinated.
After the microchip has been fitted your dog must be vaccinated against rabies. There is no exemption to this requirement, even if your dog has a current rabies vaccination. Rabies boosters must be kept up to date. The length of the waiting period before entry to the UK is 21 days after the first vaccination date. A waiting period is not required for subsequent entries into the UK, provided rabies boosters are kept up to date. If the vaccination is in two parts the 21 day wait will be from the date of the second vaccination.

Step 3 - Get travel documentation.
For animals being prepared in an EU country, you should get an EU pet passport. If you are preparing your animal in a non-EU listed country or territory you will need to obtain an official third country veterinaru certificate although note that Croatia, Gibraltar, Norway, San Marino and Switzerland are also issuing passports.

Step 4 - Tapeworm treatment.
Before your pet enters the UK, it must be treated for tapeworm. Treatment mist be administered by a vet not less than 24 hours and not more than 120 hours (1-5 days) before it is checked in with an approved transport company for its journey into the UK. There will now be no mandatory requirement for tick treatment.

Step 5 - Arrange for your animal to travel with an approved transport company on an authorised route.
Your dog must enter the UK from a listed country or territory travelling with an approved transport company on an authorised route.

These steps must be performed in the required order.

How much does a PETS passport cost?

The complete process above should cost in the region of £150 - £200. However, this cost should be compared against the other options available to dog owners:

• PETS Passport = £150 - £250 one off cost
• Kennels = up to £200 to £300 each and every holiday
• Pet Sitter = up to £200 to £300 each and every holiday
• Quarantine = £2,000 each and every time plus 6 months wait

Veterinary requirements for each journey?

For each and every trip overseas and BEFORE the dog re-enters the UK, it must be treated against ticks and tapeworm. The dog must be treated against tapeworm not less than 24 hours and not more than 120 hours (1-5 days) before re-entry into the UK. The vet who completes this simple procedure will “stamp” the passport and give the necessary paperwork to you to be presented to the travel operator.  This process MUST be completed as described. 

Failure to comply with this regulation will involve your dog being placed into quarantine upon arrival into the UK. They may be able to be released early (before the full six month quarantine period has finished) if they can be shown to comply with the necessary PETS rules whilst in quarantine.

Who can you travel with?

Nearly all ferry operators from the UK to the continent will accept pets on board. The following routes and operators have been approved by DEFRA for the PETS passport scheme:

– Hull – Zeebrugge (P&O Ferries)
– Hull – Rotterdam (P&O Ferries)
– Rosyth – Zeebrugge (Superfast Ferries)
– Dover – Calais (P&O Ferries) (SeaFrance)
– Folkestone – Calais (Eurotunnel)
– Dover – Dunkerque (NorfolkLine)
– Dover – Boulogne (Speedfast Ferries)
– Newhaven – Dieppe (Transmanche Ferries)
– Portsmouth – Cherbourg, Caen, St Malo (Brittany Ferries)
– Portsmouth – Le Havre (Louis Dreyfus Lines)
– Poole – Cherbourg (Brittany Ferries)
– Poole – St Malo (Condor Ferries)
– Plymouth – Roscoff (Brittany Ferries)
– Newcastle – Ijmuiden (DFDS Seaways)
– Harwich – Hook of Holland (Stena Line)
– Plymouth – Santander (Brittany Ferries)

Whilst some airlines will carry pets as cargo, at this time, Keycamp Holidays will only book dogs for travel via ferry, as above