Regulations surrounding the transportation of pets overseas vary widely. They differ depending on the country, the duration and reason for your journey, and even the type of animal. There are, however, a few common guidelines. Read on for an overview of the documentation you will most likely require when travelling with your pet.
Transporting a pet from Great Britain to Northern Ireland or an EU country is relatively straightforward. For most common pets, you will require proof of:
- Microchip
- Rabies vaccination
For more unusual pets or for certain locations, you may need additional documentation, but these are the basic requirements. Documentation can take the form of an animal health certificate. An official veterinarian (OV) should issue your animal health certificate. The certificate will include full vaccination records, microchip date, and standard blood test results. If this certificate is not the original copy signed by an OV registered with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), it will have to be certified by a solicitor or notary.
Following Brexit, EU countries are increasingly requesting that UK documents have apostilles for use in the EU. At the moment, this varies by country and by the use of the documents. It is a good idea to check whether you require this additional step.
If you are travelling to a non-EU country, you will likely require an Export Health Certificate (EHC) in order to travel with your pet [1]. This means that there are some additional documents you may need, including but not limited to:
- Owner’s declaration/affidavit, attesting that the animal has been resident in the UK for a minimum number of days or since birth. It may also include other details depending on country,
- Captain’s declaration/affidavit, provided by an airline representative or captain, attesting to certain details of the intended journey,
- Additional medical test results.
As with the animal health certificate, any test results must be originals from an OV. Otherwise, a solicitor or notary will need to certify them.
For affidavits to be valid, you must sign in front of a UK solicitor or notary. They will also most likely require legalisation. This will likely mean obtaining an Apostille from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. You may also require embassy attestation, depending on whether the country you are travelling to is signatory to the Hague Convention on the Apostille.
We understand that this can be a lot to sort out, especially in the run-up to a trip abroad. As a bespoke document concierge, we have experience managing documents of all kinds and for all purposes. Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have documents which require notarisation, legalisation, or any other certification process.
[1] For specific EHC requirements, see: https://www.gov.uk/export-health-certificates?commodity_type%5B%5D=pets&page=3