Please reach us at info@furryfriendstravel.co.uk if you cannot find an answer to your question.
An Animal Health Certificate is a legal document issued by an Official Veterinarian (OV) which is required for pets to travel from the UK to the EU and replaces the old pet passport system for travel. Your pet can travel to the EU with an AHC as long as there is no sale or transfer of ownership on the journey and you are travelling with your pet or within 5 days of your pet. The species covered by this are dogs, cats and ferrets. It is valid for entry into the EU for up to 10 days after issue then onward travel including return to the UK within 4 months. For other species of pets, or countries outside the EU, other documentation may be required - please contact us for further information on travel outside the EU.
First, you will need to ensure your pet is microchipped and has an up to date rabies vaccination which must be given at least 21 before the AHC can be issued (for some less common rabies vaccine brands it needs to be given more than 30 days before the AHC can be issued). Please ask your regular vet to administer the vaccine and they must record that the microchip was scanned before giving the vaccine in the clinical notes as well as a note of the microchip number. This is very important to allow the AHC to be completed. Alternatively, for rabies vaccines given in the EU, please send a scanned copy of the EU pet passport. Depending on where you are travelling, tapeworm treatment may also be required. Contact us to fill out a short booking form which will allow us to complete the AHC. We then arrange an AHC appointment at our meeting location or deliver this to your home depending on your preference.
For pets with an up to date rabies vaccination given by a vet in the EU and recorded on an EU pet passport, this can be used as the rabies vaccination evidence for the AHC as long as all the details have been entered on the passport correctly. We require a scanned copy of the EU pet passport to check this.
For tapeworm free countries which are Northern Ireland, Republic of Ireland, Malta, Finland and Norway, tapeworm treatment is required 24-120 hours BEFORE arrival in the destination country. This can be prescribed by your own vet for you to take away then given at the AHC appointment - we need to witness this being given to sign it off on the AHC. For other EU countries, no treatment is required before travel but a tapeworm treatment must be given 24-120 hours before return to the UK. This should be given by a vet in the EU and the relevant part of the AHC must be completed by them.
Not currently, we only provide the AHC so this must be given by your regular vet. It is very important they scan your pet's microchip before giving the rabies vaccine and record this is the clinical notes - this is vital to allow AHC completion. You can then ask your vet practice to email your pet's clinical history directly to info@furryfriendstravel.co.uk and we use this to complete the AHC. Please note that certain other vaccinations and medications are not licensed to be given alongside the rabies vaccine which would invalidate the vaccine for travel so please check this with your vet to be sure.
We offer collection appointments from Chryston, G69 9DB to all clients, no matter where your home location is. We are based in Scotland and cover Glasgow and the surrounding areas for house visits. Please see map for covered areas for visits under our 'prices' section.
For travel to the EU your pet must have the initial rabies vaccine at least 21 days before the AHC can be issued. For some less common rabies vaccine brands, they must be administered at least one month before the AHC can be issued. We recommend you get the vaccine in plenty of time before travel. Most vaccines given in the UK are valid for up to 3 years.
The AHC is valid for entry into the EU for up to 10 days after issue which means your appointment to provide the AHC must be within 10 days of your planned date of arrival into the EU. The AHC is prepared in advance of the appointment so it is advisable to get in touch with us in plenty of time before your travel date.
The AHC is valid for up to 4 months for onward travel within the EU and return to the UK or until your pet's rabies vaccine expires if this is before the 4 months. It is valid for one single trip to the EU only. You must enter the EU within 10 days of the AHC being issued.
The AHC is valid for up to 4 months for travel within the EU and return to the UK. Dogs require a tapeworm treatment 24-120 hours before returning to the UK which will need to be administered by a vet in the EU. The exception to this is when travelling to tapeworm free countries which are Northern Ireland, Republic of Ireland, Norway, Malta and Finland - for these countries your pet will require the tapeworm treatment 24-120 hours BEFORE entering these countries
From 4th June 2025 all you have to do is complete a pet travel document online provided by APHA which is free and lasts the lifetime of your pet. This is valid provided you are not travelling into the Republic of Ireland or elsewhere in the EU. More information including eligibility criteria is available on the gov.uk website.
For travel outside the EU different documentation may be required such as an Export Health Certificate (EHC) or Fit To Fly Certificate. Each importing country has different requirements determined by their own authorities. We recommend you research the requirements then contact us to find out if we can help with any documentation required.