Pet Travel Requirements

Microchips

In order to identify your dog, cat or ferret, it must be fitted with a microchip. At check-in, we'll need to check that your pet's microchip number matches the microchip number on their documentation.

A tattoo from any country in the world is acceptable, as long as it was done before 3 July 2011.

When your vet is completing your pet’s official travel documents, make sure the date of implantation or the date of reading of the microchip is on or before the date of  your pet's rabies vaccination.

Animal Health Certificate or EU Pet Passport

There have been some changes to the UK's status in the EU pet travel scheme that may affect your pet travel requirements when using LeShuttle. 

If you are travelling from the UK and your pet has an EU Pet Passport issued in Great Britain, it is no longer valid for travel to the EU. You'll need to get an Animal Health Certificate instead.  

If your EU Pet Passport was issued by Great Britain before 1st January 2021 it can be used for entry into the UK. 

If you and your pet are departing from an EU country, you should get an EU Pet Passport.

If you and your pet are departing from a non-EU listed or unlisted third country or territory, you will need to obtain an Official Third Country Veterinary Health Certificate. If you're not sure of the status of your departure country, you can find guidance here.

Veterinary certificates

For rabbits, rodents, and reptiles etc.

This is a health certificate document for domestic pets (other than dogs, cats, ferrets) from non-EU country to the EU. This form must be completed by a vet within 10 days of travel, and can be used to travel to and from the UK and France. It will be inspected by border control agents, so there is no need to visit our Pet Reception, or declare these animals on your booking. 

Download the form.

Tapeworm treatment (dogs only)

Your dog must be treated against tapeworm before travelling to the UK.

Treatment must be administered by a vet not less than 24 hours (1 day) and no more than 120 hours (5 days) before the dog's scheduled arrival time in the UK. The treatment date and time must be recorded by the vet in the pet’s documentation.

Tapeworm treatment must:

• Be administrated by a vet
• Contain Praziquantel to be effective against Echinococcus tapeworm

Stronghold, Advocate, Frontline or Frontline Combo, Nexgard or Nexgard Spectra will not be accepted and will result in the animal being refused travel.

Short trips

If you’re leaving Great Britain for a short trip, your dog must be treated by a vet before you go. You must wait for 24 hours before re-entering Great Britain and return within 120 hours or you’ll need to get another treatment abroad. You should treat your dog again within 28 days of returning to Great Britain.

Please note, if the tapeworm treatment is not administered in time or correctly documented by a vet, it will result in your pet being refused travel.

Blood tests

Blood tests are no longer required if you are entering the UK from the EU or listed non-EU country.

If you are entering the UK from an unlisted non-EU country, a blood sample must be taken at least 30 days after your pet's rabies vaccination. You must wait 3 calendar months from the date your vet took the blood sample before allowing a dog, cat or ferret to travel - this test must have a satisfactory result and be from an approved laboratory.

Rabies vaccination

Your pet (who must be at least 12 weeks old at time of vaccination) must be vaccinated against rabies. There is no exemption to this requirement.

The vaccine name and manufacturer, as well as vaccination date, valid from and expiry dates must be recorded in the AHC or EU Pet Passport by a registered vet (signature and stamp or vet details are mandatory) in the relevant boxes in Rabies Section of the EU Pet Passport or AHC.

There is no exemption to this requirement. If you are travelling from EU and listed non-EU countries, the length of the waiting period before entry to the UK is 21 days after the vaccination date (the vaccination date counts as day 0). A waiting period  is not required for subsequent entries into the UK, provided rabies boosters are kept up to date and recorded in your pet's official documentation. If the vaccination is in two parts the 21 day wait will be from the date of the second vaccination.

Travel to/from the EU must take place within the current vaccination validity.

When the vet is completing your pet’s official travel documents (AHC or EU Pet Passport), make sure the date of implantation or date of reading of the microchip is the same date as, or before, the rabies vaccination.