THE PET TRAVEL SCHEME (PETS)

The Pet Travel Pilot Scheme started on 28th February 2000 to allow cats and dogs only to enter the UK from certain countries without the need for quarantine. Subject to the rules of the scheme you will be allowed to take your pet on holiday with you.

European Countries currently on the PETS list are:

Andorra	Austria	Belgium	Cyprus
Denmark	Finland	France	Germany
Gibraltar	Greece	Iceland	Italy
Liechtenstein	Luxembourg	Malta	Monaco
Netherlands	Norway	Portugal	San Marino
Spain	Sweden	Switzerland	Vatican

Check for the latest information from DEFRA (new name for MAFF) by clicking HERE or visiting:
http://www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/quarantine/index.htm later.

Long Haul Destinations on the PETS list are:

Antigua and Bermuda	Ascension Island	Australia	Barbados
Bermuda	Cayman Islands	Falkland Islands	Fiji
French Polynesia	Guadaloupe	Hawaii	Jamaica
Japan	Martinique	Mauritius	Mayotte
Montserrat	New Caledonia	New Zealand	Reunion
St Helena	St Kitts and Nevis	St Vincent	Singapore
Vanuata	Wallis and Futuna

Check for the latest information from DEFRA (new name for MAFF) by clicking HERE or visiting:
http://www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/quarantine/index.htm later.

Pet cats and dogs entering the UK from other countries will still have to go through quarantine as before.

Routes
There are a limited number of route by which you may bring your pet into the UK:

By Ferry:

Calais to Dover

Caen, Cherbourg, Le Havre or St Malo to Portsmouth

Cherbourg to Poole

Ostend to Dover

Falkland Islands (Port Stanley) to Shoreham

Roscoff or Santander to Plymouth

By Rail:

Eurotunnel Shuttle Service (Calais to Folkestone)

By Air (into Heathrow Airport, London):

Adelaide, Brisbane, Cairns, Darwin, Melbourne, Perth or Sydney - Qantas

Amsterdam (Schipol) - British Midland Airways

Auckland, Wellington or Christchurch (via Australia & Singapore) - Qantas

Brussels - British Midland Airways

Bordeaux, Cherbourg, Nice or Paris (Le Bourget) - Chauffair

Faro (Portugal) GB Airways

Frankfurt - Lufthansa

Gibraltar - GB Airways

Helsinki - Finnair

Larnaca and Paphos (Cyprus) - Cyprus Airways

Madrid - British Midland Airways

Milan (Malpensa) - British Midland Airways

Nagoya, Japan - Japan Airlines

Osaka (Kansai), Japan - Japan Airlines

Palma (Majorca) British Midland Airways

Paris (guide and hearing dogs only) - British Midland Airways

Tokyo (Narita) - All Nippon Airways

Tokyo (Narita) - Japan Airlines

Valletta (Malta) - Air Malta

By Air (into Gatwick Airport, London)

Barcelona - British Airways

Bermuda - British Airways

Rome - British Airways

Conditions of the Scheme:

• The pet must have a permanent ISO standard microchip implanted before vaccination takes place
  
• The pet must be vaccinated against Rabies using an approved vaccine and boosters must be given according to the manufacturers recommendations.
  
• The pet must have a blood sample tested at an approved laboratory, at least 30 days after vaccination against Rabies.
  
• The pet cannot be brought into the UK until 6 months after the blood sample was taken unless it was resident in the British Isles and was microchipped, vaccinated and blood-sampled prior to the pilot scheme start date of 28/02/2000.
  
• The pet must have a DEFRA PETS (Re-entry) certificate signed by an official veterinary surgeon confirming that these conditions have been met. Do not forget that other nations have their own regulations and may need additional certification or other requirements before admitting your pet so it is wise to check with your vet or local DEFRA office before you travel.
  
• The pet must have been treated for ticks and certain parasites (e.g. the fox tapeworm) before re-entering the UK and a certificate obtained from a veterinary surgeon confirming this.
  
• You will need to sign a declaration stating that your pet has not been outside any of the qualifying countries in the six months prior to re-entering the UK.

What happens if my pet fails the blood test?
A small proportion of pets will fail the blood test. These pets will require to be re-vaccinated and re-tested. For this reason you need to leave yourself plenty of time before your intended travel date.
If booster vaccinations are given according to the manufacturers recommendations, no further blood-testing is required.

"Passport Control!"
Before entering or re-entering the UK, the transport company will check the pet's microchip and certification (for vaccination, blood tests, parasite treatment and the owner declaration). There will also be DEFRA spot checks.

WARNING: Any pet which does not meet the requirements of the scheme will be returned to the country of origin or placed in quarantine.

THE PETS HELPLINE NUMBER FOR MORE INFORMATION IS:
0870 241 1710 (8.30am-5pm on weekdays)
or the DEFRA website at http://www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/quarantine/index.htm
(Information provided by Intervet and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)