Changes to the 'Quarantine method of bringing your pet back to the UK have been advised, which will take effect from January 2012.
New rules mean it will be easier and cheaper to travel abroad with pets.
It will become cheaper and easier to travel abroad with pets when new rules are introduced at the start of next year.
The UK will harmonise its pet movement rules with the rest of the EU from 1 January 2012, bringing the UK’s Pet Travel Scheme into line with the most recent science. The UK will maintain its high level of protection against animal diseases after the changes, which have the potential to save pet owners around £7 million in fees.
Forcing pets to spend 6 months in quarantine, a practice dating from the 1800s, is no longer necessary because of vastly improved rabies vaccines and treatments.
All pets will still need to be vaccinated against rabies. Pets from the EU and listed non-EU countries such as the USA and Australia will no longer need a blood test and will only have to wait 21 days before they travel. Pets from unlisted non-EU countries such as India, Brazil and South Africa will be able to enter the UK if they meet certain strict criteria to ensure they are protected against rabies, including a blood test and a three-month wait before they enter the UK.
The changes will ensure the risk of rabies coming to the UK remains extremely low. It’s estimated that the new rules mean there would be one case of rabies in a pet in the UK once every 211 years, with the possibility of a person dying from rabies obtained from a pet once in every 21,000 years.
The UK has been discussing with the European Commission the most appropriate form of tapeworm controls for dogs, to ensure the UK continues to be protected from Echinococcus multilocularis. The Commission has recently indicated that its proposals, expected shortly, would enable the UK and other tapeworm-free countries to retain tapeworm controls, with a requirement that animals be treated between one and five days before returning to the UK.
Tick treatment for pet animals returning to the UK will no longer be required. All pet owners travelling abroad with their animals should discuss with their vets the use of treatments, including those designed to control ticks as part of good animal health practice.
The UK, along with Ireland, Sweden and Malta, has an exemption from the standard EU pet travel rules. They are all harmonising their entry rules with the rest of the EU at the same time at the UK.
Entry rules for pets entering the UK from Spain :
| Now | From 1 January 2012 | |
| Microchip | Yes | Yes |
| Rabies Vaccination | Yes | Yes |
| Documentation (pet passport or third country certificate) | Yes | Yes |
| Blood test (dogs and cats) | Yes | No |
| Pre-entry waiting period | Yes | Yes |
| Length of waiting period before entry to the UK | 6 months from date sample taken for blood test | 21 days after vaccination against rabies |
| Tick Treatment | Yes (24-48 hours before embarkation) | No |
| Tapeworm Treatment | Yes (as for ticks) | Under consideration at European level |
>> Click HERE to read " A first-hand experience of taking your dog back to the UK. <<
The orginal article can be viewed in full on the DEFRA website by clicking here .
