Taking your pet dog, cat or ferret abroad
Rabies vaccinations and boosters
You must get your dog, cat or ferret vaccinated against rabies before it can travel to the EU or Northern Ireland. Your vet needs proof that your pet is at least 12 weeks old before vaccinating them.
The vaccine must be an inactivated vaccine or recombinant vaccine that’s approved in the country of use.
You must get your pet microchipped before, or at the same time as, their rabies vaccination. If you do not, they’ll need to be vaccinated again.
When you can travel
You must wait 21 days to travel after your pet is vaccinated. Day 1 is the day after the rabies vaccination.
You do not need to wait to travel after a booster vaccination if there has been no break in the vaccine cover.
Example
A vet vaccinates your pet against rabies on 1 September. This means you can travel on 22 September.
Booster vaccinations
If you’re travelling with your pet, you must get regular rabies booster vaccinations for your pet. Check your animal health certificate or pet passport to find out when the booster vaccination is due.
You will not need to get repeat vaccinations for repeat trips to the EU or Northern Ireland if your pet’s rabies vaccination is up to date.
Vaccination record
Your pet’s vaccination must be recorded in either:
- an animal health certificate
- a valid pet passport
Your pet can be stopped from travelling if the details in their animal health certificate or pet passport are in the wrong place.
Your pet’s vaccination record must show:
- your pet’s date of birth
- microchip number, date it was put in or read, and where it is on your pet’s body
- vaccination date
- vaccine manufacturer and product name
- vaccine batch number
- date the vaccination is valid until
- the vet’s signature and contact details
If you have a pet passport
Your pet’s vaccination record must have been added by a vet in either:
- a country that can issue a valid pet passport
- Great Britain before 1 January 2021
If your pet passport does not have an up to date vaccination record, you’ll need an animal health certificate instead.
Your pet can be stopped from travelling if the vaccination details were added to their passport by a vet in Great Britain after 31 December 2020.