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We currently live and travel in our van with our two cats Tia and Skye. Previously, we hadn’t considered taking our cats with us on our travels. Our van has made it much easier to take our cats with us and we loved the idea to take them a bit further afield.
There is no better feeling than being able to take your pets with you on your travels. In February 2022, we took our two cats Tia and Skye on an adventure across the St George’s channel from Pembroke, Wales to Rosslare, Ireland.
There were so many questions we had before our trip on what was required for the cats to travel to Ireland as it was their first time abroad, outside of the UK. The process of travelling with pets has changed since the UK left the EU (thanks to Brexit) and we’ve put together some of the questions we wish we’d known before we travelled!
TIA
SKYE
What are the requirements for my pet to travel to the EU FROM THE UK?
If you are planning to go abroad with your pet, ensure to leave a minimum of one month before you travel to allow plenty of time for your pet to get the relevant vaccinations required for the country you are travelling to.
The EU pet passport was sufficient documentation for your pet to travel in a pre-brexit world. However, this has been replaced with an Animal Health Certificate (AHC) if you are travelling from Great Britain (Scotland, England and Wales). The AHC is issued by vets to ensure they are healthy to travel and won’t be a risk to the destination. The minimum requirements for any pet travelling from Great Britain are:
Microchip - this must be easily identified if scanned and check this with your vet. Tia’s microchip no longer scanned and she needed a new one. The microchip number will be noted on the AHC. It’s worthwhile noting where the microchip is when visiting the vets to make it easy to identify when checked.
Rabies jab - this is required for all cats, dogs and ferrets and must be current, i.e. date administered 3 years. If a new rabies jab is required, this must be administered 21 days before travel and must be carried out by a registered vet.
Tapeworm treatment (dogs only) - this must be administered by a registered vet 24 hours to 120 hours before travel. Treatment against ticks is no longer a requirement but strongly advised for dogs.
Please check the gov.uk website for any updated requirements as this could have changed since the article was written.
How long before I travel should thE Animal health certificate (AHC) be arranged?
It is recommended to allow one month prior to travel to arrange the Animal Health Certificate (AHC). An important thing to note is that you must travel within 10 days from when the AHC was issued, if you travel after 10 days since it was issued the AHC will be invalid.
Prior to getting an AHC for your pet, there may be other jabs or vaccines required. It is important to book an appointment with your vet at least a month beforehand to allow time for any additional requirements. For cats and dogs, it is required to have a rabies vaccination up to date, these are valid for 3 years.
For our cats, their rabies vaccination was the only additional cost to their AHC. If a rabies vaccination is required then this will need to be done at least 21 days before travel.
How long does an Animal health certificate (AHC) last?
The Animal Health Certificate is only valid for one return trip and lasts for 4 months for onward travel in the EU and for re-entry to Great Britain. For example from Pembroke, Wales to Rosslare Harbour, Ireland and then back to Pembroke, Wales.
If you then decide to then travel from Wales to France you must obtain an additional Animal Health Certificate for each trip to and from the country which can make it expensive. However, we would recommend obtaining an EU passport at your destination with a registered vet.
When we were in Ireland, we were able to obtain an EU pet passport at a vet clinic in Cork. You will need an address to which the passport will be registered, I have family in Ireland and I was able to register Tia and Skye’s passports.
The vet clinic was fantastic with sorting out Tia and Skye’s pet passports and was very easy to book an appointment online. If you plan to travel with your pets often, we would strongly recommend obtaining an EU passport as it will make travel around the EU much easier and less costly than obtaining an AHC for each trip.
How much does an ANIMAL HEALTH CERTIFICATE (AHC) cost in the UK?
In our experience, the AHC costs £164 for both cats and this price can differ depending on the vets and does not include additional costs that might be required. The AHC paperwork included both Tia and Skye.
It is really important to check the paperwork for any errors or mistakes. When we received the paperwork it had spelling mistakes and had to be corrected and signed by the vet before we departed for our trip to Ireland. We had heard horror stories of people arriving at the ferry and being told that they could not travel due to mistakes on the AHC paperwork.
The vet told us that some bigger ports have mobile vets that can help in these situations but it is worth checking your AHC for any errors beforehand and also having your vet’s number to hand if any problems arise. Our cats already had microchips which is a requirement but also needed additional rabies jabs which cost a further £146 and will last for 3 years.
What paperwork should I take with me?
You will be issued with the original Animal Health Certificate (AHC) and a copy for your records. It’s worth bringing your pet’s vaccination cards with you, which show the vaccines your pet has had and a photocopy will be included on the AHC.
As mentioned above, check your paperwork for spelling mistakes and that it matches the information you have given to the vet including the destination, your details etc.
What to do when arriving at the ferry?
Before boarding, make sure you leave plenty of time to check you have all the correct documentation with you. Give your animals lots of attention beforehand and make sure that they are comfortable especially if you will be leaving your pet in your vehicle for the duration of the crossing.
It is recommended to arrive at least 2 hours before the scheduled departure time to allow for any checks, otherwise, you could be refused to travel.
Will I be able to take my pet on the ferry?
This depends on the ferry operator, we sailed with Irish Ferries from Pembroke port and all animals had to stay inside the vehicle for the duration of the journey. It’s a 2.5 hour journey, which meant we made sure they had everything they needed and could be as comfortable as possible; food, water, clean cat litter etc whilst we were up on deck.
We travelled in late winter, which meant cooler weather. However, during hotter temperatures, it’s very important to ensure your pet has adequate ventilation and water for the duration of the journey. You can get window grills for your vehicle which allow the window to stay open and restrict your pet from escaping.
Some ferries will have onboard kennels and do not allow your pet to stay in the vehicle during the crossing and this can be at an additional cost, depending on the size of your pet. We travelled with Irish ferries which allow pets to either stay in the vehicle or be put in a kennel free of charge - but must be booked in advance.
how can i make my pet comfortable during the crossing?
We found it was best to leave the cats in the van during the crossing as it was a familiar environment and they had everything they needed including a place to sleep, scratch, running water, food and a toilet. They also have each other for company but we made sure to give them a lot of fuss before we left them and gave them treats.
We have a security camera fitted in our van which we can listen to and talk through and gives us peace of mind being able to check them. The camera is connected to wifi and you can check the camera on your phone. You can buy the camera we have below through Amazon.
We hope this article helps you when planning on travelling with your pet abroad and if you have any other questions let us know in the comments. Happy travels with your pets!
