Defra Passport Checklist

This DEFRA leaflet describes a summary of rules for bringing pets into the UK after 1 January 2012. Please note that all procedures, including administration of tapeworm treatment, must be carried out by a registered vet and recorded in the pet passport or third country health certificate.

In Summary the current information is:

Is it microchipped?

Is it currently vaccinated against rabies?

Was it vaccinated after it was microchipped and was the rabies vaccination administered as per the vaccine manufacturer’s data sheet?

Have you got an EU Pet Passport or Official Veterinary Health Certificate from your vet certifying the microchip and vaccination?

Have at least 21 days passed since it was vaccinated?

Has a vet treated your dog for tapeworm 1-5 days before its arrival in the UK and recorded the treatment (with exact times) in the passport or Official Health Certificate?

Remember to check that the date AND time are entered into the passport! This applies to expiration of rabies treatment AND tapeworm!

Este folleto de DEFRA describe un resumen de las normas para llevar animales domésticos al Reino Unido a partir del 1 de enero 2012. Por favor, tenga en cuenta que todos los procedimientos, incluida la administración de tratamiento tenia, deben ser realizadas por un veterinario registrado y se registró en el pasaporte de animales UE o un certificado sanitario de un país tercero. En resumen la información actual es la siguiente:

¿Tiene microchip?

¿Es actualmente vacunado contra la rabia?

¿Fue vacunado después de recibir su microchip y la vacunación de la rabia se administró según la hoja de datos del fabricante de la vacuna?
¿Tienes un Pasaporte de animales UE o un certificado oficial veterinario en lo cual tu veterinario certificó el microchip y las vacunas?

¿Han transcurridos por lo menos 21 días desde que fue vacunado?
¿Ha tenido tu perro un tratamiento veterinario contra lombrices 1-5 días antes de su llegada en el Reino Unido y que se han registrado el tratamiento (con fechas y horas exactas) en el pasaporte o certificado sanitario oficial?

Recuerde comprobar que la fecha y la hora son introducidas en el pasaporte. Esto se aplica a la expiración de tratamiento contra la rabia Y lombrices

NB Your cat requires the microchip and rabies vaccination NOT the worming.

DEFRA Guidlines on 5 pets per person

DEFRA are very clear that only 5 pets can travel at one time per person, but they do allow the transportation of more than five per person in certain circumstances.

The following is taken from their site:

What you need to do if you are travelling with more than five pets

The number of pets that can be moved between EU Member States – including into and out of the UK – is limited to five per person. If there are more than 5 pets moving with an accompanying person , the following rules apply:

The movement of the pets must be non commercial and as a consequence of them travelling with the owner – there should be no transfer of ownership involved.

For moves from the UK to another EU Member State: each group of more than five pet animals belonging to one pet owner will require a health certificate issued by the Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency. Applications for the certificate should be made at least 10 working days prior to the date of travel. The new health certificate is not evidence that your pets meet the Pet Travel Scheme rules and is in addition to having a completed and valid pet passport.

For moves from another EU Member State to the UK: an official veterinary surgeon in that Member State will supply the health certificate.

Animals entering with this certificate must travel on an approved route and will be subject to pet checks at the point of entry.

Couriers may transport more than 5 pets if the above conditions are met.

What you need to do if you are not accompanying your pet during its journey

If a pet owner or responsible person is not travelling on the journey as their pet then under EU rules as long as the movement of the pet is for non commercial reasons and there is no sale or transfer of ownership as a result of the move, then the pet is considered to be accompanied even if the owner or responsible person is not in direct proximity to the pet. This could apply for example if the pet is in cargo and even if the owner is not on the same plane.

In the case of moves between EU Member States (including the UK) where the pet is not in proximity to the owner or responsible person, the transport company will be able to treat the move as an accompanied pet and not a commercial move, if the owner or responsible person has signed a declaration which accompanies the pet passport. The declaration must be signed prior to landing and the pet being checked.

While ALStrays Transport is clearly a commercial operation run through our UK partnership M2Associates we are NON COMMERCIAL with respect to the cats and dogs as we are making no commercial gain from the sale of these animals e.g. we are not a farmer taking their livestock to market.

ALL of the pets that we transport have been inspected by a vet prior to travel and signed off in their passport as being fit to travel.

We only transport pets to their owners. These may be people returning to live in the UK, bringing their pets on holiday with them, or people that have recently adopted a re-homed pet. As we are taking the pet to it’s current owner there is no sale or transfer of ownership as a result of the move. Any transfer of ownership has already taken place, and it is because of this that the move is required.

The new owner is required to provide an authorisation letter along the lines of the DEFRA declaration to confirm that we as the transporter have been asked to transport their pet.

For transports into and out of the UK as the guidelines state above for us to transport more than five pets per person a health certificate issued by the Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency is required, with applications being made 10 days prior to travel. This is simply not practical for us to implement as we often don’t know which dogs are traveling until a couple of days before a transport so we remain restricted to 15 dogs on each transport into and out of the UK.