Brexit: What will happen to pet passports after transition ends?
- Published
When the UK was a European Union (EU) member you were able to take your dog or cat from the UK to the EU and back again without them having to go into quarantine, provided that certain conditions - such as having a pet passport and getting them microchipped - were met.
That will continue to be the case for the rest of 2020 while the UK is in a transition period with the EU.
From 1 January 2021, however, pet passports will no longer be valid for Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales).
Will I be able to take my pet to the EU next year?
You will still be able to take your pet from England, Scotland and Wales to the EU, but you will need to follow a different procedure.
The EU has agreed that Great Britain should be given "part two listed" status, allowing pets to travel within its borders providing the owners obtain an animal health certificate (AHC).
This decision is separate to the wider negotiations between the EU and the UK on trade and their future relationship. So, regardless of whether they reach a deal or not, you will be still be able to travel to the EU with an AHC for your pet.
The AHC confirms that your pet is microchipped and vaccinated against rabies.
You will need to get a new certificate each time you travel with your pet and you must obtain it 10 days before you travel. The document is valid for four months, for a single trip into the EU, onward travel within the EU and for re-entry to Great Britain.
The certificate will be issued by your vet and this process will begin on 22 December.
The rules apply to guide dogs as well.
On 6 December, Environment Secretary George Eustice told the BBC's Andrew Marr that being a "part two" listed country wouldn't be "as easy" as having the pet passport.
What about Northern Ireland?
The EU's "part two listed" status applies to England, Scotland and Wales only.
We asked the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
- Will Northern Ireland-issued EU pet passports still be valid next year?
- Will you have to obtain an AHC if you want to travel with your pet from Great Britain to Northern Ireland?
They told us that further guidance on Northern Ireland-related pet travel will be published "in due course".
UK citizens living in the EU
If you live in the EU and have a pet passport issued by an EU member state, you will be able to use it to bring your pet to the UK after 2020.
You will be able to return to the EU with the EU-issued pet passport as well.