Euro tunnel travel with your furrend

Traveling with your dog from the UK to the EU via the euro tunnel..

In this short blog I will cover the need to know information and simple steps on how to successfully travel to the EU from the UK with your dog..

For dogs traveling from the UK to the EU, its essential your dog is micro chipped, up to date with their rabies vaccination and has an Animal health certificate. (or passport)

Most countries in the EU have the same entry requirements, so once you're there, you should be able to travel through EU countries without any additional paperwork or checks. (When we drove across the French border into Spain there were no checks or border control)

If your dog is not currently up to date with their rabies vaccine, they will need this to travel. The rabies vaccine should be given no sooner than 21 days prior to travel (If you are traveling to other countries outside of the EU, the regulations requiring rabies vaccinations can vary. For example; If you choose to travel with your dog to Morocco from Spain, your dog will need to have a rabies blood test before returning to the UK which can take up to 3 months)

I always advise for you to do your own personalised research depending on your own unique travel plans to make sure that you are prepared. 

Your dog is only required to have a rabies vaccination before travel. If your dog is not up to date with other vaccines, this will not affect their ability to travel with you!

You will need to obtain an ‘Animal Health Certificate’ from your vet prior to your travel, this needs to be issued within 10 days of your travel plans. 

I advise contacting your vet and booking this in advance for peace of mind. I’d also advise you to give yourself a few days each side of the deadline to make room for any unexpected travel delays. (I booked for Roo’s animal health certificate 5 days before we were scheduled to depart) 

There is not much you need to do for the animal health certificate, your vet has to stamp & sign it, and will show you how to read your dog’s micro chip. Your vet can also advise you on anything els you are not sure about regarding the form and your travel plans. 

The animal health certificate will grant your dog permission to stay in Europe for up to 4 months, even though as a British citizen, you only get 3!

Important to remember… Before returning to the UK from the EU, your dog MUST be treated for tape worm by a vet 1-5 days before entering.

You can travel via ferry with your dog, however we chose the euro tunnel for a few reasons, its quicker, cheaper, and you are able to stay with your dog for the duration of the journey. 

Once arriving at the euro tunnel you must check your dog into the animal reception center, this is a quick & easy process where the people at the desk check your dogs paper work and micro chip and remind you about the tape worm treatment on your return.

Once these checks are completed, you hop back into the car with your dog and board the train which only takes 35 minutes to France!

The services at the euro tunnel are dog friendly too! So even if you have time to kill, you can grab a drink or bite to eat and read a book in the company of your furrend!

Extra things to think about…

If your dog has a valid EU pet passport which was issued by an EU country or Northern Ireland, they do not need an animal health certificate (AHC) to travel within or return to the EU from the UK. However the passport must include proof of a valid rabies vaccination, a micro chip and tape worm treatment (if required - country dependent) 

If your dog has a pet passport which was issued in the UK, (England, Scotland or Wales) it is no longer valid for travel to the EU as of January 2021 and an Animal health certificate is now required instead. 

(Is it a money making scheme, most likely! - You need an AHC every time your dog travels which can be anywhere between £100-£200.. It seems alot considering a human passport is less than £100 and is valid for 10 years. Not only this, it's literally paper which states your dog has had a vaccine and chip... But with this in mind, its still totally worth it!)

Although most EU countries follow the same guidelines, it’s important to do your own research based on your specific travel plans. For example, countries like Finland, Ireland, Malta & Norway require tape worm treatment by a vet 1-5 days before entry which needs to be documented on the animal health certificate. 

It's important to think about everything and plan ahead so you don't encounter

any issues along the way..

Once organized, it's a breeze!