Pet Passports In UK

With Pet Travel Scheme, more pets are able to travel to and from the United Kingdom. The scheme started in February 2000, the starting month brought 619 cats and dogs in UK but as of now there were a total of 10,117 pets that entered the country.

Pet passports are needed to get your pet to travel to and from Europe. In order to acquire a passport, your pet should be be at least three months old, microchipped and vaccinated against rabies. A blood test is needed to be taken after 28 days to see if the vaccine is working. If not, your pet must undergo another vaccine to be considered fit to travel. A booster is also needed every three years. You can;t bring your pet back to the UK until after 6 months months from the date that the sample was taken.

Getting your pet microchipped and vaccinated can be expensive. You have to shop around for deals and promos to lessen the cost. Transportaion is also another important factor to deal with when traveling with pets, check for carriers that allow pets and charge lesser. It really helps of you plan everything weeks before your travel.

In case your pet get’s ill during the travel, some insurance companies will allow you to claim for veterinary care abroad, but you have to double check their terms and also bring your policy with you.

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) oversees the scheme so check on their website for more information on vaccination and any rule changes.