As the transition period of Brexit comes to an end this year, the UK will no longer be a part of regulations under the EU. This will cause a major regulation change for people travelling from Britain to the EU.
Not just people, their pets also have to adhere to the new rules valid from Jan 1, 2021. Any kind of pet- a cat, a ferret, or a dog, including assistance dogs will have to follow the same guidelines.
According to the new regulations, Great Britain (England, Scotland, and Wales) will become the third country from 1 January 2021. So, the existing EU Pet Travel rules will no longer be applied to Britain.
A third-country comes in one of the three categories under the EU Pet Travel Scheme:
• Unlisted
• Part 1 listed
• Part 2 listed
The Pet Travel requirements for Britain will change according to the category it comes in. If it comes to the unlisted category, people travelling with their pets from Britain to the EU might have to face some new rules.
Old EU pet passport issued in the UK will not be valid for travel to the EU from 1 January 2021. Pet owners need to contact their vet at least four months before travelling to get the latest advice.
Since this is the transition period, pet owners can continue to travel with their pets using a Pet Passport. The UK Government is working with the European Commission to provide this arrangement in the next year too.
Christine Middlemiss, UK Chief Veterinary Officer, said: “We continue to be in contact with vets to highlight this issue and they are expecting pet owners to consult with them and plan ahead. Pet owners can also stay up to date with the latest advice on gov.uk or by searching ‘pet travel’.”
People coming from Britain( issuing 1st January 2021) to the EU with their pets have to complete some steps mentioned below before they take their pets on air.
• They must get their pet microchipped.
• The pet must get vaccinated for rabies. For this, the pet should not be younger than 12 weeks.
• After at least 30 days of its rabies vaccination, the pet must have a blood sample taken.
• The blood sample will be sent to an EU-approved blood testing laboratory.
• The owner has to wait for three months from the date the successful blood sample was taken before they travel to the EU.
The vet will provide the test results and enter the day the blood sample was taken in an animal health certificate (AHC).
For pets entering Great Britain from the EU from 1 January 2021, there will be no change in the rules as of now.
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