UK Pet Passports and how we take our dogs on holiday with us.
Tips on taking your pooch on holiday to France.
DISCLAIMER: We accept no responsibility for your dog(s) or holiday by offering these tips. We have been asked
many times by dog owners how we have successfully taken our mutts on holiday with us and this is the result.
Please note so far we have only gone to France and these tips only cover what we have done. So you may need to do other things, if
traveling else where in Europe.
Please always consult with your Vet before going on holiday with your dog(s) overseas.
Over 6 months BEFORE THE HOLIDAY
For your dog’s first holiday over the channel you must allow more than 6 months preparation time from the date of departure from the UK.- Get your dog micro-chipped (the number must be recorded properly, keep a record of this yourself somewhere safe as well). Chipping needs to be done before you start proceedings for the passport it takes only a few seconds and costs normally less than £10.00.
- Your dog needs to have a pet passport. In order to do this –
- Make appointment at your vet for a rabies jab/passport
- Before leaving the vet, after rabies vaccination is given, make an appointment for approx 2/3weeks time to have a blood test. The test is sent away in order to check that your dog has satisfactory levels of anti – rabies antibodies.
- Providing the blood test results come back approved your pet passport will be issued and back dated to the date of the blood test. The vet will then complete the section “Vaccination against rabies” section ( stating vaccine, valid from –to , stamp and sign) and “rabies serological”section, again with a signature and stamp + date.
- Your dog is then ready to go to France (or elsewhere in Europe, note that it is only Europe that is covered) – however please remember re- entry to the UK is not permitted until 6 months after this date.
- Dependant on the rabies drug it will last between 2-3 years. In order to keep the passport valid ensure you have a booster before the expiry. No further blood tests will be required. If you miss the expiry date you will need to start the whole procedure again- including the 6 month wait.
Additional helpful websites are -
http://uk.merial.com/data_sheet/rabisin.asphttp://www.defra.gov.uk/wildlife-pets/pets/travel/pets/index.htm
A FEW WEEKS BEFORE DEPARTURE
I strongly recommend you do a little more research before your holiday. You will need to locate a French vet which you will need to visit prior to coming home. It is certainly worth contacting them in advance to make an appointment. We usually write or email the French vet asking if they could do the Pet Passport procedure. Note Vets need to attend courses and get an official rubber stamp to fill in your Pet Passport, so it is always a good idea to contact them before you leave the UK.
Secondly although the Defra website suggest otherwise I would suggest as a back up that you take with you the flea + tick treatment , and worming tablets which your UK vet prescribe / recommend for foreign travel. We always take Frontline combo and Milbemax. This will ensure that you have the correct treatment for your dog and that you are not charged any additional monies for the tablets/ treatments.
Please note that Defra state that the treatments must be licensed for use in the country of administration and should be dispensed by the vet in that country.
Finally I would also suggest that you advise your UK vet the area of France you are travelling in order to check whether you require any additional preventative medicines for potential parasites etc that are not normal within the UK.
THE HOLIDAY
From Britain to France
We normally take the train from Folkestone to Calais. It’s simple and quick.
When booking you must advise how many dogs/ pets will be travelling with you. The cost per dog is around £25.
On arrival at the check-in inform the attendee in the booth that you have a dog with you as there is a special ticket to display in your window. As per all other travelers you will also receive a departure letter dependant on which train you are travelling on. ( NB if you do arrive earlier you are sometimes given the opportunity to travel on an earlier train than the one you are booked on). You are then instructed to wait at the terminal area until your letter is called. During this time it is recommended that you allow your dog to relieve himself in the enclosed exercise areas.
Once your departure letter is announced you need to follow the signs to the train. This involves driving through customs. Human and pets passport are checked at the customs.
Vehicles are then segregated into a queuing system. There will be a short wait where again exercise areas for your dog are available. Thereafter you will be directed onto the train.
Whilst on the train you will be asked to open your windows slightly. Our experience is that it will feel slightly warm. You are able to get out of your car but are recommended not to. Pets should stay in the car with you. The journey takes 20-30mins.
On arrival at France there are no further checks – remember to drive on the right side!
From France to Britain
As previously mentioned you should have arranged a vet appointment in France prior to your holiday. I would also recommend that you check out the location of your French vet prior to the day of your appointment. Some can be hard to find! You don’t want to miss your appointment!
The vet must apply both Tick and Tapeworm treatment before your departure from France. This must be done no less than 24 hours before your departure time and no more than 48hours.
Eg – If your train leaves 11am on Friday your dog must have seen the vet no earlier than 11am on the Wednesday and no later than 11am on the Thursday.
You must judge this as if your train is delayed or you aim to catch an earlier train then this effects your timings.
The vet examines your dog and checks that the microchip reads correctly. In addition they administer the worm and tick treatments.
Hand over the passports as they must accurately detail the following –
Manufacturer and name of product, eg – Merial frontline combo etc
sign,
stamp,
date and time your passport on all relevant pages.
Please double check the completed details on your passport are correct and legible and that all the correct pages have been completed. Pages that should be completed are “Tick treatment” + “Echinococcus treatment” ( worming) + “Clinical Examination”. Make sure the date and time is correct in the Pet Passport, it can be a problem if the dates or times are wrong as you may not be able to enter the UK, if they are outside the 24-48 hour window as mentioned above.
On arrival back at the French Channel crossing terminus turn right into Pet departure section before you check in (Portacabins). This is where the dog passports are checked. Take your dog into the building with corresponding passport. The staff behind the desk will then hand you a scanner to pass over the dogs micro chip.
They will then check all the data, stamps and dates within the passport are correct and within time. You are then allowed to proceed to Check in. This is an identical procedure to the UK side – ie- Check in , terminal building, customs then board train. At the Uk side there are no further checks.
Enjoy your holiday!