Brexit and Pet Shipping

Brexit day is finally here. The 31st January 2020 starts the 11-month long transition period while Great Britain and the European Union thrash out a more permanent deal (or not!). There are many concerns about Brexit and the effect it will have on us in Great Britain, but at Petair we are most concerned about how things will work out when it comes to importing and exporting pets into and out of UK.

Pets leaving the UK and travelling to the EU

The current guidelines will not change during the transition period. Your pets will still need to be microchipped, have a rabies vaccine followed by a 21 day wait period and a pet passport. The guidelines on the gov.uk website remain the same, but now include guidance on how to prepare your pets if they are travelling after January 1st 2021. These guidelines are based on the worst case scenario if the UK is given unlisted third country status. But as it stands, there is currently no change for pets leaving the UK and travelling to the EU during 2020.

Pets leaving the UK and travelling outside the EU

Nothing will change for pets leaving the UK and travelling outside the EU for the foreseeable future. Pets are required to adhere to the rules given to the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) by the destination country. An Official Veterinarian (OV) has to sign off any paperwork in order for the pet to be allowed to travel. Petair can help with any of the necessary requirements for exporting pets outside the EU and we have OV’s on our team who are able to sign off on any paperwork.

Pets entering the UK from the EU

At this time, the rules are not due to change for pets entering the UK from the EU during 2020. Pets entering the UK from the EU will still need to be microchipped, have a rabies vaccine followed by a 21 day wait period and require a pet passport. Dogs need to undertake anti worm treatment 24-120 hours before they enter the country. The UK will decide it’s own import rules after January 1st 2021, but as long as the rabies status of the EU remains the same then the rules are unlikely to change from their current form. However, should a rabies outbreak occur within the EU, then the UK may enforce stricter entry requirements.

Pets entering the UK from non-EU countries

The requirements for pets entering the UK from non-EU countries is also expected to stay the same during 2020. Pets that want to enter the UK from “safe” countries will need to adhere to the normal pet passport rules but pets being imported from other countries will require further safety measures. The current recommendation is for them to be microchipped, have a rabies vaccine and a 30 day wait followed by a rabies blood sample and then a 3 month wait before they are allowed to enter the country. You can find out more about listed and unlisted countries on the GOV.UK website.

Petair UK is perfectly positioned with a team of vets and pet shippers who can advise and help whatever your situation. You can rest assured that we will be closing monitoring the changes over the next 11 months, although there are no changes in the pipeline for 2020 at present. If you are worried about any future travel plans with your pet or would like more advice then please do contact our helpful and knowledgeable team and we will be only too happy to advise.

Fri Jan 31 2020