PETS: Qualifying European Countries - Questions and answers
Q1. What about pets traveling within the British Isles?
Q2. Can I bring my pet from a qualifying country through
one that doesn't qualify?
Q3. What is the position with rescue dogs coming to the
UK?
Q4. What is the position with pets coming from Cyprus?
Q1. What about pets traveling within the British Isles
A1. Pets resident anywhere in the British Isles will continue to be able to travel freely within the British Isles and will not be subject to quarantine or to the Pet Travel Scheme rules although if you have pets documents you are advised to take them with you. Pet can be carried on any route with the British Isles subject to the transport companies agreement and conditions of carriage.
Q2. Can I bring my pet from a qualifying country through one that doesn't qualify?
A2. No. If your pet travels outside the qualifying countries during the six months before it enters the UK it will not qualify.
Q3. What is the position with rescue dogs coming to the UK?
A3. It depends where they come from. If they’ve been only to a qualifying country they can qualify for pets. If not, they have to go into quarantine. We are discussing with rescue organisations ways in which training can continue while in quarantine.
Q4. What is the position with pets from Cyprus?
A4. Until 30 September 2004, pets travelling from Northern (Turkish) Cyprus to the UK (including UK pets returning home on this route) will need to be licensed into quarantine with a view to obtaining early release. Your pet must travel in a container that has had a seal applied to it in Cyprus by a representative of the airline transporting the animal to the UK. The location of the seal shall be such that the container cannot be opened without breaking the seal. The person applying the seal must write the number of the seal on the boarding document ID11 and sign and stamp the ID11 with the official stamp of the airline.
If during the journey the seal is broken, it must be replaced by a representative of the airline transporting the pet who must certify in writing that, between the time the original seal was broken and the replacement seal was applied, the pet did not come into contact with any other animals. The number of the new seal must be written on the boarding document ID11.
These requirements do not apply to pets flying direct from Cyprus to the UK on one of the approved routes shown in the pets European route list.
From 1 October 2004, pets entering the UK from Northern (Turkish) Cyprus will have to be licensed into quarantine for 6 months. This must be arranged before your pet travels to the UK.
The Republic of Cyprus was among those countries which joined the Community in May 2004. The European Regulation on the movement of pet animals applied to that country on 3 July 2004. The Commission subsequently decided that a transitional period would apply until 30 September 2004, during which Member States could maintain their current rules on the import of pets.
Had the referendum which took place in 2004 on the unification of Cyprus been successful, the difficulty pet owners in Northern Cyprus are now facing would not exist. However, the referendum proposal was rejected and as the European Union does not recognise Northern Cyprus, the UK has no option but to regard pets coming from that country as coming from an unlisted country under the EU Regulation. This means that pets entering the UK from that country will have to undertake six months quarantine if they arrive in the UK after 30 September 2004.
Page last modified: January 20, 2006