PETS: Dogs, cats and ferrets
Listed countries - questions and answers
- Travelling within the UK
- Travelling to the UK
- Quarantine
- General quarantine procedures
- Early release procedures
Travelling within the UK
Q1. What about pets travelling within the British Isles?
A. Pets resident anywhere in the British Isles can 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. Pets can be carried on any route within the British Isles subject to the transport company’s agreement and conditions of carriage.
Travelling to the UK
Q2. What is the position with dogs, cats and ferrets coming to the UK from Cyprus?
A.Until 30 September 2004, dogs, cats and ferrets travelling to the UK from north Cyprus (the area north of the Buffer Zone) to the UK (including UK pets returning home on this route) could be licensed into quarantine with a view to obtaining early release.
From 1 October 2004, dogs, cats and ferrets entering the UK from north Cyprus (the area north of the Buffer Zone) must be licensed into quarantine for 6 months on arrival in the UK. 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. The new EU Regulation has now superseded the previous UK legislation.
The EU does not recognise the area of Cyprus to the north of the buffer
zone. Therefore, under EU Regulation 998/2003, that part of Cyprus is
regarded as a non-qualifying third country and the UK is obliged to treat
it exactly the same as all other non-qualifying third countries.
We do appreciate the problems this causes some pet owners but we are unable
to change the requirements until the political situation has been resolved.
Q3. Can dogs, cats and ferrets travel to the UK under PETS via other listed countries?
A. Yes, provided they do not go to any unlisted countries.
Q4. What happens if dog, cat or ferret travels to the UK from a listed country through one that is not listed?
A. If your pet travels outside the listed countries during the six months before it enters the UK it will not qualify for entry to the UK unless it was only in transit. In that case it will need a declaration from the transport company to confirm that it remained within the ship or the perimeter of the airport and did not come into contact with other animals during the stopover.
Q5. Do I need to bring my own microchip scanner with me?
A. If the microchip in your pet is not one that can be read by an ISO (International Standards Organisation) compatible microchip scanner you must bring an appropriate microchip scanner with you. This is particularly necessary if you intend to travel from the UK to a European PETS country with your animal and then return to the UK under PETS.
If your pet's microchip number cannot be read by the vet treating your animal for ticks and tapeworms or by the transport company who will check your animal's paperwork before it returns to the UK, it would have to go into quarantine on arrival in the UK. It could then be released after a few days once it can be shown to meet the rules of the Scheme (see questions 21-22 below).
Q6. How do I know what type of microchip is in my animal?
A. Ask the vet who put the microchip in your animal or check if you received any documentation about the microchip. Check with the manufacturer if you are unsure. Bring any microchip documentation with you.
Q7. How do I get the necessary Pet Travel Scheme documentation?
A. Ask your vet or contact the appropriate government authorities in your country:
- For information in Jersey
- For information in the Republic of Ireland
- For information in Sweden
- For information in the USA
- For information in Canada
Q8. When must the tick and tapeworm treatment be done for entry to the UK?
A. This must be done not less than 24 hours and not more than 48 hours before your dog, cat or ferret is checked in to travel with an approved transport company that brings it into the UK. Make sure that the appropriate sections of the EU pet passport or third country official veterinary certificate are fully completed.
If your dog or cat is travelling with a PETS certificate, you will need to get an official certificate of tick and tapeworm treatment from the vet who carries out the treatment. You are advised to make sure in advance that the vet will be able to issue one.
Q9. Will animals entering the UK by air have to travel as cargo?
A. Most dogs, cats and ferrets entering the UK by air will travel as cargo. This is usually how airlines prefer to transport animals and it also should mean a smooth and swift delivery of the animal to the Animal Reception Centre (ARC) on arrival at the UK airport. On some authorised routes, registered assistance dogs may travel in the cabin.
Q10. What are the Animal Reception Centres (ARCs)?
A. The ARCs carry out the required checks on animals arriving under PETS on behalf of approved airlines. Animals going to quarantine will be checked at the quarantine premises.
Quarantine
| Please note that this refers to quarantine in England and Wales only. If you are importing your pet into quarantine in Scotland you should contact SEERAD on: 011 44 (0) 131 556 8400. For quarantine in Northern Ireland contact DARD on 02890 524 622. |
Q11. Do I need to know about quarantine if my dog, cat or ferret is PETS compliant?
A. Dogs, cats and ferrets must be licensed into quarantine if they do not meet all of the requirements of PETS. You should note that your animal will have to be quarantined if it does not have official documentation to enter the UK or if it does not travel into the UK with an approved transport company and on a route authorised by the UK Government for this purpose. This also applies to dogs, cats and ferrets which have not been given tick and tapeworm treatment. In these cases animals may possibly only be in quarantine for a few days. Pets which have not met the 6 calendar months wait before entering the UK wait will also have to go into quarantine until that period has elapsed.
General Quarantine Procedures
Q12. How do I go about putting my animal in quarantine?
A. You must have an import licence that covers all of your pets. Up to 3 cats, or 3 dogs, can be included in each licence. You will need to get the licence before your animal travels to the UK. You must obtain the services of an authorised carrying agent, who will pick up your animal from the airport and transport it to the quarantine premises in the UK that have agreed to house your animal. Most quarantine premises also act as carrying agents. The easiest way to obtain an import licence is to contact a quarantine premises direct, and they can apply for a licence on your behalf. We cannot issue a licence until we have received a form of confirmation completed by both a carrying agent and a quarantine premises. Bring all your animal's supporting documents (e.g. vaccination card, blood test result, any paperwork relating to your animal's microchip) with you.
Q13. Where can I find a list of quarantine premises?
A. A list of quarantine premises is available here, or you can contact Defra's Quarantine Section by telephone on +44 (0) 1245 358383.Q14. How long does it take to get an import licence?
A. We can issue a licence quickly once we have received the confirmation form from the quarantine premises. However, a copy of the import licence called the Boarding Document must travel to the UK with your pet, and a Red Label must be attached to their crate. You should therefore allow a couple of weeks for postal delivery of these documents. If you wish your pet to travel sooner, you should arrange for your quarantine premises to courier these documents out to you.
Q15. What happens if I import my dog, cat or ferret to the UK without an import licence?
A. This is illegal unless a fully PETS compliant animal is imported on an approved route, when you do not need an import licence. Both you and the company transporting your pet may be liable to prosecution. In addition, your pet will be detained in quarantine at your expense, re-exported or put down.
Q16. How much does quarantine cost?
A. All quarantine premises are privately owned and costs are not a matter for the UK Government. You should contact premises direct and make sure you are aware of all charges involved (e.g. veterinary fees, special diets etc.) before you agree a contract. You should also explain clearly to the premises if you think your animal will be eligible for early release and when.
Q17. Can my pets share in quarantine?
A. Possibly. Up to 3 cats or 3 dogs may share a unit. Cats and dogs cannot share a unit together. If the premises has a unit of sufficient size, the Veterinary Superintendent of the premises will apply for a sharing licence and we will issue one.
Q18. Can my pet travel on a plane as passenger baggage?
A. No. All animals transported into quarantine must travel as manifest cargo.
Q19. Which airlines can transport my pet if it does not travel on an approved route?
A. Any airline can transport your pet to the UK if it is being licensed into quarantine but it must land at one of the following airports:
- Belfast, Northern Ireland
- Leeds
- London Gatwick
- London Heathrow
- Manchester
- Edinburgh (Scotland)
- Glasgow (Scotland)
- Prestwick (Scotland)
Q20. Can I pick my pet up from the airport and take them to the quarantine premises?
A. No. This can only be done by the authorised carrying agent named on the import licence.
Early release procedures
Q21. What is early release?
A. Early release is the term we use for cats and dogs that have to be quarantined because they do not meet all the requirements of PETS on the day they are imported to the UK, but can at a later date be shown to meet all the necessary requirements. For example, six months may not have elapsed since the date the blood sample was taken, the animal may not have official PETS documentation, or may have been imported to the UK on an unapproved route, but supporting documentation shows that the animal need not do the full six months quarantine and can be released early.Q22. How do I apply for early release?
A. The application form for early release is completed by the Veterinary
Superintendent (VS) of the quarantine premises. The VS will scan the microchip
number of your animal and ensure that it matches the relevant documentation.
You will need to provide evidence that, after being microchipped, your
animal was vaccinated against rabies and then, for dogs and cats, blood
tested in accordance with PETS rules. This can be done from valid PETS
documentation or on the basis of your animal's vaccination record card
and blood test result, which must include your pet's microchip number.
If your pet has been treated against ticks and tapeworms the treatment should be recorded in your pet’s passport or on the third country official veterinary certificate. If your dog or cat is travelling with a PETS certificate, you may have an official certificate of tick and tapeworm treatment instead. If your pet has not been treated against ticks and tapeworms, or does not have valid documentation, the VS will treat your animal in while it is in quarantine not less than 24 hours before release.
You will have to sign a part of the form to state that your animal has not been outside the PETS qualifying countries in the 6 calendar months before the proposed date of release.
Q23. What if my animal has a non-ISO microchip?
A. The VS may not have a scanner that can read this type of chip. You will have to provide a scanner, it is not up to the VS to provide one. UK microchip manufacturers may be able to assist with this. You could also discuss with your vet before travelling to the UK what scanner he or she uses. No animal will be released early if its microchip cannot be read. If you have paperwork relating to the microchip bring it with you.
Page last modified: 4 May 2007