PETS: EU Pet passport guidance notes for completion
Cats and dogs
General
1. Introduction1.1 Regulation 998/2003 of the European Council and Parliament sets out the animal health requirements for the movement of pet animals between Member States of the European Union (EU) and into the EU from non-EU countries listed in the Regulation.
2. The EU pet passport2.1 The Regulation requires that dogs and cats moving between Member States shall be accompanied by an EU pet passport. When accompanied by a pet passport an animal can also re-enter the EU from a non-EU country listed in the Regulation. To enter most non-EU countries, an animal will still need to be accompanied by an Export Health Certificate. Please see the PETS website for a list of non-EU countries that will accept a pet passport as an entry document.
2.2 This guidance should be read in conjunction with Defra fact sheet
“The Pet Travel
Scheme (PETS) Advice to veterinary surgeons in GB: Dogs and cats”
(33 KB) dated
May 2006. This fact sheet lists the countries covered by the Regulation.
Details of new qualifying countries can be found on the Defra PETS website.
3.1 Some EU Member States may accept dogs and cats under 3 months of age which have not been vaccinated against rabies but are accompanied by a pet passport. Further guidance to veterinarians on the export of these animals was issued under cover of Action Note 2005/36.
3.2 If an animal is to travel direct to a country which will accept animals that are not vaccinated against rabies, then it is possible to issue a passport without vaccinating the animal. In this case, the owner must be advised that vaccination against rabies would be required if the animal were to be moved to another country at a later date.
4. Transitional arrangements4.1 Commission Decision 2004/301/EC lays down transitional arrangements to enable PETS entry or re-entry certifi cates (in the UK, the PETS 1 certificate) issued before 1 October 2004 to be recognised for entry to the UK until they expire. These arrangements were detailed in Action Note 2004/122 issued on 30 June 2004. No further PETS1 re-entry certifi cates are to be issued.
5. Issuing a passport5.1 A passport can be issued for an animal which has been fitted with a microchip and vaccinated against rabies after the microchip has been implanted. It can be issued to replace a current PETS entry/re-entry certificate issued in any PETS qualifying country, including the UK, where that certificate provides the necessary support details. Please remember that if an animal is going to re-enter the UK, it must also pass a serology test for rabies and the details recorded in Part V of the passport. The blood sample for the test must be drawn after the animal has been vaccinated against rabies.
5.2 An animal may not enter or re-enter the UK until six calendar months have elapsed from the date the blood sample was drawn and from which a satisfactory test result was achieved. An animal requires only one satisfactory blood test and a six month wait provided the subsequent rabies booster vaccinations are given by the required date. See section V (Rabies Serological Test) for more details. As there is no box in the passport to record the first date for entry to the UK (the ‘valid from’ date on the old PETS1 certificate), please issue clients with a copy of the leaflet “Note for dog and cat owners wishing to take their pet abroad” (PETS 9).
5.3 A passport can also be issued for an animal accompanied by a certificate
headed ‘Veterinary Certificate for domestic dogs, cats and ferrets
entering the European Community for non commercial movements (Regulation
(EC) No. 998/2003' (Decision (EC) No. 2004/824) which has been issued
in a non-EU listed country, provided the animal has been
implanted with a microchip and is covered by a current rabies vaccination
as noted in section IV of that certificate.
5.4 Please note that in some EU countries (France, Denmark (dogs only), Belgium (dogs only)" and Poland (pedigree dogs only)) where there is a mandatory identification (tattoo) and registration system, animals in those countries may be prepared in a different order. These animals are still required to be microchipped in order to enter the UK, but the microchip may be implanted any time after the animal has been vaccinated against rabies. Passports issued for those animals should bear the tattoo number and date of tattooing. Further information can be found on the Defra PETS website.
6. Who completes and issues the passport6.1 Where appropriate, the passport should be stamped and signed by a Panel 2 Local Veterinary Inspector appointed by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Scottish Executive Environment and Rural Affairs Department or National Assembly for Wales as an Official Veterinarian (OV) for export purposes. The passport must be signed and stamped with the OV stamp in any ink colour other than black.
6.2 Relevant sections of the passport may be completed, signed and stamped
on the basis
of evidence of procedures carried out by any registered veterinary surgeon.
This evidence may be
in the form of:
- a fully completed Pet Travel Scheme entry or re-entry certificate which has been signed and stamped by an authorised veterinarian;
- a completed EU pet passport issued by another authorised veterinarian;
- a record or certificate of current rabies vaccination which bears the microchip number of the animal;
- a blood test result provided by a recognised laboratory showing a test result indicating a rabies antibody titre of 0.5 IU/ml or above and bearing the animal’s microchip number and date of rabies vaccination carried out prior to blood sampling.
6.3 Government-authorised veterinarians in the UK can also enter details,
such as rabies vaccination boosters
or of tick and tapeworm treatment (if appropriate), in a passport issued
by another EU country.
6.4 When issuing a passport, please also issue form PETS
9 (33 KB)
to your client. This form tells pet owners what to do if their animal
has not been blood tested or requires a further blood test, because it
has missed a rabies booster vaccination date. It also reminds them that
their animal must be treated against ticks and tapeworms before it can
re-enter the UK.
- Sections I-III: can be completed by practice support staff or veterinarian. The owner may affix the photograph in Section II
- Section IV: the fi rst two boxes can be completed by a practice veterinarian. The final box (authorised veterinarian) must be completed by a Panel 2 Official Veterinarian (LVI)
- Section V: must be completed by a Panel 2 Official Veterinarian
- Section VI: can be completed by a practice veterinarian
- Section VII: can be completed by a practice veterinarian
- Section VIII: can be completed by a practice veterinarian
- Section IX: can be completed by a practice veterinarian
7.1 Once you have issued a passport, ensure the relevant details are entered on the Pet Passport Control Sheet (PETS 7). Completed sheets should be sent to your local Animal Health Divisional Office. We recommend that you take a photocopy/scan of the passport pages covering identification, vaccination and serology and retain them for reference.
7.2 Further supplies of passports can be obtained from your local Animal Health Divisional Office.
8. Amendments/corrections/replacement8.1 Any amendments to the passport must be made by the OV by drawing a single line over the incorrect entry. The correct information must be written legibly above the deleted entry and then signed and stamped by the OV with the official stamp. The use of correction fluid is not permitted.
8.2 If an error is made in the date of rabies vaccination or the expiry date of that vaccine (Section IV of the passport), the whole entry for that vaccination should be deleted and signed and stamped as above. A new entry for that vaccination should be entered in the next line in that section of the passport.
8.3 Spoiled front covers should be cancelled by cutting off the top right hand corner of the passport and returning the passport, with the completed control sheet, to your local Animal Health Divisional Office. When a passport becomes full, it should be cancelled as above and returned to the owner.
8.4 If a passport is lost or stolen, it can be replaced on production of the animal’s vaccination record and blood test result, both of which must show the animal’s microchip number. Details of the lost or stolen passport, including its serial number, country and date of issue (if known) and name and address of the owner must be sent to your local Animal Health Divisional Office.
Passport sections
| No | Title | Passport page(s) |
| I | Owner | 1 |
| II | Description of animal | 2 |
| III | Identification of animal | 3 |
| IV | Vaccination against rabies | 4-7 |
| V | Rabies Serological test | 8-9 |
| VI | Tick treatment | 10-15 |
| VII | Echinococcus treatment | 16-21 |
| VIII | Other vaccinations | 22-27 |
| IX | Clinical examination | 28-29 |
| X | Legalisation | 30-31 |
| XI | Others | 32 |
Completing each section
The animal must be present so that its microchip number can be checked when all sections of the passport, other than section 1 (name and address of owner), are completed or updated.
CoverWe recommend that the issuing veterinary practice put its practice stamp on the inside of the front cover.
Section I: Owner
The first name(s), surname and full address of the person to whom the passport is first issued should be entered in part 1 of this page. If there if is a change of owner, the name and address of the new owner should be entered on this page. Please note the passport may be issued in respect of any dog or cat which meets the requirements of the Regulation. This means that a passport may be issued to an owner who may not be a citizen or resident of the United Kingdom.
Change of addressIf the owner of the animal subsequently reports a change of address to a veterinary practice, the details of the new address along with the owner’s name should be entered in the next available section on Page 1 of the passport.
Section II: Description of animal
- Photograph
The insertion of the photograph of the animal is optional and at the owner’s expense. The owner is responsible for affi xing a photograph to the passport. The borders of the photograph must remain within the marked area and not obscure any other part of this page. - Description of animal
Sections 1-6 can be completed by practice support staff or veterinarian. The entry for species must be either dog or cat. The entry for date of birth can contain either the animal’s date of birth or month and year of birth or year of birth or approximate age.
Section III: Identification of animal
A microchip must be implanted in the animal to identify it. We recommend that the microchip conforms to ISO (International Standards Organisation) Standard 11784 or Annex A to Standard 11785. If the microchip does not conform to either Standard, the owner or person responsible for the animal on behalf of the owner must provide their own microchip reader to enable the microchip number to be read at the time of any inspection.
Before entering the number in this section, the full number of the implanted microchip must be read with a suitable reader or scanner by the veterinary nurse or practice veterinarian. The number must not be entered on the basis of any supporting documentation.
Date of microchipping
This should be entered on the basis of veterinary records or a record/certificate of implantation. The information may also be available by contacting/accessing one of the animal pet identification databases to which microchip manufacturers subscribe. The entry should be in the format dd/mm/yy. This section must not be left blank. Do not enter ‘not known’. In cases where a microchip has been implanted and can be read but the exact date of microchipping cannot be established, the following guidelines can be followed:
(a) For animals issued with a current PETS entry/re-entry certificate (i.e. it has not expired). Enter “Before [insert blood sample date shown on PETS certificate] as shown on PETS entry/re-entry certificate”.
(b) For animals which have been vaccinated against rabies and with a satisfactory blood test result under PETS (titre level of =0.5 IU/ml) but not issued with a PETS certificate or the certificate is unavailable:
Enter “Before [insert date of rabies vaccination as shown on the laboratory blood test result report]”
(c) For animals which have been vaccinated against rabies but not blood tested: If the vaccination record card bears the microchip number, enter “Before [insert date last rabies vaccination was administered]”. In case of doubt or where the vaccination card does not bear the microchip number, administer a booster vaccination and enter “Before [insert date booster vaccination administered]”
(d) For animals which have not been vaccinated against rabies or blood tested or where evidence of these procedures is not available: Administer a rabies vaccination and enter “Before [insert date rabies vaccination was administered]”
Location of microchip
Please insert location of microchip as indicated by passing the reader over the animal.
Tattoo number and date of tattooing
Tattooing is not mandatory for an animal issued with a passport in the United Kingdom. If an inspection of the animal reveals a tattoo number, this can be entered in this section. The date of tattooing can be entered on the basis of veterinary records or a certifi cate/record of tattooing.
Section IV: Vaccination against Rabies
Please note that before any entry is made in any part of this section, the animal’s microchip number must be read and verified against the entry in section III of the passport. Details of the current rabies vaccination must be recorded in the passport.
Vaccination prior to blood testing
To show that the animal was vaccinated against rabies prior to a satisfactory blood test, we recommend that for animals which have already passed a blood test and which have been subsequently vaccinated, details of the vaccination administered prior to the date of blood sampling should, if available, be entered in the section of the passport. Details should be shown as the first entry in this section.
Details of all subsequent rabies vaccinations may also be entered in the passport if available. Remember, the current rabies vaccination must be recorded in the passport.
Vaccine type
An approved inactivated rabies vaccine must be used and administered in accordance with the recommendations of the manufacturer.
Manufacturer, name of vaccine and batch number
Where possible, the sticker supplied with each dose of vaccine should be inserted in this box. If the sticker does not provide all the required information, please enter any missing information immediately below or adjacent to the sticker. In the case of an animal currently vaccinated, the required information should be entered by hand using practice records, suitable supporting evidence issued by another veterinary practice or a vaccination record card which shows the animal’s microchip number. Please ensure that the information is clearly legible.
Vaccination date/valid until
Please note that the expiry date of the vaccine (i.e. its use by date) should not be entered as the ‘valid until’ date. Both parts of the box must be completed and entries must be in dd/mm/yy format, e.g. 01/05/05. In the case of an animal currently vaccinated, the date of vaccination can be entered on the basis of practice records, suitable supporting evidence issued by another veterinary practice or a vaccination record card which shows the animal’s microchip number. Please ensure that the information entered in the passport is clearly legible.
The valid until date should, where possible, be based on information supplied by the vaccine manufacturer’s datasheet. If this is not available, the date can be entered on the basis of practice records, suitable supporting evidence issued by another veterinary practice or a vaccination record card which shows the animal’s microchip number.
Authorised veterinarian
In England, Scotland and Wales this section can only be completed by an OV. The OV must apply his/her own OV stamp in the box and add his/her signature. Please ensure that the signature does not obscure the OV stamp number.
Booster vaccinations
The European rules require that to comply with the movement regulations
animals must be given regular rabies booster vaccinations in accordance
with manufacturers’ datasheets.
An animal which has not been blood tested or has missed a rabies booster
vaccination following a blood test (and a satisfactory result obtained),
but is currently vaccinated against rabies, can enter
other EU countries which do not require a blood test to be carried out
before entry. It must be accompanied by a passport with sections 1-IV
completed.
In these cases, the animal would need to be blood tested in another qualifying
country and wait 6 calender months following the date the blood sample
(which led to a satifactory blood test) was drawn before it can re-enter
the UK.
Because not all rabies vaccinations (other than the current vaccination)
administered before a passport is issued are required to be recorded in
the passport, the animal’s vaccination record will need to be checked
if a booster vaccination appears to have been missed. If a booster has
been missed the following action should be taken:
-
If a veterinarian completing a pet passport detects that a booster has been missed since a blood test was carried out, details of that blood test should not be entered in section V of the passport; but
-
If the blood test details have already been entered in section V, do not delete or alter any details already entered in that section.
In either case, the veterinarian must issue the owner or keeper of the animal with form PETS 9. A copy of this form is attached to these guidance notes and can be photocopied for use in the veterinary practice. The certifying OV must also enter the following in section XI of the animal’s pet passport. “Rabies booster vaccination not given on time. Before this animal can re-enter the UK, a further blood sample must be taken and sent to an EU approved laboratory for a rabies blood test. If the result is satisfactory, the animal may re-enter the UK 6 calendar months after the date the blood sample was taken.” The OV should also stamp, sign and date this entry.
Section V: Rabies serological test
Before any entry is made in this section, the animal’s microchip number must be read and verified against the entry in section III of the passport.
For a cat or dog to enter the UK under the Regulation, it must obtain a satisfactory result for rabies antibodies following vaccination. A satisfactory result must indicate a titre level equal to or greater than 0.5 IU/ml.
A blood sample must be taken and sent for testing at a laboratory approved under EC Decision 2000/258/EC (as amended). A list of approved laboratories can be found on the Defra PETS website. The VLA and BioBest laboratories in the UK are on this list.
Before taking the sample, contact the laboratory to obtain the appropriate sample submission form and seek advice on the correct labelling and means of packaging and transportation of the sample. Do not leave this to your clients.
When a satisfactory test result is received from the laboratory, please complete this section of the passport. The date when the blood sample for the rabies serology was drawn must be entered. The details of the authorised veterinarian must be completed by an OV. Only one signature is required in this section. This should be written in the box where the OV stamp is entered. Please ensure the signature does not obscure the OV stamp number.
If a fully completed PETS entry or re-entry certificate (PETS1 in the UK) is presented or available to the veterinarian, this provides acceptable evidence of a satisfactory blood test and the date of blood sampling. Section V of the passport can be completed on the basis of this document provided the animal has not missed a rabies booster vaccination following the date of blood sampling shown on that certificate.
In case of a further test
If an animal is not administered with a rabies booster vaccination by the due date according to the manufacturer’s datasheet, it must be revaccinated and a further blood test performed. A satisfactory result must indicate a titre level equal to or greater than 0.5 IU/ml. The animal will not be able to enter the UK for 6 calendar months from the date the blood sample was taken.
The date the blood sample was drawn for this further blood test must be entered in this section of the passport.
Section VI and VII: Tick and Tapeworm treatment
Please note that before any entry is made in these sections, the animal’s microchip number must be read and verified against the entry in section III of the passport.
Before entering or re-entering the UK, an animal must be treated by a qualified veterinarian against ticks and the tapeworm Echinococcus multilocularis. The treatment must be carried out not less than 24 hours and not more than 48 hours before the pet is checked in with an approved transport company to travel on an authorised route into the UK. Approved transport companies and routes are listed on the PETS website.
Animals leaving the UK on a day trip will need to have these treatments administered prior to departure from the UK. This is so the timing requirement described above can be satisfi ed. Please note that if an animal is travelling with a valid PETS 1 certificate in these circumstances, the veterinarian will need to complete a ‘Certificate of Treatment against Ticks and Tapeworms’ (PETS 2).
Treatment
The tapeworm treatment must contain praziquantel and be administered in
accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions.
When treating animals in the UK, the tick treatment must be a veterinary
product which has a marketing authorisation in the UK and is licensed
for use against ticks. An acaricidal collar is not permitted.
The product details should be entered in the box marked “Manufacturer
and name of product”.
The date and time of treatment should be entered in the boxes marked “Date/Time”.
For the date please enter in dd/mm/yy format. For the time, please enter
using 24-hour clock, e.g. 1530.
If the veterinarian administering treatment is an OV, his/her stamp must
be entered in the box marked
“veterinarian”.
If the veterinarian administering treatment is not an OV, the practice
stamp must be
entered in the box. In both cases, the administering veterinarian must
also enter his/her signature
in the box.
Section VIII: Other vaccinations
It is not mandatory to complete this section. It may need to be completed if it is decided in the future that the passport can be accepted as an export document to enter a non-EU country. However, veterinarians may, if they wish, enter details of vaccinations administered to the animal, other than against rabies, in this section.
Section IX: Clinical examination
Fitness for travelWhilst the entry for clinical examination is not required to be completed for the movement of dogs and cats to other EU countries, some transport companies may still require owners to produce evidence of an animal’s fitness to travel.
Veterinarians may, therefore, complete section IX of the passport if they wish to do so. Alternatively, the following statement could be used as a guide if issuing a letter to a client regarding an animals fitness to travel.
“On (enter date), I examined the animal described in UK pet passport serial no (enter number) and found it to be free from clinical sign of infectious or contagious disease, including external parasites, and in my opinion, is fi t for travel”.
Section X: Legalisation
This section is not required to be completed at this time. It may need to be completed if it is decided in the future that the passport can be accepted as an export document to enter a non-EU country.
Section XI: Others
This section should normally be left blank unless there are special circumstances
or conditions that need to be recorded in relation to the passport. See
section IV above in relation to missed rabies boosters.
Issued by:
Animal Identification and Movement Division
Department For Environment, Food
And Rural Affairs
Amended December 2006
Page last modified: December 15, 2006