Passports for pets

Are there any more experienced doggie travellers out there who can give me a short guide to getting a passport. What to do and when to do it?
I've been told it takes six months and that it's not as simple as our passports - that there's still a weird 24-hour rule about your return journey. Can anyone clarify this for me?
We're hoping to be taking the dog when we visit friends and family in Spain and France.
How do we find a vet in both countries to comply with the 24 rule?
I'm guessing we'll be using the car for France and flying to Spain. Are there any restrictions on which ports/airlines we can use?
It all seems a bit baffling! Any websites you can point us to?
Best wishes
Charlie Lomas, Basingstoke


To start at the end of your question, there is a website which should be your next port-of-call: www.defra.gov.uk. It will explain the Pet Travel Scheme (PETS) which enables you to take your pet abroad without the need for quarantine on your return to the UK.
The six month rule can be a little misleading at first glance, and may be amended so keep an eye on the DEFRA website. Essentially, the way PETS works when you are planning to take your dog to another EU country such as France or Spain as you intend is:
- your dog is permanently identified with a microchip implanted under the skin;
- your dog is vaccinated against rabies;
- at this point, an EU pet passport can be issued;
- after a short period as recommended by the manufacturer of the rabies vaccine, a blood sample is taken and submitted to a laboratory to check the response mounted by your dog’s immune system to the rabies vaccine, the so-called rabies titre;
- provided the rabies titre is satisfactory, then your dog can re-enter the UK six calendar months from the date that the blood sample was taken without going into quarantine.
Since there will have been the delay between vaccination and blood sampling, this means that you must actually wait more than six months before your dog can re-enter the UK, usually seven months or so. He can, however, leave the UK for a recognised country with his EU PET passport 21 days after being vaccinated against rabies.
Do remember that there are certain individuals whose immune system may not react sufficiently to one dose of rabies vaccine. This is particularly the case with young dogs, and it is often recommended that they have a course of two vaccines as of routine before submitting a blood sample a few weeks after the second vaccine.
Checking a blood sample may seem an unnecessary expense, and indeed is not necessary if you do not plan to return to the UK with your dog, but it does ensure that your dog is fully protected against rabies whilst abroad. Holidaying is a different situation, when you are definitely returning to the UK, so it does need forethought.
To maintain the validity of the passport, your dog will need to be re-vaccinated against rabies before the expiry date noted when the rabies vaccination was certified.
The 24 hour rule is actually a 24-48 hour rule. Your dog has to be treated for ticks and tapeworms within 24-48 hours of being checked in to travel back to the UK. This is to prevent him from bringing back certain endoparasites which are not found in the UK. This means that any delay to your journey will necessitate repeat treatment. It applies to re-entry to the UK so, if I have correctly understood you as planning to visit France and Spain as one holiday, then you should only need to find a vet once.
Do remember to take precautions for the sake of your own dog’s health whilst you are abroad. These will vary depending on the local area so find out about the prevalence of, for example, sandflies, ticks and mosquitoes. Also, do bear in mind the conditions whilst you are travelling what may be long distances and the weather when you reach your destination.
You can only re-enter the UK with a pet via certain routes from specified qualifying countries. Again, there are details on the DEFRA web-site. You will need to make a reservation for your pet when your book your own tickets. A health check by a veterinary surgeon may be required by the transport company before your pet can travel.
Hope this helps. Happy holiday!
Alison Logan, vet