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Taking your dog into the UK     Quarantine Regulations

What you need to know about Quarantine Regulations

Before you may enter the UK with your dog, you will need to comply with strict regulations laid down by the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA). An outline of these regulations is given below, although the Kennel Club advises that you check the DEFRA website for further information. Please note that you must start this process by vaccinating your dog AT LEAST seven and a half months before the date you plan to travel.

What you need to do before entering the UK:

  • Your dog must be microchipped with an ISO approved microchip.
  • After the dog has been microchipped, it must be vaccinated with an inactivated rabies vaccine.
  • Details of both the vaccine and microchip should be recorded on your dog's veterinary record.
  • Approximately 30 days after the vaccination, your vet should take a blood sample which must be sent to one of the DEFRA approved laboratories to check that the vaccine has taken effect. This check can be done later, although 30 days is the optimum for an accurate result.
  • The result of the blood test will be returned to your vet, and in order to pass, the titre (antibody) level must be 0.5 or more. If the titre level is less than required, then the vaccination and test must be repeated.
  • Your vet will issue a Pet Passport (for Europe) or a certificate confirming all the above on completion.
  • Six calendar months after a successful blood test you will be free to travel to the UK from the approved countries listed on the DEFRA website.
  • Dogs must be treated for ticks and parasites by a qualified vet who will record this information on a certificate (or in the Pet Passport for European dogs) not less than 24 hours and not more than 48 hours before entry into the UK.
  • Please note that from 26 May 2010 you may only transport a maximum of five dogs at a time into or out of the UK

Entering the UK:

  • The routes allowing entry into the UK are varied, and not all airlines and ports are currently part of the Pet Travel Scheme. Therefore it is advisable to contact DEFRA or consult the DEFRA website- routes and carriers for full details on the applicable routes and airlines.
  • All the necessary checks should be made before a dog enters the UK, except for those dogs flying into the UK, whose documentation will be checked on arrival at the airport.
  • A full list of the Pet Travel Scheme approved countries can be obtained from the DEFRA website- listed countries or www.defra.gov.uk.

More Questions?

IMPORTANT The arrangements described above are only valid up to 31 December 2011. It is possible that the scheme arrangements may change after that date. Please check the DEFRA website regularly.

If you have further questions about the quarantine rules, the Pet Passport Scheme or the UK Pets Travel Scheme (PETS) please contact the DEFRA PETS helpline.