British pets travelling to EU will soon need new document

Owners will have to get a health certificate no earlier than 10 days before travel; earlier only passport was needed. Pic/AFP

British pet owners will need a new document to enter the European Union with their animals after the Brexit transition period ends on January 1 next year, the government said on Wednesday. Owners will have to get a health certificate from a vet no earlier than 10 days before travel, it said on its Brexit guidance page.

British pets required only a passport while their country was part of the EU. Only vets officially allowed to inspect animals for export can issue the certificates.

The same rule will apply for taking animals from England, Scotland and Wales to Northern Ireland. But the UK government said its approach to enforcing the rule in Northern Ireland would recognise "these changes will take time to adjust to".

The health certificates will be valid for pets' onward travel for four months. There will be no new rules on pets travelling from the EU into Britain, which will continue to recognise EU pet passports.

01 January
Day the new rule comes into effect

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