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Pet travel paperwork, in plain English

Four things stand between your pet and Europe. None of them are hard. They just have unforgiving timings. Here's the whole list, in order, with the deadlines that matter.

  1. 1.Microchip

    Any time before the rabies jab

    Your pet must be microchipped before (or at the same time as) its rabies vaccination. Most UK pets already are. Your vet can confirm the chip reads correctly in seconds.

  2. 2.Rabies vaccination

    At least 21 days before travel

    A rabies jab from your vet, given after the microchip. You then wait 21 full days before travelling. If your pet's rabies cover has lapsed, the 21-day wait restarts from the new jab. This is the step that most often decides your earliest travel date.

  3. 3.Animal Health Certificate (AHC)

    Within 10 days of travel

    An AHC is issued by an official vet no more than 10 days before you enter the EU. Not every practice issues them, so book ahead. Expect roughly £100 to £250 depending on the practice. It stays valid for onward travel within the EU and re-entry to the UK for 6 months, so a return trip inside that window needs no second certificate.

  4. 4.Tapeworm treatment (dogs, for the return leg)

    1 to 5 days before re-entering the UK

    Coming back to the UK, dogs need a tapeworm treatment given by a vet on the continent 24 to 120 hours before arrival, recorded in the AHC. Get the timing wrong and the UK border will refuse entry. It's the single most common paperwork failure in pet travel, and the first thing we check on return journeys.

Travelling with your pet, or sending them ahead?

The checklist above covers every journey. When you ride along, that's everything. When your pet travels without you, a few extra requirements apply around timings and authorisation, and we handle those with you when we confirm the booking. Either way, tell us your plans in the quote form and we'll confirm exactly what your journey needs.

For the humans

Don't forget your own documents: passports, and any visas your destination requires. Non-British travellers returning to the UK may need an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA). Check before you book.

Country wrinkles

France, Belgium and the Netherlands all follow the standard EU rules above. A few destinations (Finland, Ireland, Malta, Norway) also require a tapeworm treatment on the way in. If your journey continues beyond our routes, mention it and we'll flag what applies.

We check before you travel

Every booking includes a document check together before travel day: dates, stamps, chip number, spellings. Border staff read paperwork literally, so we do too. Rules do change. The official guidance lives at gov.uk/taking-your-pet-abroad and Le Shuttle's pet travel pages, and your quote confirms what applies to your specific journey.

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