Importing Your Pet to Ireland

Ireland is an EU member state and follows the EU Pet Travel Scheme for most pet movements. The DAFM (Department of Agriculture, Food and Marine) administers import controls. Ireland has been free of rabies for many decades and its island status means the authorities take biosecurity seriously.

For pets arriving from within the EU and EFTA, an EU Pet Passport is the main travel document. For pets from the UK (post-Brexit), the United States, and other non-EU origins, a specific health certificate format is required. The UK’s departure from the EU created extra steps for UK pet owners moving to Ireland, and the process now requires an ISO microchip and a recent AHC endorsed by APHA.

Ireland does not have routine quarantine for compliant pets, which makes it more straightforward than some other island destinations. Get the paperwork right and the arrival process is smooth.

UK and non-EU pets entering Ireland

Since Brexit, UK pet owners bringing pets to Ireland need an Animal Health Certificate (AHC) rather than a pet passport. The AHC must be issued by an Official Veterinarian (OV) in the UK within 10 days before travel and endorsed by APHA. From the US, a USDA APHIS-endorsed health certificate in EU AHC format is required.

For all non-EU origins: microchip (ISO 15-digit) must be implanted before or on the same day as the first rabies vaccination. Rabies vaccination must be valid at the time of travel. From countries where a titre test is required (rabies-free status not established), blood must be drawn at least 30 days after vaccination and the pet must wait 3 months after a successful titre test result before entering Ireland.

Travelling to Ireland through Northern Ireland or Great Britain