Pet Import to the United Kingdom

Importing a pet to the United Kingdom is manageable, but there are specific steps you cannot skip. The microchip must be in before the rabies vaccination. The tapeworm treatment for dogs must happen within a strict 24 to 120 hour window before arrival. The Animal Health Certificate is valid for only 10 days. Get any of these wrong and your pet could face penalty quarantine of up to four months, at your expense.

The good news is that the UK does not require routine quarantine for pets arriving with correct documentation from any country. Thousands of families relocate with dogs and cats to the UK every year without incident. The process is well-documented. But it is unforgiving of mistakes.

If you’re coming from an EU country, you can use either an EU pet passport or an AHC. If you’re coming from outside the EU, you need an AHC issued by an official veterinarian in your country of departure. Note: GB-issued pet passports are no longer valid for entry into EU countries since Brexit.

The tapeworm timing rule (don't get this wrong)

Dogs entering the UK must receive a tapeworm treatment, specifically using praziquantel or an equivalent active against Echinococcus multilocularis. That’s standard. The strict part is the timing: treatment must be administered by a vet between 24 and 120 hours before your dog’s scheduled arrival time in Great Britain. Not departure time. Arrival time.

This is the rule that catches people out most often. If your flight is delayed and your dog arrives outside that window, the treatment is considered non-compliant. Book the tapeworm appointment so that it falls at least a day before your flight, and build in a buffer for delays.

Approved entry routes

Post-Brexit changes for pet passports