Pet Transport from Germany to the UK

Before January 2021, a German pet owner could cross into the UK with just an EU Pet Passport. That route is closed now. Great Britain (England, Scotland, Wales) requires an Animal Health Certificate (AHC) for every trip.

The AHC is not a one-off document. It is issued per journey and valid for 10 days from the date of the veterinary examination to the date of arrival in GB. You need a new one for every trip. If you travel to Germany regularly with your pet, you will be getting this done regularly.

An Official Veterinarian (OV) in Germany signs the AHC. Not your regular vet. An OV is specifically authorised by the German competent authority (Veterinaramt) to sign export health documents. Your regular vet may also be an OV, but it is worth confirming this before you book your appointment.

After the OV signs it, the Veterinaramt endorses it with an official stamp. Allow 2-5 working days for that step. This means you are booking the OV appointment, getting the endorsement, and then travelling, all within a 10-day window. Plan backwards from your travel date.

Dogs entering Great Britain from any non-listed country must receive a tapeworm treatment before arrival. Germany is a listed country, which means dogs do not need a titre test, but the tapeworm treatment still applies.

The treatment must be given between 24 and 120 hours before the scheduled arrival time in Great Britain. This is not before departure. It is before ARRIVAL. If your journey from Frankfurt to London takes 2 hours by air, the treatment window is calculated from the time your paws hit British ground.

The treatment must be with praziquantel or an equivalent drug effective against Echinococcus multilocularis. It must be recorded in the AHC by the vet who administered it. They sign it with the date and time.

For a typical air journey, most people book the treatment 48-72 hours before arrival. That gives comfortable room within the 120-hour window while avoiding it being more than 5 days before you land.

Cats are exempt from the tapeworm requirement.

Pets cannot enter Great Britain through every port. They must arrive at an approved Border Control Post (BCP). APHA inspectors at the BCP check the AHC, scan the microchip, and confirm the tapeworm treatment timing for dogs.

The most practical options from Germany:

Flying: Heathrow (LHR) is an APHA-approved BCP for pets arriving as cargo. Lufthansa operates FRA-LHR and FRA-LGW services. If your pet is in cargo, confirm that the arrival airport is BCP-approved before booking. Not all UK airports handle live animal imports.

Driving via Eurotunnel: Many Germany-to-UK moves go via car. Drive through Belgium or France to Calais, board the Eurotunnel Le Shuttle, and arrive at Folkestone. Folkestone is an approved BCP. Pets stay in the car during the 35-minute crossing. The Veterinaramt endorsement, the APHA inspection, and the tapeworm timing all still apply, but the actual crossing is simple.

Driving via ferry: Dover-Calais, Harwich-Hook of Holland, and Hull-Rotterdam ferries are popular alternatives. Check current BCP status for each port, as approvals can change. Dover handles large volumes of pet imports and is reliably approved.