The new pet passport rules explained after UK reaches deal with EU
The prime minister has revealed a wide-ranging agreement with the EU on issues ranging from defence to food imports, but for most people, the most notable change will be with passports.
Speaking on Monday, Keir Starmer announced two deals that would make it easier for Brits to enter the EU.
Firstly, UK citizens will soon be able to use EU passport gates once again, speeding people through airports instead of standing in lengthy queues.
Secondly, pet passports are being reintroduced, which will make it easier for people to bring their cats and dogs into the EU.
This will eliminate the need for animal health certificates for every trip.
The move has been broadly welcomed by vet and travel groups, with the RSPCA telling Yahoo News they supported the "UK proposal to fully join the EU's pet passport scheme as it would make it easier for people to take their beloved pets away with them on holiday".
There is currently a multi-step process to obtaining pet travel documents, which was introduced after the end of the Brexit transition period in January 2021.
It has since become far more time-consuming and expensive to take a pet to the EU.
The current rules are, first, you must ensure your pet is microchipped and ensure it has all its up-to-date vaccines, including a rabies jab that was administered at least 21 days before travel.
A dog must also have an up-to-date tapeworm treatment for travel to certain EU countries, more details can be read here.
You will then need to get an animal health certificate (AHC) from a vet and then take it with you when you travel.
The certificate is valid for 10 days for entry into the EU and four months for onward travel within the EU. You need a new certificate each time you travel to the EU.
The process of getting an AHC has become expensive, with the cost ranging between £100 to £200, according to the Kennel Club.
Some veterinary practices are charging as much as £250 with a discount for any subsequent pets.
The time it takes to produce the certificates has also led many vet practices to not offer the service.
The British Veterinary Association said the changes introduced since Brexit had put an increased burden "on the veterinary workforce and increased costs for animal owners since they came into force".
You also need written evidence of registration in any sporting event, show or competition if you're hoping to attend one with your animal.
It is a document that officially reports information relating to a specific animal that can be used to allow easy entry into certain countries, as long as all the conditions are met.
Various different types of pet passports exist all over the world, but the EU one is a single document that is issued for the life of the animal. For it to remain valid, the animal's rabies vaccines will need to be kept up-to-date.
The changes mean it will once again be easy to travel with a cat or a dog into the EU, as it was before Brexit.
Pet owners will only need to go through the hassle of getting the right documentation once per animal, rather than each time they want to travel to the EU.
It will also likely be much cheaper.
Before the UK left the bloc, roughly a quarter of a million people took their cats and dogs with them to the EU each year.
Helen Huff, a pet travel specialist at PBS Specialist Pet Travel, told Yahoo News the new rules will be "great," adding that it "will be so much easier and less costly than having the Animal Health Certificate prepared each time our pets travel to, or indeed just transit through the EU".
British Veterinary Association president Dr. Elizabeth Mullineaux told Yahoo News: "For pet owners and vets, the return to pet passports to replace Animal Health Certificates will be particularly welcome, since coming into force they increased costs for owners whilst adding to the workload of vet teams."
The government has not announced when EU pet passports will be reintroduced into the country.
A lot of the deal announced on Monday was based on agreeing to negotiate further with the EU with the hope of achieving a specified outcome.
As a result, although both the EU and UK want to reach an agreed goal in many areas, the fine details still have not been ironed out.
Once they have vets will need to be approved by the EU before they can issue one.
Then you will have to apply to an approved vet and fill out the relevant details.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Big-name porn sites back online in France after age check row
Major adult websites Pornhub, YouPorn and RedTube were back online in France Friday after a court suspended a decision requiring pornographic platforms based in the EU to verify users' ages. France has gradually introduced requirements this year for all adult websites to have users confirm their age with details such as a credit card or ID document. The aim is to prevent minors from accessing pornography. But the Paris administrative tribunal on Monday suspended a government decree while investigating whether it was compatible with EU legislation. The French government has shared its intention to appeal to the Council of State, the country's highest administrative court. The three platforms' owner, Aylo, said the decree's suspension was an "opportunity to reconsider more efficient approaches" to age verification. Aylo, based in Cyprus, had made its websites unavailable in France in early June as a protest against the French decree. Failure to comply could have lead to sanctions including fines or the blocking of the websites. Aylo argued that this was an ineffective mechanism that exposed people's data to bad actors, hacks or leaks. "Requiring you to repeatedly provide sensitive personal information creates an unacceptable security risk that we refuse to impose on our users," the company said in a message displayed on the sites' homepages earlier this month. About 40 percent of children in France access to porn sites every month, according to a 2024 study by France's Arcom audiovisual watchdog. In a bid to preserve privacy, the government decree also required operators to offer a third-party "double-blind" option that would prevent the platforms from seeing users' identifying information. Aylo, which reports seven million visitors in France daily across its various platforms, has called instead for governments to require makers of operating systems such as Apple, Microsoft and Google to verify users' ages at the level of individual devices. The platform also argues that the French law "diverts users to thousands of sites that deliberately circumvent regulations" and fails to moderate videos for issues such as the age and consent of performers. Other countries such as the United Kingdom and Germany also enforce age-related access restrictions to adult websites. dax/djt/jj
Forbes
an hour ago
- Forbes
U.K. Eyes Changes To Visa System And Targets Human Rights Convention
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on July 16, 2024 in London, England. (Photo by Benjamin Cremel - ... More) The government of the United Kingdom has announced its intention to put pressure on foreign governments to cooperate more on irregular migration to the U.K., by tying visa cooperation to the issue. At the same time, the government also has called for reforms to the European Convention on Human Rights over migration, echoing calls earlier from various European governments. Taken together, the two steps represent a further sharpening of government policy and rhetoric over the issue of migration. The U.K.'s Labour government, since coming to power in July 2024, has made migration one of the most prominent issues, apparently in response to pressure from more right-wing parties such as Reform UK, who want to see migration reduced overall. Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who was elected on a platform including reducing irregular migration to the U.K., announced he was looking to a more 'transactional' approach to visa arrangements with other countries. His comments suggest he is exploring ways of pressuring foreign governments, particularly in countries whose citizens try to reach the U.K. for shelter, to better cooperate on the issue. This could look like, for instance, countries allowing Britain to deport more of their citizens back to their territories - something many countries are unwilling to accept if the person is not returned willingly. Such 'visa' diplomacy is echoed in recent news that the European Union intends to modify its own system, to suspend or revoke the visa-free travel citizens of certain countries enjoy, if there is a sudden increase in asylum applications from those countries, among other reasons. It is also in keeping with Prime Minister Starmer's championing of recent increases in deportations from the U.K., and his stated desire to establish extra-territorial receptions centers for deportees, known as 'return hubs.' At the same time, the government has called for reforms to be made to the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), to which the country is a signatory. One of the most important, if not the most important, mechanism for protecting human rights in Europe, the ECHR has come in for much criticism in recent years as it has often been seen to stay the hands of European governments looking to deport people without full due process. With this, the U.K. joins nine European countries, including Denmark, Italy, Austria and the Czech Republic, who signed an open letter calling for similar reforms. Such calls have been condemned by various civil society groups and migration NGOs, who accuse the signatories of attempting to erode fundamental rights safeguards on the continent. Likewise, Enver Solomon, head of the U.K.'s refugee council, has criticized the U.K. government's targeting of the ECHR, arguing that the government should instead focus on making the asylum system more efficient, rather than attempting to evade its human rights responsibilities. The number of people crossing the U.K. channel has increased 20% since Labour came to office, compared to the same time period the year before. At the same time, government statistics show that overall migration - including people with a valid visa - fell dramatically in 2024.
Bloomberg
2 hours ago
- Bloomberg
Switzerland Follows European Union in Lifting Sanctions on Syria
Switzerland is lifting economic sanctions on Syria, following an European Union decision to the same end.
