Are UK pet passports still valid?

Not for travel from Great Britain to the EU. GB-issued pet passports stopped being accepted after the rules changed, and an animal health certificate from an official veterinarian is used instead.

What is an animal health certificate?

A document issued by an official veterinarian confirming your pet meets the entry requirements. Unlike the old passport it covers a single trip and must be issued shortly before you travel.

How long before travelling should I start?

Months rather than weeks. There is a waiting period after a first rabies vaccination, the certificate must be issued within a short window before departure, and not every practice can issue one.

Does my dog need worming to travel?

Tapeworm treatment is required for dogs entering some countries and for re-entry to Great Britain, given by a vet within a set window and recorded. Check the current rules for your destination.

Where do I check the current rules?

GOV.UK publishes the requirements by destination, and they do change. Confirm both there and with the practice issuing your certificate before booking.

Pet passports: what replaced them in the UK

A UK-issued pet passport is no longer valid for travel to the EU or Northern Ireland. Since the rules changed, pets travelling from Great Britain need an animal health certificate issued by a vet instead — and the timings are tight enough that leaving it late is the most common way trips go wrong.

What you need now

A microchip, a valid rabies vaccination, and an animal health certificate issued by an official veterinarian. Dogs travelling to certain countries also need tapeworm treatment before entry, given within a set window before arrival.

The certificate is not a one-off document like the old passport. It covers a single trip, has a limited validity, and a new one is needed each time you travel — which is the single biggest change for anyone used to the passport system.

The order matters: the microchip must be in place before the rabies vaccination, or the vaccination does not count and has to be repeated.

Start earlier than you think

There is a waiting period after a first rabies vaccination before travel is allowed, and the health certificate has to be issued within a short window before you leave. Between the two, this is a plan-months-ahead job rather than a fortnight one.

Not every practice issues animal health certificates — it requires an official veterinarian. Ring and ask well in advance, because finding out in the last week is a genuinely common problem.

Requirements differ by destination and can change. Check the current rules on GOV.UK for the specific country and confirm with the practice issuing the certificate.

Coming back, and other routes

Returning to Great Britain has its own requirements, including tapeworm treatment for dogs within a set window before re-entry, given by a vet and recorded.

Travel between Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and travel to Ireland, have their own arrangements that have changed more than once. Do not rely on what was true on a previous trip.

A pet passport issued in an EU country or Northern Ireland may still be usable for some journeys. A GB-issued one is not.

The practical bits people forget

Check the microchip actually scans before the appointment. Chips do occasionally fail or migrate, and discovering that at the border is expensive.

Confirm your microchip details are registered to you at your current address. It is a separate thing from the chip working.

Airlines, ferries and rail operators each have their own rules on carriers, breeds and bookings, and these are separate from the government requirements. Book the pet on before you book yourself.

Common questions

Are UK pet passports still valid?: Not for travel from Great Britain to the EU. GB-issued pet passports stopped being accepted after the rules changed, and an animal health certificate from an official veterinarian is used instead.
What is an animal health certificate?: A document issued by an official veterinarian confirming your pet meets the entry requirements. Unlike the old passport it covers a single trip and must be issued shortly before you travel.
How long before travelling should I start?: Months rather than weeks. There is a waiting period after a first rabies vaccination, the certificate must be issued within a short window before departure, and not every practice can issue one.
Does my dog need worming to travel?: Tapeworm treatment is required for dogs entering some countries and for re-entry to Great Britain, given by a vet within a set window and recorded. Check the current rules for your destination.
Where do I check the current rules?: GOV.UK publishes the requirements by destination, and they do change. Confirm both there and with the practice issuing your certificate before booking.

Sources

Written against guidance published by UK veterinary and welfare organisations. Always confirm specifics with your own vet.

Written by Matt Garnett, who runs Giddy Pets and is a lifelong pet owner — not a vet. This is general information, not veterinary advice, and it cannot replace an examination by the vet who knows your animal. How we write these guides.