If you’re thinking about taking your dog to Europe from the UK and you’ve started Googling Animal Health Certificates, rabies vaccinations, microchips and tapeworm treatments…
I can almost guarantee your first reaction was:
This sounds like a faff.
That was mine.
The first time we took Luna abroad, Rich and I were desperately in need of a holiday and wanted to head back to Germany and also explore Denmark.
Mainly because Denmark is the home of Lego.
Duh.
Yes, we’re in our thirties.
No, there are no children involved.
We did go to Legoland Windsor on our honeymoon, so really none of this should come as a surprise.
Anyway…
Taking Luna with us wasn’t initially some romantic dream of travelling Europe with our dog.
It was mainly because no one in their right mind was ever going to volunteer to look after the absolute nutcase she was at the time.
So off we went to our vet Ben at Market Town Vets in Shrewsbury — who are fantastic, by the way — to find out what we actually needed.
And this is where we discovered the Animal Health Certificate.
Or AHC.
What is an Animal Health Certificate?
If you live in Great Britain and you’re travelling with your dog, cat or ferret into the EU, you will generally need an Animal Health Certificate.
It basically proves that your pet meets the health requirements needed to travel.
An AHC can cover up to five pets.
And despite the name making it sound like some enormous veterinary assessment, in our experience the actual process is far less dramatic than the paperwork makes it appear.
Once you understand the timings, it’s basically a case of getting a few things lined up properly.
Your dog needs to be microchipped
First things first:
Your dog needs to be microchipped.
Simple enough, its law now anyway so chances are thats a big fat tick already.
The microchip details are important because this is what links your dog to the travel documents - but its just a case of copy and paste onto paperwork so it all matches up - again, easy and not actually for you to do - your Vet does this.
When we travel through LeShuttle, for example, Luna’s chip is scanned at Pet Reception and checked against the paperwork.
There is always that tiny irationally tense moment while you hover the scanner around their neck waiting for:
BEEP.
Then you breathe again. I know they can migrate but it is rare, and bound to be there somewhere - the scanners are very sensitive, you can barely get hear her neck before it goes off.
Your dog needs a rabies vaccination
Your dog also needs to be vaccinated against rabies, they may already have this, although unlikely.
This was the part that caught us out on our first attempt.
Luna needed the rabies vaccination and then there was a waiting period before we were allowed to travel for us it was 21 days, but by the looks of it, it can differ with the different vaccines.
We hadn’t factored it in properly.
Cue plans postponed.
Very annoying.
Very avoidable.
Lesson learnt, hey ho!
So if you are vaguely thinking:
“Maybe we’ll take the dog to France next month.”
Sort this bit out first.
Do not wait until you’ve already booked everything and then discover your dog isn’t legally allowed to go.
Ask me how I know.....
Then you need the AHC itself
The Animal Health Certificate has to be issued by an authorised vet before you travel, most Vets are, so chances are your friendly local vet can do this.
There is a specific window in which it needs to be issued before you enter the EU, so this is another one where getting your timings right matters.
Our vet’s advice was not to leave everything until the absolute last possible day, sounds obvious but good advice, Ben suggested 5 days before travel was about right and we have stuck to that.
And this suits me perfectly because I am not built for that kind of jeopardy.
We always tend to give ourselves a little breathing room in case plans move slightly, something happens with the vehicle or life generally decides to be inconvenient.
The appointment itself sounds more intimidating than it is.
Your vet checks everything is correct, sometimes they complete the paperwork ahead of time - ours does - they get you to fill out a short form and email it to them.
The documents are completed.
Dates are checked.
Signatures happen.
You walk out with several pages of very important-looking paperwork.
Which, if you’re anything like me, immediately goes into a folder.
Along with all her other paperwork to her name.
Nerd.
You can get your AHC cheaper near Dover
Now, there is another option which can save you a decent amount of money.
There are companies and vets down around Dover that specialise in Animal Health Certificates and offer them much cheaper than many normal veterinary practices.
From what I’ve seen, you’re looking at roughly £100 for the first AHC and around £70-ish for subsequent ones.
I’m guessing the first one costs more because they have to get you and your pet set up on their system, check everything and do the initial admin, and then future certificates are quicker to prepare.
You can arrange it in advance and collect the certificate on your way down to the crossing.
Which, financially, makes loads of sense.
Especially if you travel regularly.
You could potentially save some serious money doing it this way.
Would I do it?
At the moment…
Nope.
There are just too many variables for my anxiety-riddled travelling brain.
Traffic.
Delays.
Opening hours.
Something being wrong with the paperwork.
Us changing the day we travel.
Turning up and discovering I’ve misunderstood something.
I currently much prefer having everything safely completed before we leave home, tucked into my little folder, checked seventeen times and ready to go.
But that’s me.
For those of you brave enough to add another moving part to travel day, it can be a really good way of cutting the cost.
And if you’re travelling into Europe several times a year, those savings soon add up.
How long does an Animal Health Certificate last?
Once your certificate has been issued, it can be used for your onward journey within the EU and for returning to Great Britain, subject to the current validity rules and your dog’s rabies vaccination remaining valid.
But there is an important catch:
You still need the correct travel documentation each time you leave Great Britain for a new trip.
So don’t assume one old certificate sitting in your glovebox means you’re sorted forever.
It is very different to the Pet Passport - we have an interesting experience with one of these, and will share this on another blog for those of you that still have a valid in date pet passport issued in the EU. But if you don't this definitely does not and more than likely will never apply to you unless there is some serious legislation changes or we rejoin the EU, both of which do seem to be abit of a hot topic, so who know... maybe! But to save you some reading, trust me you will know if this changes, as it will be BIG news!
What about tapeworm treatment?
This bit confused me initially because there are two slightly different situations.
Some destinations require dogs to have tapeworm treatment before entering.
Then there is the return to Great Britain, where dogs returning from most European countries also need tapeworm treatment within the required time window before arriving back.
Again, it sounds complicated until you’ve actually done it.
Now it’s just part of our return routine.
Finding a vet abroad
Before we head home, we find a vet reasonably close to wherever we’re going to be towards the end of the trip.
Ideally, we book ahead - well we always do, don't let me fooling you into thinking I am a 'fly by the seat of my pants' kind of gal! Oh no, not for this.
We’ve used a fabulous vet in Bruges called Lieve several times, we pop her an email with our preferred appointment date, she replies with times and we confirm via email, we pay cash - always as insisted upon by them, sounds dodge but all above board!
Last time we did get caught out making an appointment as it turned out to be a Belgium public holiday, so when we did get her seen to, it was within 25 hours of our crossed of the minimum 24 needed - eek!
Anyways, Luna gets her tapeworm tablet.
The vet records everything.
Dates.
Time.
Stamp.
Signature.
Then I stare at it all like I’m auditing HMRC.
Triple check.
Then check again.
Because the dates matter. But honestly, they triple check also, last thing they want is an angry Brit being held up at the border because they put last years date!
My other highly technical piece of veterinary travel advice?
Take cheese or ham. Most will even suggest this when you book the appointment.
Some dogs will happily swallow a tablet like it’s a Michelin-starred tasting menu.
Luna?
Depends what mood she’s in. She likes to mess with me and mix things up!
And standing in a foreign vet practice attempting to negotiate with a Border Collie about medication isn’t my idea of a relaxing final day of the holiday.
Don’t leave the return treatment too late
This is probably my biggest practical tip.
Do not plan to get the tapeworm tablet at the absolute last possible moment - for reasons given above!
Give yourself some flexibility.
Ferries get delayed.
Plans change.
Vehicles break.
Traffic happens.
And foreign vets have opening hours just like British ones (and different public holidays to us!)
Leaving everything until the wire is exactly the kind of completely avoidable drama I do not need.
What happens with the AHC at the crossing?
Once you actually get to the Channel crossing, this is the bit that feels very official.
On LeShuttle, we go to Pet Reception.
You queue for a few minutes (travelling with a nervous dog? Get your travel buddy to wait in line for you and come grab you and pooch when its your turn, but honestly most people have common sense and will give you space and the queue is never long).
They check the certificate.
They check the details.
They scan Luna’s microchip or hand you the scanner.
And assuming everything matches:
Done.
You get back in the vehicle and carry on.
On the ferry, in our experience, the paperwork has been dealt with during the check-in process instead.
Either way, the important thing is having the paperwork correct before you arrive.
I’d much rather spend ten minutes triple-checking a date at home than discover an error while standing at the Channel with a camper full of holiday stuff and a Border Collie wondering why nobody is throwing her ball.
Is getting an AHC difficult?
Honestly?
No.
At least, not once you understand it.
The words make it sound worse than it is:
Animal Health Certificate.
Official Veterinarian.
Rabies vaccination - lasts years.
Tapeworm treatment.
Microchip verification - easy.
It all sounds very government department.
In reality, our experience has basically been:
Dog microchipped - she came already done!
Rabies vaccination sorted.
Book the right vet - most can do it!
Get paperwork.
Travel within the correct time.
Get tapeworm treatment before coming home.
Check everything.
Come home.
That’s it.
The first time you do it, you will probably read the paperwork seventeen times.
By the next few trips, it becomes another item on the holiday checklist.
Passport.
Dog paperwork.
Underwear.
Coffee.
Ball.
Approximately nine thousand poop bags.
Go.
Is travelling Europe with your dog worth the paperwork?
For us?
Absolutely.
If you’d shown me all the AHC requirements before we ever travelled with Luna, I probably would have thought:
Is this really worth the hassle?
Now?
It doesn’t bother me.
It’s one vet appointment before we leave and a vet appointment before we come home.
And in return, we get to take Luna with us through Europe.
She’s been part of trips we never imagined doing with a dog.
She’s stood on ferry decks.
Travelled through the Channel Tunnel.
Crossed countries (10 and counting) in the camper.
Explored beaches, towns, forests and places we probably never would have discovered if we weren’t constantly thinking:
Where can we take the dog?
The paperwork feels big until you do it.
Then Europe feels bigger.
And that trade-off is absolutely worth it for us.
