About Animal Health Certificates

An Animal Health Certificate (AHC) is a document produced by a vet (an 'Official Veterinarian') to allow dogs, cats and ferrets to travel to the EU (or Northern Ireland, Norway or Switzerland) for non-commercial purposes.

In simple terms, AHCs are used for pets travelling with their owner for a European holiday. AHCs can also be used when pets are relocating with their owners to Europe.

How long is an AHC valid?

An AHC is valid for entry into the EU for 10 days from the date of issue. The same AHC can also be used for onward travel within the EU and to return to the UK for up to four months, providing the rabies vaccination remains valid.

Note that for dogs, a treatment against tapeworms must be given between 24 and 120 hours before returning to the Britain, and this must be certified in the AHC by a vet in Europe (or, for very short trips, a vet in Great Britain).

What is required for an Animal Health Certificate?

Your pet must be microchipped and vaccinated against rabies. Any vet can administer the rabies vaccine, but it is important that the vet scans your pet's microchip prior to vaccination (and records in their clinical notes that they have done so). It is best for no other vaccinations to be administered on the same day as the rabies vaccination: only limited vaccines are licensed to be given together. Please get in touch if you are unsure.

There is a mandatory 21 day wait after a first rabies vaccination before an Animal Health Certificate can be issued. This does not apply to "booster" vaccines, providing the booster vaccine was given before the previous vaccine had expired.

Additionally, for dogs (but not cats or ferrets) travelling to Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland, Finland, Malta or Norway a vet must provide a treatment against tapeworms between 24 and 120 hours before arriving into these countries.

What evidence do I need to request from the vet who gave the rabies vaccination?

The best way to confirm your pet's rabies vaccination is with a clinical history from your vet, showing the clinical record made on the date of the rabies vaccination. This record should include:

Owner details and pet details, including microchip number
Date of rabies vaccination, and a statement confirming the microchip was scanned at the same appointment
The type, batch number and expiry date of the rabies vaccination used
Name and address of the vet who administered the vaccination.

Although vaccination cards or vaccination certificates can sometimes be used as evidence of vaccination, they rarely include all the required details as listed above. It is therefore not usually possible to complete an AHC without a clinical history from your vet. If you are unsure whether your document includes the required information do feel free to send it to us and we will be happy to advise.

How do I book my Animal Health Certificate?

Bookings within our standard home-visit area, arranged at least five days in advance, can be scheduled live using our online booking calendar. Urgent bookings can be requested by completing our request form or by email; we always aim to reply to urgent requests the same day.

If you are located outside of our standard home-visit area please submit our request form to arrange a booking.

Whilst the AHC can be used for travel immediately and is valid for entry to the EU for 10 days, we usually suggest booking no more than eight days in advance to allow for any unexpected travel delays. We'll always do our best to fit you in, but at peak times (especially just prior to school holidays) it is helpful to contact us as early as possible!

What happens after I book?

After you have submitted a booking request we will ask you to send us a copy of your pet's clinical history, and complete an information form. This will allow us to prepare your certificate in advance of your appointment. Please note that bookings are only confirmed once all required documents have been received.

To make your experience as quick and pain-free as possible we also ask for payment (by credit or debit card, via our online payment system) prior to your appointment.

What happens at my appointment?

During your appointment the vet will scan your pet's microchip to confirm it is working correctly and matches the details on the rabies vaccination record. The AHC does not require a full health check, but if a Fit-to-Fly certificate is also requested (usually only required for pets travelling by air) your vet will also carry out a clinical examination.

We ask you to sign an EU 'non-commercial' declaration (effectively confirming that you are travelling with your pet, and that your pet will be staying with you). This declaration forms an important part of the Animal Health Certificate and is shown at the port. It is important that the person travelling is present to sign this declaration at the time of the appointment.

We explain the content of the AHC, and answer any final questions to ensure you and your pet are ready for your trip! The home visit usually takes less than 20 minutes and you will receive the completed certificate during your appointment.

How much do you charge for an Animal Health Certificate?

An AHC for one pet, with a home visit within our designated Surrey/Hampshire delivery area, costs £149. This price assumes the appointment is booked -- and all necessary documents are received -- at least five days in advance. There is no surcharge for weekend or evening appointments, and we offer a discount for repeat customers.

Additional pets on the same certificate (up to a total of five) cost an extra £40 each.

We will always do our best to help out at short notice, but an additional charge applies for appointments booked with fewer than five days' notice or for visits outside of our designated home delivery area.

Please see our detailed pricing page for more information.

Why Farnham Pet Travel?

Our experienced vets come to you! Our home visits avoid the need to spend time in a vet's waiting room or drive to a collection point in the busy days before a holiday.

You'll always be in touch directly with the vet who will attend your appointment, giving you the opportunity to ask any questions in advance. The vet will have personally checked and prepared your documents, giving you confidence there won't be any last-minute surprises.

We will always do our best to fit visits around your schedule, and can offer appointments during evenings and weekends at no additional charge. If you don't find a suitable appointment on our booking calendar please contact us!

Still not sure, or any questions?

Send us a message! We're always very happy to help!

hello@farnhampettravel.co.uk

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