Thousands of Britons hoping to take their pets to Europe must prepare for a battle with bureaucracy after the EU closed a loophole that circumvented the UK’s laborious and costly Animal Health Certificate (AHC) system.
As of today (April 22), UK passport holders whose main residence is in Great Britain will no longer be able to travel with their pet using an EU Pet Passport, regardless of where and when it was issued. Those whose main residence is in an EU member state are not affected, and EU Pet Passports remain a valid way to gain entry into Great Britain from the EU, along with other existing entry requirements.
After Brexit, all UK-issued EU Pet Passports were automatically invalidated and the AHC system was introduced. But thousands of British pet owners have continued to enjoy largely bureaucracy-free travel to Europe by using EU Pet Passports issued by willing veterinarians in EU member states.
Yesterday, a DEFRA media briefing confirmed: “EU pet passports may now only be issued to people whose main home is in the EU and should not be used by people who have holiday homes in the EU or visit seasonally. EU pet passports issued to GB residents before April 22 2026 may no longer be valid documents for entry to the EU.”
From today, therefore, anyone residing in Great Britain wishing to travel to the EU with their pet must have an AHC. There remain, however, outstanding questions around how the rules will be enforced and where the responsibility for enforcement lies.
Pet passports are usually checked on the British side of the border by a travel operator’s representatives. But operators say they haven’t been given any specific guidance.
LeShuttle, the car-train operator and owner of the Channel Tunnel, which provides the fastest way to travel from England to France with a pet, issued an update yesterday suggesting it would still accept EU Pet Passports issued prior to April 22 2026, regardless of residency status, but this has since been removed from its website. We have approached LeShuttle for clarification but are yet to receive a response.
The ferry companies are also unaware of how they should be dealing with the new rules. The UK Chamber of Shipping’s Director of External Affairs, Stef Kenyon, said: “With the summer getaway season around the corner, it is not clear how this will be enforced, but it’s crucial that new rules don’t lead to delays at the border or make holidays harder for families travelling with pets.”
A DEFRA spokesman told The Telegraph: “Compliance and enforcement for the requirements are matters for the competent authorities in the destination countries.” But the EU has not released any guidance on how these rules will come into force on the ground.
The rule change isn’t only going to affect those with animals born in Britain who took advantage of the loophole, but also those with European-born animals. Alex, owner of a Romanian rescue dog, Dougie, said: “Our dog was born in the EU and we’ve always [been told] that his passport will be valid for life as long as he’s correctly vaccinated. We travel a lot and vets aren’t generally standardising the cost of an AHC, so it can be pretty extortionate.”
DEFRA also told The Telegraph that AHCs issued from April 22 2026, while still single-use only, will be valid for six months rather than four months, as was previously the case. That said, UK (human) passports are still only valid for 90 days of Schengen Area travel every 180 days – so unless your dog is planning to travel alone, this is of little help to British pet owners.
All of this confusion and chaos comes ahead of a much-anticipated change to the process of transporting pets and other animals across the Britain-EU border, which promises a multi-use, passport-style document for pets residing in Great Britain.
A DEFRA spokesman said: “Exact details of when arrangements will change are subject to the outcome of ongoing negotiations. Discussions on the Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) Area agreement have now begun and the government, as well as the EU, is committed to concluding negotiations before the next UK-EU Summit.”
There are no confirmed dates for the next Summit, but it’s widely expected to be in May 2026. In the meantime, pet owners living in Great Britain will have to shell out for expensive, single-use AHCs for travel to the EU until further notice.
What jabs does my pet need?
It’s no longer just about jabs and pet passports. Unfortunately, the post-Brexit rules mean your dog needs an Animal Health Certificate (AHC) every time you travel to the EU, which can cost upwards of £200 depending on your vet. For the AHC, your dog needs to be vaccinated against rabies, and must also, no more than five days before you arrive at your destination, be given a worming tablet directly from a vet (at-home worming is not accepted as it has to be recorded on your AHC).
When returning to the UK from mainland Europe, dogs will again need to be treated for tapeworm by a local veterinarian.
How long does the whole process take?
Your pet’s rabies vaccination or booster needs to be at least 21 days old before you travel; the AHC must be issued within 10 days of travel; and the wormer needs to be given no more than five days before you arrive at your destination. This means it could take up to three weeks to prepare your dog for travel to the EU, but if the rabies vaccinations are all up to date and your vet has availability, you could also get all your paperwork done within a matter of days.
What’s the best way to travel to Europe with a dog?
There are myriad ways to get to Europe with a dog, but taking your own car is always the simplest. The fastest route to mainland Europe is via LeShuttle, which travels between Folkestone and Calais in less than 40 minutes. This is undoubtedly the most pleasant way to do the Channel crossing, as you’ll stay in your car with the dog and be in France within the hour.
Ferries also connect various ports in England to France, the Netherlands and Spain and there are varying degrees of dog-friendliness on each. Most of the ferries have on-board kennels where dogs can be left for the duration of the journey, or they are allowed to be left in the car with windows open (though it gets noisy down on the car decks, so this isn’t suitable for nervous dogs). The P&O Dover–Calais route has a pet lounge where you can sit with your dog for the crossing, and the Brittany Ferries crossings to Caen, Roscoff, Cherbourg and Santander even have pet-friendly cabins.
If you’re heading to the Netherlands, DFDS has cabins for dog owners on its overnight crossing between Newcastle and Amsterdam, while to get to Ireland StenaLine recently launched its own dog-friendly cabins for the four-hour journey from Britain.
Can I go car-free with my dog to Europe?
Travelling as a foot passenger with a dog has long been a bit of a faff, and many ferry companies won’t allow dogs on board with foot passengers at all. Furthermore, it can be tricky to reach the ports and departure points without a car, and often you’ll need an expensive cab to get you all the way. Byway Travel does offer dog-friendly, flight-free and car-free journeys to Europe, however, utilising buses, coaches, trains and the Eurotunnel (via a pet-centric minibus) to make the journey onto the continent simpler.
It’s worth noting that dogs often have to be muzzled on public transport on the continent and, unlike in the UK, sometimes need a ticket to travel. Always check with the local operator on the ground.
Can I get a refund if I encounter problems?
This will ultimately depend on what issues arise during your trip, what level of travel insurance you have, whether you’ve booked a refundable ticket or stay, and whether you book a package that is protected. Note that Atol protection is only for packages including flights, so if you’re booking a package through an agent or operator like Byway, ensure it has other types of protection, such as Abta bonding.
Are some EU countries easier to visit than others?
In terms of entry requirements, all EU countries are the same – the AHC and pet passports are valid for all, and once you’re in the EU you can move freely across borders. Whether a country is “easy” to visit really depends on how well connected it is by road, rail or ferry. Ireland, France, the Netherlands and Spain all have direct connections to the UK by ferry or train, while others such as Portugal, Italy, Belgium, Germany and Denmark require a bit of driving before you reach their borders.
What are the rules around dogs on beaches in Europe?
Much like in the UK, dogs are banned on many beaches across the continent during the busy months, and in some places they’re banned on certain beaches all year round (for example, in Portugal dogs aren’t allowed on any beaches with concessions such as sunbeds and lifeguards). In France, dogs are usually allowed on any beach where there is no lifeguard, though some exceptions apply and areas such as Normandy and Pas-de-Calais have plenty of year-round dog-friendly beaches.
This article was first published in August 2023 and has been revised and updated.