We offer stress-free Animal Health Certificate appointments, making pet travel easy for pet owners across the UK.
Animal Health Certificates are required for those planning to travel with a pet for non-commercial reasons to the EU, Switzerland, Norway or Northern Ireland.
Animal Health Certificates are required for those planning to travel with a pet for non-commercial reasons to the EU, Switzerland, Norway or Northern Ireland. Certificates must be issued by an Official Veterinarian within 10 days of your travel date.
We provide Animal Health Certificate appointments in Jollyes stores across the UK, with fast and convenient appointments available Monday-Friday.
You can find out more about what happens at an Animal Health Certificate appointment below…
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Microchip Check
At your Animal Health Certificate appointment, the veterinarian will scan your pet’s microchip to ensure it matches the one on the Animal Health Certificate. If the microchip doesn’t match, the certificate would be invalid for travel.
Your microchip must meet either ISO 11784 or ISO 11785 standards. If your pet’s microchip does not meet these standards, you may need to travel with your microchip reader. You can check this with your travel company before your trip.
If your vet cannot read the microchip, you’ll need to chip and vaccinate your pet again and obtain a new Animal Health Certificate. If this means your pet has two chips, the following will need to be added to the “Marking of animals” section on the Animal Health Certificate:
- the numbers of the old and new chips
- the date they were read and the date the new chip was inserted
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Vaccination Checks
As part of the Animal Health Certificate appointment, the veterinarian will make sure your pet has had a rabies vaccination at least 21 days before your appointment. You will also need proof that your pet was at least 12 weeks old at the time of vaccination and that your pet’s microchip was scanned.
A rabies booster vaccination is valid on the day it is administered, provided it was given within the validity period of the previous vaccine. Check your pet’s vaccination record to find out when the booster vaccination is due. If you’ve missed the date for your rabies booster, your pet will need to be vaccinated again and wait 21 days before travelling.
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Completing the Certificate
Once all the checks are complete, the veterinarian will complete and sign the Animal Health Certificate, allowing you to travel with your pet.
If you are not travelling with your pet, additional documentation is required, depending on who will accompany them.
If your pet is travelling with a pet transport company: If your pet is travelling with a professional transport company, we require the name of the transport company and the driver’s name. You must be reunited with your pet within 5 days of departure, and require evidence to support this.
If your pet is travelling with a friend or family member: If someone you know (a friend or family member) is travelling with your pet, you must provide a written authorisation letter confirming that you permit this person to accompany your pet. This must include:
- Full name of the authorised person
- Residential address
- Contact phone number
We can prepare this declaration for you for a £20 fee to ensure it meets all requirements and you must be reunited with your pet within 5 days of departure.
If you are not reunited with your pet within 5 days, or the movement is considered commercial you will need an Export Health Certificate (EHC) instead.
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Preparation for Returning to the UK
The veterinarian will go through any requirements for returning to the UK, including whether you’ll need a tapeworm treatment.
If you are travelling with a dog, it may need tapeworm treatment before returning to GB. This will not be necessary if you are returning from Norway, Finland, Malta, Ireland, or Northern Ireland.
A vet must treat your dog for tapeworm no less than 24 hours and no more than 120 hours (5 days) before you arrive and record it in the Animal Health Certificate. The treatment must be approved for use in the country where it’s being given and contain praziquantel or an equivalent proven effective against Echinococcus multilocularis tapeworm.
How to book an Animal Health Certificate appointment
You can book an Animal Health Certificate appointment through our website, using the form here: Apply for an Animal Health Certificate – E&J
When choosing your collection date, make sure it is no earlier than 10 days before your travel date. The certificate must be issued within 10 days of your departure date and is valid for one trip only.
You can find out more about our Pet Travel services here: Pet Travel Services – E&J
