Pet passport

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The Pet Travel Scheme ("PETS") is a system which allows animals to travel easily between member countries without undergoing quarantine. A pet passport is a document that officially records information related to a specific animal, as part of that procedure. The effect is to drastically speed up and simplify travel with and transport of animals between member countries, compared to previous procedures if the regulations are followed. [1]

Contents

History

On 1 October 2001, the European Union introduced the PETS scheme, under which animals from any member country may freely travel to any other member country on approved carriers.

Over time the EU scheme has recognised other countries, such as Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the United States as listed countries, relaxing some of the entry requirements for pets travelling from these countries.

Appearance

The pet passport itself comes in multiple forms, sometimes a pink A4 sheet, sometimes a small blue booklet. It contains the microchip or the tattoo number of the animal, the certification that the animal has had a rabies vaccination, and needs to be signed by an officially approved veterinarian. [1]

A new style passport with laminated strips and additional security measures was introduced in the UK in December 2014. Old style passports remain valid. [2] [3]

The passport is not to be confused with a much smaller folder routinely issued by vets, [4] which records the complete vaccination history of the pet.

Details of procedure

Every country has different requirements, both for export and import of animals, although some features are common to all.

Requirements

  • Subcutaneous (below the skin) microchip implant that meets the International Society of Pharmacovigilance (SoP) specification.
  • Certified rabies vaccination and results from a blood serology test to confirm the presence of rabies antibodies. For pet travel in Europe, the rabies vaccine should be administered by a veterinarian with a minimum of 21 days before travel. Some countries may differ and always check with your local veterinarian for the procedures to follow. [5]
  • Proof of treatment for ticks, fleas and tapeworms
  • Veterinarian's letter or certificate confirming fitness to travel and/or no obvious signs of disease
  • Government certification that the veterinarian's export documentation and certificates are in order for travel

In some countries, the formal passport is needed. Others will accept documentation in any form so long as it provides clear evidence of the procedure being followed. Usually, the animal and its papers are checked thoroughly upon both departure and arrival.[ citation needed ]

A pet passport alone can be used to enter some countries if it records all relevant information (e.g., the UK), but it will not suffice to enter many countries. For instance Guatemala, in common with almost every country operating such a scheme, demands that all imported pets have a rabies vaccination, but will not accept the pet passport as proof of said vaccination. They require the proof of the rabies vaccination in the animal's records. [6]

Tapeworm treatment must be administered by a vet not less than 24 hours and not more than 120 hours (1–5 days) before scheduled arrival time. [1]

Specific country regulations

United Kingdom

The rules for bringing pets into the UK can be quite complex. The official UK Government website [7] covers this topic in detail. Dogs, cats & ferrets with Pet Passports from EU (& some other) countries can enter the UK via specified routes and ferry companies, including the Channel Tunnel by car. Before entering the UK, most pet dogs (including assistance dogs), but not cats or ferrets, must be treated for tapeworm. [8] The treatment must be administered by a vet not less than 24 hours and not more than 120 hours (1–5 days) before its scheduled arrival time in the UK. (There is no mandatory requirement for tick treatment.) No treatment is required for dogs entering the UK from Finland, Ireland, Norway or Malta. [9] All animals (except guide dogs) travelling by air to the UK must travel in the hold as manifest cargo & can only use specific airports and airlines. (Similar rules apply to pets arriving by sea, other than by specific ferry services.) British law precludes all animals entering the UK by air either in the cabin or in the hold as 'excess' or 'checked' baggage. Most airlines do not offer cargo services to individual passengers directly and specialist agents are normally used. UK law does not prohibit the transport of dogs and cats in the cabin or as hold baggage when departing from the UK, but restrictions may be imposed by individual airlines or destination countries. See Other useful information below for further travel details. Swiss Airlines publishes a useful guide [10] which is typical of the services proposed by several European airlines.

Japan

Although a participant in the PETs scheme, to bring pets into Japan from member states there are several separate procedures that must be followed. These do not cover Iceland, Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, Hawaii and Guam, which have designated region (rabies free) status. If you take a pet out of Japan, it may take between 6 months to a year for it to re-enter. Including prior contact with Japanese Quarantine several months before entry: [11]

  • The dog or cat must be microchipped.
  • The dog or cat must have stayed in the country for at least 180 days (6 months) since its birth or having left Japan.
  • The dog or cat must have had 2 rabies injections and a blood test 6 month before entering/re-entering Japan, proving the pet is free of rabies. This test must be carried out at a designated laboratory.
  • The dog or cat does not have or show signs of rabies or Leptospirosis (dogs only).

To take a dog or cat out of Japan, on top of the necessary injections and microchip, you must: [11]

  • Have certificates issued by an official vet to prove that your dog/cat has been vaccinated, microchipped and wormed as necessary. These are vets designated by the prefecture as able to issue certificates and officially vaccinate your dog.
  • More than a week before travelling, notify Animal Quarantine Service at the port of departure, and apply for an export inspection for your dog/ cat. The inspection will be carried out by the Quarantine Office (Ken'eki-kyoku) before you check your pet in.

Other useful information

The PETS scheme is not yet standardised. This leads to much confusion. Every journey between any two countries should be researched separately to ensure that the animal will be accepted for travel upon arrival at the departure point. [12]

See also

Related Research Articles

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References

  1. 1 2 3 "Pet Passports - European Union". Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. June 20, 2020.
  2. "NI vets declare a pet passport shortage just as summer arrives".
  3. "Changes to pet passports to strengthen travel scheme". GOV.UK. Retrieved 2021-11-03.
  4. "Q&As for Pet Travel from 1 January 2021 | Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs". DAERA. 2020-12-17. Retrieved 2021-11-03.
  5. "How can I take my dog overseas? Your guide to pet passports, air and ferry travel". independent. Retrieved 2021-11-03.
  6. "How to microchip and register your pet in Dubai". gulfnews.com. Retrieved 2021-11-03.
  7. ""Bringing your dog cat or ferret to the UK"".
  8. "Bringing your pet dog, cat or ferret to Great Britain". GOV.UK. Retrieved 2021-11-03.
  9. ""Bringing your dog cat or ferret to the UK: Tapeworm treatment for dogs"".
  10. ""travelling-with-animals"".
  11. 1 2 "Japan Pet Passport - Current Dog and Cat Import Requirements". www.pettravel.com. Retrieved 2020-12-16.
  12. Crisp, James; Yorke, Harry (2021-10-14). "'Ferret wars' new front in Northern Ireland Brexit deal battle". The Telegraph. ISSN   0307-1235 . Retrieved 2021-11-03.

Bibliography