EU vs UK Pet Passport??

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ad6si

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Next May we plan to sail to Kinsale, Ireland from Florida, via Bermuda and the Azores. We have a toy poodle onboard and wondered if we got a EU Pet Passport in the Azores, what would we have to do to bring her to Ireland. I believe the UK is accepting EU passports now. Any help?
Norman
 
The problem you may have is that 6 months have to elapse between blood test and clearance, well actually 7 because you need to have a shot 1 month before blood test.
 
No, the UK rules are still slightly different and more extensive than EU standard (isn't that news for you!) and the standard EU pet passport is not sufficient for the UK. The additional requirement is a de-worming and vet health certificate that is less than 48 hours old prior to entrance into the UK.

But the big question is; have you understood the requirements for UK/EU pet passports? The main thing is that you have had to vaccinate your pet against rabies more than six months ago and you need to have taken a blood test that proves that the immunization has taken effect. IMHO, you will not get this by just showing up in the Azores. Please check the requirements before you start travelling. You can get the UK rules here:
UK Pets Travel

Failure to adhere to these rules means that your dog will be put into quarantine for 6 months. Horror stories abound about the conditions in these and the chance of your dog dying there is larger than any other risk you can encounter.

You can get the EU rules here: EU Pet Passport
Note that is states clearly that this is not valid for travel from a non-EU country.
 
Note also that you can't sail with your dog into UK waters, you have to travel into the UK through a very few specific routes (Calais ferry or Eurotunnel, flying to Heathrow etc) so you'd need a car to bring her across the Channel anyway.
 
I think you would possibly have to quarrantine your pet in the Azores, as the PET scheme, I think only applies to animals within the EU. For example if I travelled to Morroco with our dog, I have a nasty feeling her passport would not allow her to renter the EU. It,s all a total pain, for example, we have been in and out of Ireland with our dog, from Portugal, Spain, and France and the goal posts change each time, we entered Ireland last week from France, the latest thing was, her blood test stamp is not in her passport! this has never, in several, past trips been a problem. It,s a nightmare each time, I suspect it is still policy to make the process as difficult as possible, except if you are a polo player or owner of a, peferably "royal" stable, maybe owning a Corgi or two would help. No prob arriving full of hiv or bird flu either.Sorry about the RANT.
And sorry, but I do think it may be even more complicated in your case. Bill.
 
What always makes me smile is that the last recorded case of Rabies in the UK was a bat, found dying on the Sussex coast, that had probably flown over from France under its own steam... /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif
 
Thank You for all the replies. I plan on getting the shots this week, here in Florida. The blood test in a month, say 18 Jan. Assuming I leave Florida early May, 7 days to Bermuda, and 2 weeks to visit, then 17 days to Azores. I should be OK to get the Portugese EU Passport.
Is it possible, do you think to get the 24-48 hr parasite check in Azores, and fly her to Dublin, get her through formalities and then put her in a nice kennel until we arrive by boat and retrieve her?
Since our home is in California, the other choice is to fly her home, and then have a relative bring her over to Ireland, after we arrive. We would rather have her with us, but maybe this is the best option.
Thanks again,
Norman
 
I am no expert on this, but reading through the rules it seems you can get an EU passport if you have your dog vaccinated and tested three months before entering the EU, but you will not be able to enter the UK without putting the dog in quarantine. Here is a quote from the EU website:

"4. I am travelling to an EU Member State from a non-EU country. Can I use the pet passport?

No, in principle the pet passport is only used for pets travelling between Member States of the European Union. However, you can also use the pet passport if you are travelling to or from one of the neighbouring countries where the rabies status matches that of the EU. This includes: Andorra, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Norway, San Marino, Switzerland and the Vatican City State.

For pets entering the EU from another country, there are two different possibilities :

either you come from a country with a favourable situation regarding rabies and animal health * (for more information on this list of countries, see here);


or you come from a country that does not appear on the footnote list above, which means that rabies may be endemic among domestic pets in your country. In this case, your pet must be vaccinated and tested three months before entering all EU countries except for Ireland, Sweden, Malta and the UK, where quarantine will be required."
 
I understand that there is free passage of pets between Eire and the UK. There is also free passage between France and Eire. Accordingly ,can you route a pet back to the UK via an Irish port and avoid the expensive hassle?
 
Well, the most 'expensive hassle' is the rabies vaccination and that is similar in both the UK and EU rules, so I am not sure what your benefit really is?
 
[ QUOTE ]
I understand that there is free passage of pets between Eire and the UK. There is also free passage between France and Eire. Accordingly ,can you route a pet back to the UK via an Irish port and avoid the expensive hassle?

[/ QUOTE ]

I am afraid you have been misled there, there is absolutely NO free passage of pets between any part of Ireland and France. The same rules apply as between UK and France and any other part of the EU.
 
Can you tell me if it is possible to sail to Ireland and back with a dog and if there are any requirements like passports or jabs?
Allan
 
Well, First, Thank You all for the great responses and information. And, second, to let you know we have decided to take our dog home to California, and have a relative bring her to Dublin after we have sailed across. We will miss her for the time she is basking in the California Sunshine, but this seems like it will be best way to avoid the possibility of 6 months quarantine.
So for me, this thread can end.
Thanks again,
Norm
ad6si
USCG Master, 50 ton
 
I've just read on the Defra website "No preparation or documentation is necessary for the movement of pets directly between the UK and the Republic of Ireland" I take this to mean that there would be no problem in taking the dog over there. I have sent them an email to confirm this.
Allan
 
[ QUOTE ]
Can you tell me if it is possible to sail to Ireland and back with a dog and if there are any requirements like passports or jabs?
Allan

[/ QUOTE ]

No problem from the UK Allan. Bill.
 
The passport issued by a vet in the EU will be correct for the whole EU. The UK is demanding to enter, asking for the six month wait after the blood test, which is indeed three weeks after the rabies vaccination (blood test to see evidence of efficacy of rabies vaccine).
There is a differance in the interpretation of UK vets and non UK vets - In the UK a vet will vaccinate using the same product as they do in non UK countries but the UK vet will sign the passport record of vaccination as valid for two years whereas a non UK vet will vaccinate and sign the same record as valid for one year. Whether or not a dog would be cleared by a French vet if the rabies vaccination was validated as two years by a UK vet and more than a year had passed I do not know. It depends whether she looks at the expiry date or the date of vaccination.
 
There is a major difference between taking a dog on public transport and taking a dog on a private yacht. No dog may be imported into the UK on a private yacht. Whether or not this applies to Ireland I do not know but be aware of the difference in mode of transport and if you are allowed to take the dog on your boat make sure to have evidence of where you have come from when arriving with a dog back into the UK.
 
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