Taking our dog to the France.

[asteven221]

Sorry if this has been discussed before, but I did a search and didn't find anything recent.

We are planning a trip to France from the UK and want to take our dog. What documents and jabs etc will our dog need to have? One of the jabs that I know about is Rabies. I believe there is a one year or three year jab available. Our dog is tiny and we are worried a three year jab is unsafe. I would appreciate any opinions on that from other dog owners.

Thanks.

 

[AndersG]

You will need an AHC document. £99 at a specialist vet. Do not use your normal vet. There's only one rabies jab and in the UK it's always valid for three years.

 

[AndersG]

You are not planning to take the dog back into the UK on your boat?

 

[Trident]

Pets now can only travel to the UK on an approved carrier - ie a plane or commercial ferry

 

[st599]

As the others say, you can take your dog to France on a yacht, you can't bring it back that way though, you need to come back by ferry.

Bringing your pet dog, cat or ferret to Great Britain

 

[ashtead]

I believe a dog returning to the UK has to have access to a car or van etc and not travel as a foot passenger - this might be just in the south though from France and not from Dublin etc. I have send dogs at Dover travelling to France to see their owners in a dog van .I assume you can book someone to bring your dog home in a van if needed.

 

[Koeketiene]

Sorry if this has been discussed before, but I did a search and didn't find anything recent.

We are planning a trip to France from the UK and want to take our dog. What documents and jabs etc will our dog need to have? One of the jabs that I know about is Rabies. I believe there is a one year or three year jab available. Our dog is tiny and we are worried a three year jab is unsafe. I would appreciate any opinions on that from other dog owners.

Thanks.

All relevant info here: Travel: coming to France with your pet

Re the validity of the rabies vaccination: the first one is valid for one year, all subsequent ones are valid for three years.

 

[AndersG]

I believe a dog returning to the UK has to have access to a car or van etc and not travel as a foot passenger - this might be just in the south though from France and not from Dublin etc. I have send dogs at Dover travelling to France to see their owners in a dog van .I assume you can book someone to bring your dog home in a van if needed.

They can travel with a foot passenger on Hook of Holland - Harwich and Dieppe - Newhaven.

 

[Grehan]

Our page on the subject - Self-Drive Boating Holidays //Dogs can cruise with you
I think we've got it right, but would welcome any comments/corrections.

 

[asteven221]

Thanks for your replies. I should have said that we are sailing to France on our own boat. Thanks Grehan for the informative link. The condition that the health certificate within 10 days of entering France is a bit of a problem, as we have no idea how long it will take us, meandering from Scotland's west coast to France. I guess the answer is to stop off somewhere on the south coast or in the Channel Islands and find a vet.

 

[Grehan]

In the UK we can keep to our long-term vet, but it's quite usual for us to visit various vets in France, depending on timescale or location. Our experience is overwhelmingly positive.
The UK AHC thing is, of course, a ridiculous and unnecessary waste of everyone's time and money. May make it more complicated to consult a vet wherever one might be.

 

[st599]

Our page on the subject - Self-Drive Boating Holidays //Dogs can cruise with you
I think we've got it right, but would welcome any comments/corrections.

You can only re-enter the UK via a recognised carrier. So for your hire business that's ok, but the OP can't return the dog on his own yacht.

 

[Grehan]

Yes, in the past when we've returned to the UK with the yacht one of us had to hop on the ferry with the dog. No change there, in fact.

 

[dpb]

If you are going to take your dog to France regularly you can get an EU French pet passport. No more AHC.!

 

[Grehan]

Need a French address and a friendly Cabinet Veterinaire

 

[dpb]

The first vet we walked into sorted it and we used the marina berth adress.

 

[asteven221]

Thanks again everyone for your advice. It appears that our tiny Chihuahua, is making our early retirement dream of finally going cruising for a few months on the boat, a bit problematical! This country is becoming a bit of a joke. I can take my wee dog to Europe, but can't bring it back to my own country! Nuts. Totally nuts! Rant over. Sorry I had to say that!

I need to think of a way. Maybe I could ask one of the illegal immigrants to take Hamish from Calais over the UK and I can pick him up for the nice hotel they will be staying at for free. Sorry another rant, but this is very frustrating!!! Our dream of the last 30 years of sailing into the sunset is falling apart, just two months before the big day when we can go. I expected paperwork and vet stuff which is fine, but really did not expect not this problem. I see sailors with cats (some with dogs) on nearly every YT video travelling the world. How on earth do they do that and we can't go 25 miles from the UK to France and back on our boat?

Thinking about it, I have not actually confirmed that we can sail into France on our own boat with the dog? The conversation has been about returning. Do they have the same as the UK, in that is we need to arrive via an approved route? if that's the case then we would be as well to charter a frigging boat in France! Or get a motorhome!

What about the Channel Islands? Is there an approved route for ferries from France to the Channel Islands? Maybe that's an option?

Hire a delivery skipper to bring the boat back to the closest bit of the UK and we go by ferry?

Are the Channel Islands the UK? Yes I know they are part of us, but do they have their own rules about arriving, i.e. would it be the same rules as if we were arriving at Brighton from France for example?

Do the rules mean arriving in British waters, or does it mean stepping on to British soil? I was thinking that maybe we could sail along the south coast, anchor off the UK coast and then head across to Ireland. I am not sure if that would work, or what we would do from their if it does work. We would be getting closer to home!

As always, I really appreciate the advice.

 

[AndersG]

I quite certain that you can take a dog to France on your boat.
We have travelled with a dog from France to Jersey and Guernsey before going to England but that was before brexit and I don't remember where the dog was processed and it was by car where she had to stay during the crossing.
Easiest is probably to walk on the ferry in Dieppe.

 

[st599]

As you surmise, provided you have the paperwork you can take your dog to the EU on your yacht, no problem. It's returning to the UK where you have to use an approved carrier.

There are dog transporters who will bring you dog back - problem is they expect you to be at the arrival point to take the dog off their hands. Do you have a relative you could arrange with?

 

[Motor_Sailor]

You can also go via Ireland. They are happy to have your dog arrive by yacht and then we have a common travel area with them so you can cross the Irish Sea with your dog on board.