PETS — closer to home
Abstract
Most of us will now be well used to the new Pet Travel Scheme (PETS) regulations that came into force from 1 January 2012. But with the focus having been on the requirements for travel into the UK from EU or ‘listed’ non-EU countries, uncertainty has developed around which rules apply to which countries.
PETS was first introduced by the European Parliament in 2000 to allow the UK, Ireland, Sweden, Finland and Malta to apply stricter travel controls than the rest of the EU, in order to protect against the importation of rabies, exotic ticks and Echinococcus multilocularis tapeworm. In 2012, after a lengthy campaign, PETS was updated in line with EU regulations.
The current pet travel regulations for (re)entry into the UK state that from an EU or ‘listed’ non-EU country your pets must:
From an ‘unlisted’ non-EU country the same rules apply, with the addition that after the rabies vaccination your pet must complete a blood serology test followed by a 3 month wait before entering the UK.
Tick treatment is no longer mandatory but is still advised.
A ‘listed’ non-EU country is one which is considered to present no higher threat of spreading rabies than any countries within the EU (a list of ‘listed’ non-EU countries can be found at www.gov.uk/pet-travel-information-for-pet-owners). Some of these countries are permitted to issue EU Pet Passports. An ‘unlisted’ non-EU country is any country that is neither part of the EU or in the ‘listed’ category defined above. ‘Unlisted’ non-EU countries are considered high threat for pet travel due to either a greater risk of rabies incursion or unsuitable veterinary administrative systems.
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