Pet Travel Scheme: EU Countries

(asked on 10th December 2020) - View Source

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether the Government plans to implement a grace period before implementation of new rules for pet travel (a) to and (b) from the EU.


Answered by
Victoria Prentis Portrait
Victoria Prentis
Attorney General
This question was answered on 18th December 2020

On 3 December 2020 the Standing Committee on Plants, Animals, Food and Feed of the EU voted in favour of giving the United Kingdom Part 2 listed status for the purposes of non-commercial pet travel after the transition period. It will be for the EU to decide on any future grace period relating to the regulations governing pet travel.

This status will mean, from 1 January, similar health requirements to travel to the EU as now. However, new documentation will be required for pets and assistance dogs. We intend to publish further guidance shortly on what this development means for travellers, on GOV.UK.

We will continue to press the EU Commission on securing Part 1 listed status as we are clear we meet all the requirements for this, and have one of the most rigorous pet checking regimes in Europe to protect our biosecurity.

There will be no changes to the current pet travel health requirements for entry into Great Britain and we will continue to accept EU pet passports.

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