Animal Health Certificate

Animal Health Certificate (AHC)

You will need to take your pet to see your vet no more than ten days before travel to obtain an AHC.

The AHC needs to be signed by an official vet.

Here at Vetsmiths, Chris, Lorna and Kesh are registered official vets (OV’s).

Take with you to your appointment

You will need to take proof of the following with you to your appointment:

• your pet’s microchipping date
• your pet’s vaccination history

AHC validity

Your pet’s AHC will be valid for:

• ten days after the date of issue for entry into the EU or NI
• on-ward travel within the EU or NI for four months after the date of issue
• re-entry to UK for four months after the date of issue

The AHC is valid for one entry only from UK into the EU.

If you return home and would like to make another trip to the EU within the four month window, you will need to be issued with a new AHC by your vet.

Re-entering the UK

In order to re-enter you will need one of three documents:

• a valid AHC
• your previous EU pet passport
• an AHC issued by an EU member country

Tapeworm and rabies

A tapeworm treatment will need to be administered by a vet between 20 – 120 hours before re-entry into the UK.

It’s important to keep your pet’s rabies vaccinations up-to-date in order to travel.

Currently, there is no requirement to have a rabies serology blood test.

Up-dates to the AHC

These guidelines are current when written (December 2020) and are liable to change.

Please re-visit our website for up-dates or visit DEFRA who will post changes as they happen.