Animal Health Certificates
Do you want to take your pet travelling or are you planning to move abroad? You may need an Animal Health Certificate (AHC).
An AHC is an official document prepared by a registered veterinarian inline with the Animal & Plant Health Agency guidance.
You will need to obtain an Animal Health Certificate (AHC) for your pet if you are travelling from Great Britain to the EU. An Animal Health Certificate (AHC) is required by law to ensure that diseases such as rabies do not spread. For countries outside of the EU, you will need an Export Health Certificate. If you are travelling to a non-EU country then different rules will apply (additional blood samples, documentation).
Please see https://www.gov.uk/taking-your-pet-abroad for government guidelines on which countries this applied so.
Where to Start
- You will need to have your pet microchipped and vaccinated against rabies
- Your pet must be at least 12 weeks old before it can be vaccinated, and you’ll need to wait 21 days after the primary vaccination before your animal health certificate (AHC) can be issued.
Who can issue an Animal Health Certificate(ACH)?
- Animal Health Certificate (AHC) can only be issued by a vet who has been authorised by the government (an Official Veterinarian).
When should I get an Animal Health Certificate (ACH)?
You must get an animal health certificate (AHC) in the 10 days before you enter the EU if the following apply to your pet:
- has an up-to-date rabies vaccination already
- only needs booster doses to keep the vaccination up-to-date
- If your pet needs a rabies vaccination you must wait 21 days after the vaccination date before you can get an animal health certificate. Day 1 is the day after vaccination.
How do I get an Animal Health Certificate?
- You will need to take your pet to your vet to get an AHC no more than 10 days before travel to the EU or NI.
- You will need to ensure that you bring with you all of the correct paperwork that is required for any countries that you will be travelling to/through
- Your AHC will be valid for 10 days after the date of issue for entry into the EU or NI, onward travel within the EU or NI for 4 months after the date of issue, and re-entry to GB for 4 months after the date of issue.
- Your pet will need a new Animal Health Certificate (AHC) for each trip to an EU country or Northern Ireland from Great Britain.
How many pets can one person apply for an Animal Health Certificate for?
The owner or authorised person can be accompanied by a maximum of 5 pets. You cannot take more than 5 pets to an EU country or NI unless you are attending or training for a competition, show or sporting event. You will need evidence of registration for the event when you travel.
How much will the Animal Health Certificate Cost (AHC)?
A rabies vaccine will cost £70.75
Animal Health Certificate cost £389.54
The full cost of the rabies vaccine & Animal Health Certificate will need to be paid when the appointment is booked.
Clients on our Wellness Plan receive a 15% discount off all products and services.