Taking your dog on holiday to France, Europe and Beyond
Roxie loves the beach and amuses me no end when we take her on holiday!
You live as a family all year long so why not share your holiday together?
Obviously, it depends entirely on what kind of holiday you intend to take. If you are thinking of going on a beach holiday in the south of France, your poor dog won't really enjoy the heat. Likewise, if you plan on sightseeing and visiting museums etc., you'll probably find that you won't be allowed into all of the places you intend to visit.
However, if you are taking a self-catering holiday in a gite or cottage, taking your dog is a must. You won't have the worry of leaving him/her at home, you won't have to pay for kennel fees and it will help you make more of your holiday.
Depending on where you're going in Europe, there are a number of options (all by ferry) but they all have common procedures and require that you have a Pet Passport. Please note that regardless of who you travel with, you have to allow at least 7 months for vaccinations before traveling.
The Outward Jouney
For the outward journey, you'll need:
- A valid DEFRA approved veterinary certificate showing that the pet has been micro chipped
- A valid DEFRA approved veterinary certificate showing that the pet has been vaccinated and blood tested for antibodies to rabies.
The Return Journey
Before returning to the UK, your dog will have to:
- Undergo a prescribed treatment against fleas and ticks
- Undergo a required prescribed treatment against worms
- You also need to obtain a certificate verifying that your pet has been treated for the above
More about the certificate
This certificate differs in form from country to country, and should be supplied by the vet overseas who administers the treatments.
The vet will also fill in this certificate and must then sign and/or stamp it, confirming the date, time and place that the treatments took place.
You, of course, will have to pay the vet for the certificate, the consultation and the treatments...
Timing is everything...
Please note that both treatments need to be administered not less than 24 hours and not more than 48 hours before you check in to travel in France.
Any time less and you will have to wait until 24 hours has elapsed before you can travel.
Any time more and your pet will have to undergo the treatments again, and you will then have to wait a further 24 hours from the subsequent treatments.
At the port
The outward journey is the simple bit. Generally, you'll be asked to scan you pet's microchip, produce your documents and will be given clear boarding instructions. The return journey, however, is slightly more rigorous; as well as the scanning of the microchip, you'll need to produce all of the documents associated with returning to the UK (fleas, ticks, tapeworm).
Assuming that all is okay, you'll have to sign a form declaring that your pet has not been outside the Passport for Pets area within the last six months.
