Pet travel from Great Britain
Plan the paperwork for your pet's trip to Europe
For most dogs, cats and ferrets travelling from Great Britain to the EU, that means a new Animal Health Certificate for every trip. Check the document, work back from your travel date and compare the full cost before you book.
Updated for the EU pet travel rules introduced on 22/04/2026. Travel rules and price data checked 26/08/2026.
Start with where you are going
An AHC links the pet's microchip and rabies vaccination to the owner and trip details. It is one travel document, not a general health certificate, and it is not right for every route.
Entering the EU from Great Britain
Usually an AHC
Most dogs, cats and ferrets need a new certificate for each trip, issued by an Official Veterinarian.
Check the AHC rulesGoing directly to Northern Ireland
Usually a free PTD
Eligible Great Britain residents can use a Pet Travel Document. It lasts while you own the pet. Onward travel has different rules.
Check PTD eligibilityOther or more complex travel
Check the exact route
Outside the EU, commercial movements, more than five pets or another person travelling separately can change the documents required.
Check all pet travel rulesWork back from the day you enter the EU
The certificate appointment sits at the end of the preparation, not the beginning. The vet needs a valid microchip and rabies record before issuing it, and you must enter the EU within 10 days.
- 01
Plan early
Ask about OV availability and send the full clinical record. Four to six weeks is a useful planning window, not a legal deadline.
- 02
21 full days
After a first rabies vaccination or restarted course, allow at least 21 full days. Some vaccines require longer.
- 03
Final 10 days
An Official Veterinarian identifies every pet, scans the microchip and issues the certificate for EU entry.
- 04
24 to 120 hours
Dogs on certain routes need tapeworm treatment in this exact window before arrival.
Know the full cost for your trip
A headline fee may cover one pet on a standard appointment. The total changes with the number of pets, notice, appointment type and administration needed.
Compare AHC prices near you
Search ordinary veterinary practices and dedicated AHC services separately. Compare the total for your number of pets, notice period and appointment type.
Choose the issuer that fits the trip
You do not have to use the practice where your pet is registered. Another practice or a dedicated AHC service can issue the certificate if an Official Veterinarian is available and has the records needed.
Your usual practice can share the clinical record with your consent. Ask the issuer who obtains it, where the appointment takes place and when the booking becomes confirmed.
Read the RCVS guidance on sharing records1,673
practices publish a comparable AHC fee
40%
of 4,164 Great Britain benchmark practices
£289
median published standard or first-pet fee
This measures published price visibility, not every practice with an Official Veterinarian. More practices may offer AHCs without publishing a comparable fee.
A published specialist tariff, in full
Rightvet currently maps one dedicated AHC provider. Its complete published tariff is shown so the standard, multi-pet, urgent and additional charges can be compared together.
Vet Home Certs
One central team checks records and arranges appointments across provider-supplied service areas. Appointments may use collection points or home visits, and network vets may invoice directly.
New booking, 1 to 5 pets
£99 to £319
Core tariff. Extras can take the final total higher.
| Service | Notice | 1 pet | 2 pets | 3 pets | 4 pets | 5 pets |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Repeat AHC Returning client, same Vet Home Certs vet, same valid rabies vaccination, owner and pet details, and certificate language unchanged. | More than 10 days | £89 | £114 | £139 | £164 | £189 |
Standard AHC All information, checks and payment must be complete more than seven days before the appointment. Selected North London appointments are £110. | More than 7 days | £99 | £129 | £159 | £189 | £219 |
Urgent AHC Charged when the required information and payment are received within seven days of the appointment. Availability is not guaranteed. | Within 7 days | £199 | £229 | £259 | £289 | £319 |
Up to five pets with the same owner can be included on one AHC. The provider advertises prices from £79 where the £89 repeat fee and maximum £10 collection discount both apply. This is a conditional combination, not the standard first-pet price.
Collection-point discount
Up to £10 off
Available at some locations.
Home visit
Up to £20
Depends on the address and local coverage.
Two working ID microchips
+£15
Extra documentation and supporting evidence.
Authorised person or carrier company
+£10
Additional administration when the owner is not travelling with the pet.
Less than 24 hours to prepare
+£50
Applied after payment when fewer than 24 hours remain before the appointment.
Vet Home Certs says it does not charge to witness worming medication brought to the appointment. Changes requested after a booking is confirmed may incur a separate administration fee under its terms.
Requests, travel details and rabies records go to the central team. The provider says it checks the documents before invoicing and offering a provisional appointment. Payment confirms the booking.
The website does not publish a fixed address for every service area. It says the exact collection point may be sent after booking, sometimes with a what3words reference. Customer reviews describe some appointments in public car parks. Confirm whether your appointment is at veterinary premises, an outdoor collection point or your home before paying.
Every pet must attend so the Official Veterinarian can identify it, scan the microchip and complete the certificate.
These are service areas supplied by the provider, not separate veterinary practices or confirmed public addresses. The exact appointment location is confirmed during booking.
- PerthPH1
- Newcastle upon TyneNE6
- HaslemereGU27
- LewishamSE12
- CricklewoodNW2
- St AlbansAL2
- HarpendenAL5
- LutonLU1
- IlminsterTA19
- TauntonTA1
- SheffieldS43
- NorthamptonNN4
- King's LynnPE32
- NestonCH64
- ClaphamSW4
- DunfermlineKY11
- AlfoldGU6
- LeatherheadKT22
- Weston-super-MareBS22
- Milton KeynesMK13
- BuckinghamMK18
- BristolBS3
- DartmouthTQ6
- WorcesterWR2
- ManchesterM23
- KegworthDE74
- CumbernauldG67
- LiverpoolL23
- WalsallWS9
- GlasgowG14
- BillericayCM11
- High WycombeHP11
- Waltham AbbeyEN9
- MontroseDD10
- SouthwellNG25
- FarnhamGU10
- DoncasterDN4
- GainsboroughDN21
- LeicesterLE4
- OakhamLE15
- WiganWN4
- BuckdenPE19
- ChorleyPR7
- CoventryCV6
- Forest RowRH18
- Tottenham and North LondonN14
- EastbourneBN20
- NorthwichCW8
- KidlingtonOX5
- LutterworthLE17
Confirm the final fee, appointment type and records required before paying. Bookings go through the provider's central team.
Check availability with Vet Home CertsMake the appointment count
The certificate is only as accurate as the records and trip details supplied. Check the details before leaving the appointment, while the issuing vet can still correct them.
Before the appointment
- Confirm every destination and the return route
- Send proof of the microchip date and full rabies history
- Tell the issuer who will travel with the pet
- Ask where the appointment takes place and what to bring
With the Official Veterinarian
- Take every pet named on the certificate
- Have each microchip scanned
- Check owner, pet, microchip and travel details
- Keep the original signed certificate safe
For travel and return
- Carry the original AHC throughout the trip
- Complete any destination-specific treatment
- Check the tapeworm rule before returning with a dog
- Recheck the rules if the route or traveller changes
How the practice price benchmark is built
Rightvet uses one fixed standard or first-pet price per Great Britain first-opinion practice. Across 1,673 published prices, the median is £289 and the middle half is £225 to £317. Additional-pet, repeat, urgent, fit-to-fly and export certificate prices are excluded. Missing prices are not estimated.
Read the full AHC price analysis and methodAnimal Health Certificate questions
What is an Animal Health Certificate?
An Animal Health Certificate is an official pet travel document. It records the pet's identity, microchip and rabies vaccination details and must be signed by an Official Veterinarian.
Do I need an Animal Health Certificate to take my pet to the EU?
GOV.UK says Great Britain residents travelling to an EU country with a dog, cat or ferret should get an AHC. Check the current rules for your destination before travelling.
Do I have to get an AHC from my regular vet?
No. You can use another veterinary practice or a dedicated AHC service, provided an Official Veterinarian can issue the certificate and has the evidence needed to certify it. Ask your usual practice to share the relevant records with your consent.
Can any vet issue an AHC?
No. The certificate must be signed by an Official Veterinarian. Ask whether an OV is available before booking.
Can I get an Animal Health Certificate online?
The forms and records can be checked in advance, but the service is not wholly online. The Official Veterinarian must identify the pet, scan the microchip and complete the certificate.
How much does an Animal Health Certificate cost?
The median comparable standard or first-pet fee published by 1,673 Great Britain first-opinion practices is £289. Vet Home Certs publishes a core new-booking tariff from £99 for one pet on a standard appointment to £319 for five pets on an urgent appointment, before possible extras.
Do I need a new AHC for every trip?
Yes. GOV.UK says a new Animal Health Certificate is needed for each separate trip from Great Britain to the EU.
How long is an Animal Health Certificate valid?
It is valid for entry to the EU for 10 days from issue, then for onward EU travel and re-entry to Great Britain for up to six months while the rabies vaccination remains valid.
Do I need an AHC for Northern Ireland?
Eligible Great Britain residents travelling directly to Northern Ireland need a free Northern Ireland Pet Travel Document instead. Different documents are needed for onward travel.