TRAVELLING back into the UK after you have received a PETS passport for your cat or dog is not as straightforward as just getting the next ferry across the Channel.
The first thing you should do is check on the certificate (PETS1) what the period of validity is so you know from what date you are allowed to take your pet back into the UK.
Equally important is the valid until date, which is the final date on which your pet’s rabies booster injection can be given.
If this date is missed then your animal would have to be re-vaccinated and blood tested again, and meet the six monthly residency requirement.
Another important feature of the scheme is the treatment against ticks and tapeworm your pet will need before entering the UK.
It must be completed between 48 and 24 hours prior to embarkation, and the timings have to be adhered to.
There has been a case recently where an animal was refused re-entry because there was a discrepancy of just ten minutes on the document.
You will to find a veterinary surgeon in France to administer the treatment and you will have to pay for this, and thoroughly check the document you receive.
Finally you need to have completed the PETS3 declaration stating that your animal has not been outside any of the qualifying PETS countries in the six months before entering the UK.
To round up – to get back into the UK you need your certificate (PETS1), an official certificate showing treatment against ticks and tapeworm and the PETS3 form you have completed.
Further reading: Packing your PETS passport.
June 2011: Travelling with pets between UK and France made easier