London:
British pet owners will want a new document to enter the European Union with their animals right after the Brexit transition period ends on 1 January subsequent year, the government mentioned on Wednesday.
Owners will have to get an animal well being certificate from a vet no earlier than 10 days ahead of travel, the government mentioned on its Brexit guidance web page.
British pets necessary only a passport when their nation was element of the EU.
Only vets officially permitted to inspect animals for export can challenge the certificates.
The similar rule will apply for taking animals from England, Scotland and Wales to Northern Ireland.
But the UK government mentioned its strategy to enforcing the rule in Northern Ireland would recognise “these changes will take time to adjust to”, devoid of specifying regardless of whether there would be a grace period.
Owners will nevertheless have to make sure pets are microchipped and have up-to-date rabies vaccinations, as at the moment.
The well being certificates will be valid for pets’ onward travel for 4 months.
There will be no new guidelines on pets travelling from the EU into Britain, which will continue to recognise EU pet passports.
The new guidelines are significantly less complicated than if the EU had classified Britain as an “unlisted” nation — the least favourable status.
This would have involved animals receiving a blood test to verify for rabies at least 3 months ahead of travel.
Britain has alternatively been provided the similar status for pet travel as Australia, Russia and the United States.
The UK government is pushing to get Part 1 listed status, which would let pets to travel nearly as they do now.
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