Since January 1, 2021, the United Kingdom has been a third country to the European Union. EU law has ceased to apply in the UK.

For individuals travelling from France to the United Kingdom accompanied by domestic carnivores:

From 1^st January 2021, the United Kingdom’s sanitary authorities will implement a series of sanitary and phytosanitary import requirements for animals, plants and the products derived from them.

In October 2020, the UK authorities indicated in the UK guide on the border with the European Union, the “Border Operating Model”, that EU arrangements for non-commercial movements of pets from the European Union into the United Kingdom will not be subject to immediate change in 2021.

Any change in the UK’s requirements with regard to travelling with pets will be communicated on the following website: https://www.gov.uk/bring-pet-to-uk

At this stage, your pet (dog, cat, ferret) must meet the following requirements in the case of non-commercial movements:

1. It must be identified (with an electronic chip).
2. It must have a pet passport or have an official veterinary certificate from a third country.
3. It must be validly vaccinated against rabies (animals at least 12 weeks old for vaccination at the first time of vaccination against rabies; vaccine protection and validity are established on elapse of a period of at least 21 days).

N.B.: A blood test (rabies antibody titre) will also be necessary if the animal is arriving in the United Kingdom from an “unlisted country”.

N.B.: The pet may be placed in quarantine for a maximum of four months at the owner’s cost if the above requirements are not met.

The number of authorised animals is limited to a maximum of five (unless exempted for domestic carnivores participating in competitions, exhibitions or sports events. In these cases, the owner or the authorised person must present written proof that the animals are in fact registered as participants in an event of one of the above types. Such animals must in this case be over six months old).

Additional important points:

In addition, if your dog is going to Great Britain or Northern Ireland (or to the Republic of Ireland), it must:

• be at least three months old;
• have been treated for parasitic worms (Echinococcus) between 24 and 120 hours prior to arrival, such treatment being recorded in the passport by the administering veterinarian.

Additionally, entry of dogs into the country on private vessels is prohibited in the United Kingdom.

Any change in the UK’s sanitary requirements will be communicated via the following link: https://www.gov.uk/bring-pet-to-uk

For persons travelling from Great Britain to France or the European Union accompanied by domestic carnivores:

NB : This section does not apply to people living in Northern Ireland. The EU rules regarding travelling with domestic carnivores within the EU continue to apply to Northern Ireland.

1/ Since1^st January 2021, the "EU pet  passport" issued in Great Britain is no longer a valid document for travelling with pets to the EU.

2/ If you are living in Great Britain and travelling with a dog, a cat or a ferret from Great Britain to France, you should comply with the requirements imposed by Regulation (EU) No 576/2013 :

• Make sure your pet is identified by the implantation of an electronic transponder or by a clearly readable tattoo if applied before 3 July 2011.
• Make sure your pet has a valid anti-rabies vaccination (the animal was at least 12 weeks old at the date the vaccine was administered; the period of validity of the vaccination starts not less than 21 days from the completion of the vaccination protocol ; the date of administration of the vaccine does not precede the date of identification).
• Make sure your pet is accompanied by a health certificate issued by an official veterinarian in the UK, together with a proof of vaccination against rabies and a document proving your pet is identified. The health certificate is valid for 10 days from the date of issuance and has to be presented for import checks within these 10 days of validity. The health is valid for a total of four months within the EU and Northern Ireland.

If your pet (e.g. a dog, cat, ferret) has a European Pet Passport (this is not issued by the UK authorities), you will not need a sanitary certificate signed by the UK veterinary services unless a rabies vaccination (or the booster dose) has been administered in the United Kingdom after 31 December 2020.

Attention : Dangerous dogs are classified in France under 2 categories. The entry of 1st category dogs into French territory is prohibited. Import of category 2 dogs is strictly regulated and subject to administrative obligations. Details for each category are available here.

3/ If you are living in the EU (or in Northern Ireland) and returning from Great Britain to the EU with a dog, a cat or a ferret from the Great Britain to France after a temporary movement to Great Britain, you will have  to  be  accompanied  by  a  duly  filled-in  EU  pet  passport (not issued in Great Britain).  This passport must attest a valid anti-rabies vaccination and has to be presented for import checks.

For more information, you can download an information sheet on travelling to the European Union with one or more domestic carnivores (updated 30/11/2020) (PDF, 452.37Kb)

For more details, you can also consult the website of the French Embassy.