Comments on this web site or information about broken links etc should be sent to the Webmaster

The small print

We welcome exhibitors to our shows from overseas - those that have been to our shows have really enjoyed them.  This page provides information about the UK PETS Travel Scheme and what you need to do so that you and your cat(s) can enter the UK without problems.

Please note that the information on this web-site is believed correct at the time of writing, but the official source of information is the UK Government's Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA). Their PETS Helpline can be contacted by phone at +44 870 241 1710 (Monday - Friday: 08:30 to 17:00, UK time) or via email to pets.helpline@defra.gsi.gov.uk (please include an address and telephone number in the mail).

Haustier-Reiseverkehrsregelung - Britische Botschaft (Deutsche)

Programme de voyage des animaux de compagnie - Ambassade de Grande-Bretagne (Francais)

The information on this pages covers:

• What steps to take with your cat
• Advice on travel routes
• US exhibitors

The Requirements:

To enter the UK without quarantine, the following steps must be taken (and these must be in the order that they are listed):

1. Your cat must be micro-chipped (the microchip should conform to ISO standard 11784 or Annex A of ISO Standard 11785).
2. Your cat must be vaccinated against rabies.
3. Blood is taken for a rabies titre test between 14 - 28 days after initial rabies vaccination (check the exact delay needed with your vet) and sent to an EU-approved laboratory.
4. After the results are received, the vet issues the cat with a Pet Passport (EU countries) or an official certificate containing this information (non-EU countries).
5. Wait six calendar months from the date the blood is taken.
6. Treat the cat against tick and tapeworm between 24 and 48 hours before checking in for your journey to the UK. The treatment information must be properly recorded by a vet in the Pet Passport or official certificate (including the date and time), then signed and stamped by the vet.
7. Use an approved travel route to enter the UK

Once your cat passes the rabies titre test, you do not have to take another titre test so long as the rabies vaccinations are kept up to date with boosters. The booster must be given on or before the expiry date of the previous vaccination. If the booster is even one day late, then the whole process starts again from step 3 above (including the six month wait !).

Also, after the first six months wait, your cat can come and go freely (so long as the tick and tapeworm treatment is given every time it enters the UK) so long as it has a valid rabies vaccination.

On checking in for your journey to the UK, your Pet Passport (or official certificate) will be carefully checked, and the microchip number on the document will be checked with a scanner against the microchip in your cat. If you do not have an ISO standard microchip, you will need to provide your own microchip scanner.

Usually, if the documentation is not correct, you will not be allowed to travel.

Advice on travel routes:

Only approved travel routes can be used to enter the UK when travelling with your cat. Routes are from either an EU country or a list of "third-party" countries such as the USA.  The DEFRA site lists currently approved transport routes

From mainland Europe, most exhibitors have found that Eurotunnel is the most convenient travel route although some prefer car ferries.

• Your pet stays with you and your car throughout the journey, and on arrival off-loading is usually quick and trouble-free.
• Eurotunnel has a dedicated area for checking your cat - the Pet Control Booth is on the right hand side just before the car check-in lanes at La Coquelles.
• If there are no other pets waiting, this only takes a few minutes to complete the formalities. I usually take just my Eurotunnel ticket and Pet Passports to the desk first, and if there are dogs present, ask the attendant to come out to the car with me for the actual microchip check. Most attendants are usually very understanding, although once or twice they have insisted the cats are brought out of the car and to the desk.
• Eurotunnel charge a supplement (currently £30 per cat) for travel from France to the UK.

Entering the UK by air means that the cat must travel in the hold as "live cargo" - and this is arranged through the airline’s cargo division.

• You will need to use an IATA-approved rigid carrier for your cat.
• As cargo bookings cannot always be made far in advance, ensure that your own air ticket can be changed if live cargo space is not available on your own flight.
• As well as the cargo costs, you may also need to pay ground handling charges on arrival in the UK, before collecting your cat from the Animal Reception Centre.
• The approved airline routes frequently change - consult the DEFRA site for the latest information and also check with the airline.

US Exhibitors:

The official form (equivalent to the Pet Passport) can be found here on the USDA site, as well as the current APHIS export regulations.

Airline routes frequently change, but (apart from some chartered planes) only the cargo divisions are approved carriers, which means that the cat must travel in the hold as "live cargo".

Visitors from the US might like to consider flying into Brussels or Paris with the cat in the cabin, then hiring a car to travel via Eurotunnel to the UK. The 24 to 48 hour window for tick and tapeworm treatment would then apply to the Eurotunnel check-in.