Moving to France » Pets and animals

Bringing pets and animals to France

Published: 6 January 2011

Bringing pets and animals to FranceYour pet will need be chipped if they are travelling between the UK and France.

To enter France, they need an up-to-date rabies vaccination, a form of identity and a pet passport.

A pet passport should record all vaccinations and boosters, tick and tapeworm treatment, along with the pet’s microchip number and the date it was implanted.

A blood test to see if the rabies vaccine has been effective will need to be carried out by an EU-approved laboratory before travelling with the pet.

Useful tip

  • The EU now imposes a limit of five animals, travelling between countries.

In the full Moving to France helpguide, we explain:

  • Applying for a pet passport before you travel
  • Booster jabs and how often they are needed
  • Treatments needed in the days before travelling
  • Special rules on rodents, rabits, birds, reptiles and amphibians
  • Insuring your pet’s health in France
  • French laws on the guardian’s responsibility and insurance
  • Leaving your pets with a third party

Download the guide as a PDF now from this link
…or ask a question about this topic in the comment box below.

9 Comments »

  • Bruce Hopkins said:

    Hi,

    Do these requirements apply if I’m bring a dog from the USA to France?

    Thanks,

    Bruce

    [Reply]

    # 12 November 2011 at 9:11 pm
  • Judith Donnelly said:

    I was under the impression that the Pet Passport was required to enter France with identity and rabies vaccine record.Why the ticks and tape worms- I thought that was to enter the UK. I also thought that DEFRA were just about to change this in Jan to fall in line with the rest of Europe and abolish the need to visit a vet before entering UK for a tick and worm treatment..?

    [Reply]

    # 11 November 2011 at 5:28 pm
  • David Anderson said:

    We are planning to bring back an 8 week old puppy to France.
    At what age is it safe to give a puppy the Rabes vaccine?.
    We assume that 21 days after the vaccine has been administered it would be safe to travel.
    In order to avoid this does anybody know of a Cockapoo breeder in France.(a cross between a Poodle and a Cocker Spaniel. We have searched without any luck.

    [Reply]

    # 11 November 2011 at 5:01 pm
  • Anne Grose said:

    I understand that the rules are being changed as at the end of December 2011. Do you have a definite decision as to what will be required for travel back to the UK yet??

    [Reply]

    # 11 November 2011 at 12:52 pm
  • D Lawlor said:

    With regards for pet Rabbits, having spoken to eurotunnel they advised a pet passport is not required for rabbits, nor is any ID or certificates from a vet. The european regulation 998/1002 for rabbits & rodents states there are currently no requirements for these animals for movement between EU countries.
    Please can you confirm your source of information and if the above relates to other pets.

    [Reply]

    Moving to France editor Reply:
    June 9th, 2011 at 3:55 pm

    Reply from Eurotunnel:

    “There are currently no certification requirements for rabbits and most rodents entering the UK from any of the countries mentioned above. For further information please check http://www.defra.gov.uk/wildlife-pets/pets/travel/pets/ “

    [Reply]

    # 19 January 2011 at 5:26 pm
  • Rod Baverstock said:

    If you are bringing dogs to France and do not intend taking them back to the UK , do you still need to have the blood test to see if the Rabies vaccine has been effective and do they need the rabies jab anyway

    [Reply]

    Moving to France editor Reply:
    June 9th, 2011 at 3:56 pm

    Reply from Eurotunnel:

    “To travel with a pet dog to France (permanently) from the UK, the dog would need to be firstly microchipped, then rabies vaccinated and a 21 day wait before travel. The documentation required is an EU Pet Passport. Please be aware that these requirements would not allow the dog to return to the UK without quarantine.”

    [Reply]

    Andrew Crowe Reply:
    November 11th, 2011 at 12:38 pm

    The rules on pet passports and travel are changing as from 1st January 2012.

    to travel to and frow you need a microchip, a pet passport and a Rabbies injection at least 21 days before travel (if they do not already have an annual jab)

    You no longer require 6 months before travel or a clear blood test or a visit to the vets for flea and tick treatments before travel.

    further info can be found from DEFRA online.

    Hope this helps and saves you all money

    [Reply]

    # 14 January 2011 at 7:56 pm

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