[Update September 22 at 15:50 – A Connexion reader has informed us that she was quoted £285 for an AHC this year, considerably more than the approximately £100 which has previously been suggested.]
A reader has actually informed how she was notified that the travel documents she had for her cat to board a ferryboat from the UK to France might not be accepted despite the fact that it was proper.
Rachel*, a senior citizen who resides in Devon, was taking a trip from Plymouth to Roscoff on July 2 to invest the summertime in her 2nd home in Dordogne with her partner, 2 teenage granddaughters and animal cat, Polly.
“Before I left, I contacted Brittany Ferries and asked them to check the EU pet passport. I got several emails back from them but they did not not answer the question, starting in June,” she informed The Connexion.
“I sent them a copy of the passport and they didn’t reply, so – fortunately – I went and got an Animal Health Certificate (AHC) too.”
Individuals taking a trip in between the UK and the EU with a family pet such as a cat or dog should have either an EU animal passport or an AHC. It is not generally required to have both.
A British veterinarian had actually likewise informed Rachel that her EU animal passport was all in order, however she wished to make certain that the cat would be accepted on board the ship, which is why she paid £130 for the AHC also.
“The cat is very special to my autistic granddaughter, and if we had lost the cat because we were not able to travel with it, she would have been devastated,” she stated.
Rachel’s cat Polly was almost declined boarding on a ferryboat from the UK to France, regardless of having the proper documents
Problems with the date of microchip reading
“Brittany Ferries had still not got back to me to confirm that the passport was OK, so we headed off to the ferry.
“The man at the gate said: ‘Sorry, you can’t come through because the microchip date is not entered correctly.”
Under EU guidelines, a family pet needs to be microchipped prior to or at the very same time as it gets its rabies vaccination since this makes sure that the animal is recognized prior to it gets the vaccine.
On page 3 of the EU animal passport is the area: Date of application or reading of the transponder (describing the recognition chip, with ‘application’ describing the date it was implanted).
Rachel’s cat had actually been microchipped prior to it had its rabies vaccination, however its records included the ‘date of reading’ (‘date de lecture’ in French) of the chip rather than the ‘date of implantation/application’. This reading date was the very same as that as the rabies vaccination.
Some veterinarians in France will rub out the ‘date of application’ of the microchip if they do not understand it, and rather only insert the ‘reading date’, which implies the date they themselves scanned the microchip.
They will then be most likely to mark the reading date as whatever the day’s date is. This is not an issue if they then go on to offer the animal a rabies booster shot.
For That Reason, in Rachel’s case, the cat’s documents did satisfy the requirements for travel into the EU.
Nevertheless, the Brittany Ferries employee stated that the microchip area existed incorrectly therefore might not be accepted.
Find Out More: Why was my dog’s EU pet passport not accepted on UK to France ferry?
“He was adamant that he wouldn’t let me through.”
Rachel said that only when she showed the check-in official her AHC was she allowed to board the ferry with the cat.
If you encounter problems when trying to board a ferry because your pet’s passport only shows the microchip ‘reading date’, you can show the check-in official these EU rules.
They state: “The date of administration of the [rabies] vaccine [must] not precede the date of marking or reading of the transponder,” hence revealing that both dates need to be accepted.
‘Very distressing’
“When I got to France, I phoned the vet near our house and she said that the EU pet passport was fine,” Rachel stated. “She offered me another one for free and I got the cat vaccinated against rabies again so she was all up to date.
“All the vets have been wonderful.
“So then I tried to contact Brittany Ferries to check it all again and make sure that it was all OK.” This time, she did get an action validating that her documents remained in order.
Rachel likewise stated that the Brittany Ferries staff at Cherbourg were “perfect” when the family were going back to the UK this month, however that the experience in Plymouth has actually put her off taking a trip with her cat once again.
“It added a lot of stress and I wouldn’t do it again and I’m worried that other people could be caught out. If someone has driven up from Spain [to the port] and then is told: ‘Sorry, your cat or dog can’t come on the boat’, what are they going to do?” she stated.
“It is a very distressing situation. I would hate for a pet to be put down because they were refused boarding.
“What I would like for everybody who takes a pet is for Brittany Ferries to have a process where they check the passport before” the travelers reach the boat.
Rachel recommended that clients might be asked to submit a picture of their animal’s documents when they include it to the reservation, which this might be authorised in advance of travel to prevent unpredictability.
The Connexion has actually called Brittany Ferries for remark however has actually not gotten an action.
Guidelines on taking a trip in between the UK and EU with a family pet
Given That Brexit, British pet-owners have 2 choices if they want to take a trip to the EU with their animals.
Read likewise: France travel: what are the guidelines for flying with a family pet?
They can check out a veterinarian in the UK for an animal health certificate (AHC), legitimate for as much as 4 months for a single journey, onward take a trip in the EU and re-entry. These can normally cost around £100 each, plus any treatments and vaccinations the animal might require.
Or, they can utilize an EU animal passport if they have one.
An EU animal passport released in France will cost in between €15 to €20, and can be utilized for as much as 28 journeys, consisting of to the UK, where it stands.
It ought to be kept in mind, nevertheless, that given that Brexit worked, it is just possible to acquire among these passports if you remain in France for a minimum of 3 months, which would eliminate most visitors, who are just entitled to invest as much as 90 successive days in the nation prior to needing to obtain a visa.
So, those who are resident in France or who have a visa permitting them to remain for more than 3 months might acquire among these passports, however the animal needs to be signed up by the owner on the French I-CAD register. In addition British veterinarians need to not have ‘input’ into it, ie. if the pet needs a vaccine booster, it should be done by a French vet, for example, The Connexion was previously told.
However, people who can only spend up to 90 days at a time in France are not eligible.
The Connexion has, though, heard of French veterinarians issuing non-French residents with EU pet passports.
Rachel already had an EU pet passport acquired before these post-Brexit rules came into effect.
It is no longer possible to use a UK-issued EU pet passport, and if you are obtaining your documentation in the country it must be an AHC.
Read more: Pet passports: Second-home owners in France left ‘upset’ by stalemate
In order to have a valid EU pet passport or AHC, your pet:
- Must be microchipped, and the date of implantation or reading correctly entered in the document. The date of implantation must be prior to the animal’s rabies vaccination
- Must have had its rabies vaccination, and the date of the inoculation must be entered correctly in the documentation.
Pets must be 12 weeks old to have the rabies vaccination and must receive the injection at least 21 days before travel.
- Must have a tapeworm treatment before reentering the UK (dogs only). This treatment must be administered more than 24 but less than 120 hours before the scheduled arrival time in the UK and must be correctly entered in the pet passport
If you are taking a dog on board a ferry, it need to wear a muzzle when outside of your vehicle or the kennel.
People who are taking their animal on board a Brittany Ferries ship and who have a query ought to contact [email protected].
*Name changed on the request of the interviewee.
Have you experienced issues when trying to travel between France and the UK with your animal? Share them with us via [email protected]
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