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Travelling to United Kingdom with your pet

From Italy to Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales) the EU pet passport is accepted, but dogs also need a tapeworm treatment and you must use an approved route: by plane, except for assistance dogs, pets travel in the hold as cargo.

To leave you need these documents

Identification

ISO microchip before the rabies vaccine

The microchip must be implanted before or on the same day as the rabies vaccination: if it was implanted later, your pet must be revaccinated.

  • Border readers read ISO 11784 and ISO 11785 chips; with another type you may need to bring your own reader.
  • A legible tattoo applied on or before 3 July 2011 is also accepted, if the rabies vaccination was given afterwards.

Vaccinations

Rabies vaccine at least 21 days before

At least 21 days before arrival

Your pet must be at least 12 weeks old when it receives the rabies vaccination.

  • After the first vaccination (or the last of the primary course) you must wait at least 21 full days before arriving: day 1 is the day after the vaccination.
  • If boosters are kept up to date, there is no wait.
  • If you miss a booster, you have to start again.

In practice a puppy or kitten cannot enter before about 15 weeks of age; some vaccines have higher minimum ages.

Vaccinations

Tapeworm treatment (dogs)

From 5 to 1 days before arrival

Dogs must be given a tapeworm (Echinococcus multilocularis) treatment by a vet no less than 24 hours and no more than 5 days (120 hours) before arriving in Great Britain.

  • The product must contain praziquantel or an equivalent.
  • The vet records product, date and time in the passport: check the times carefully against your arrival.
  • Dogs coming directly from Finland, Ireland, Northern Ireland, Malta and Norway are exempt.

Cats and ferrets do not need it. Details on GOV.UK.

Pet passport

EU pet passport

If you depart from Italy or another EU country, an EU pet passport issued in an EU country is accepted to enter Great Britain.

  • It must show the microchip, a valid rabies vaccination and, for dogs, the tapeworm treatment.
  • In Italy it is issued by your local ASL veterinary service once the dog, cat or ferret is microchipped.

You must also complete a declaration that you will not sell or transfer ownership of the pet.

Special documents

Approved routes: by air only as cargo

You must enter Great Britain with a company and route approved for carrying pets: approved ferries, trains and flights are listed on GOV.UK and can change by season.

  • By plane pets travel in the hold as cargo, except on chartered private planes and for guide or assistance dogs (which can travel in the cabin, with at least 48 hours' notice to the airline).
  • By private boat you can only enter from Ireland or Northern Ireland.

If the rules are not met, your pet can be put in quarantine for up to 4 months at your expense.

Which pets and how many

Maximum 5 pets and banned dog types

Under the pet rules you can bring no more than 5 dogs, cats and ferrets in total. Above that, stricter commercial rules apply, unless you attend a competition, show or sporting event with pets over 6 months old and proof of registration. The same commercial rules apply if the pet travels more than 5 days before or after you.

Dogs of the Pit Bull Terrier, Japanese Tosa, Dogo Argentino, Fila Brasileiro and XL Bully types are banned unless they hold a valid Certificate of Exemption. What counts is how the dog looks, not just its stated breed.