Transporting dogs from Ireland to UK- Passport regulations

Inexile

As you may know the Irish and British authorities were waiving the requirement for dogs travelling between the two countries to be vaccinated against rabies and passported, as required by the EU directive.

However I have just seen a post on a facebook page showing a notice from the Irish authorities that the UK side are now implementing the directive in full, ie dogs travelling between Ireland and the UK must now be passported and rabies vac.


Has anyone had any recent experience re dogs travelling between the two jurisdictions or are those that regularly bring their pets to the UK changing their routines.

ABajaninCork

Britain & Ireland have always been treated as a Common Travel Area, as both have been declared rabies-free. It's nothing to do with EU regs. I've NEVER heard of dogs being passported and vaccinated to come to and from the UK. Where exactly did you get this info from?

People take their dogs/cats over all the time without incident. I've brought my cat over from the UK and no documentation was required.

Have you checked this with your vet? That's the first place I would call.

andreac

ABajaninCork wrote: »

Britain & Ireland have always been treated as a Common Travel Area, as both have been declared rabies-free. It's nothing to do with EU regs. I've NEVER heard of dogs being passported and vaccinated to come to and from the UK. Where exactly did you get this info from?

People take their dogs/cats over all the time without incident. I've brought my cat over from the UK and no documentation was required.

Have you checked this with your vet? That's the first place I would call.

This has been in place for a while now but it's not enforced. They are obv starting to enforce it now.

muddypaws

ABajaninCork wrote: »

Britain & Ireland have always been treated as a Common Travel Area, as both have been declared rabies-free. It's nothing to do with EU regs. I've NEVER heard of dogs being passported and vaccinated to come to and from the UK. Where exactly did you get this info from?

People take their dogs/cats over all the time without incident. I've brought my cat over from the UK and no documentation was required.

Have you checked this with your vet? That's the first place I would call.

A UK rescue was told by their vet a while ago that this was going to be the case. The UK authorities apparently feel that dogs are coming into Eire from France/Spain illegally, and then onto the UK.

Dept of Ag are presently sending letters out, I know pounds have had them, stating that UK authorities seem to be enforcing it. The EU passport scheme has always been valid between Eire and the UK, but both jurisdictions stated that they weren't enforcing it. However, it appears this has now changed. This is the letter that is being sent out -

Mo60

Maybe this will deter some of the 'puppy farmer' exports. Unfortunately, this will make life more awkward for the ordinary person who just wants to take their pets with them on holiday etc.

How will this effect the rehoming of animals to the UK? It will be more expense for the charities that are involved.

Inexile

I'm away at the moment so don't have proper access to vets or relevant gov. Department. I did try the Departments website but couldn't find it.

I seen the post on Irish dogs in need facebook page and was wondering who else had heard it.


Yes it will affect Irish rescues going over to the UK as they will now have to cover the cost of the rabies vacs, fees to vets for processing the paperwork and its also another admin thing for rescues to deal with.


As if animal rescues I Ireland did have enough to worry about.

TooManyDogs

So I decided to ring DEFRA (UK dept of Ag) about this passport scheme to figure out how it will work now between southern Ireland and northern Ireland and on the ferries now that the agreement to not check for passports has been revoked, and the lady on the phone claimed it was never an agreement on their side, that since 1st Jan 2012 all Irish dogs travelling to the UK should have had passports all along and could have been subjected to a spot check!!! :eek:

Don't quite know what to think now, I had been ringing to ask if there would now be border checks on the border between N.Irl and S.Irl and on the ferries and she just kept saying 'well you could have a spot check on your passport at any time'.

So what are those others with show/agility dogs going to do for the likes of Crufts or other big competitions? Are you going to get passports now just in case there are random checks?

muddypaws

TooManyDogs wrote: »

So I decided to ring DEFRA (UK dept of Ag) about this passport scheme to figure out how it will work now between southern Ireland and northern Ireland and on the ferries now that the agreement to not check for passports has been revoked, and the lady on the phone claimed it was never an agreement on their side, that since 1st Jan 2012 all Irish dogs travelling to the UK should have had passports all along and could have been subjected to a spot check!!! :eek:

Don't quite know what to think now, I had been ringing to ask if there would now be border checks on the border between N.Irl and S.Irl and on the ferries and she just kept saying 'well you could have a spot check on your passport at any time'.

So what are those others with show/agility dogs going to do for the likes of Crufts or other big competitions? Are you going to get passports now just in case there are random checks?

She's wrong, as they had it on their website that such an agreement was in place.

I have been stopped everytime we've gone over, because I have a van, and they stop me to see what's in the back, and then ask to see the huskies, have never even been asked for vacc cards.

TooManyDogs

muddypaws wrote: »

She's wrong, as they had it on their website that such an agreement was in place.

That's exactly what I was thinking, I remember checking both the Irish and UK Dept of Ag websites to make sure cos I'm secretary of the Irish Junior Agility team so wanted to make sure I was right in saying they didn't need passports to compete in the UK.

Of course it's gone off both websites now

muddypaws

It still says you don't need them on the Stena and Irish Ferries sites. Looks like I'm going to have to get the passports, which now cost €25 from Dept of Ag for the vets to buy, so vets are charging at least €25 just for the passport, as they have to get their costs back, plus then the rabies vacc on top.

But the question of travelling from NI is one that needs to be answered, what is to stop people going from NI to Scotland or Liverpool? It makes no sense if they aren't going to implement it there.

Inexile

muddypaws wrote: »

It still says you don't need them on the Stena and Irish Ferries sites. Looks like I'm going to have to get the passports, which now cost €25 from Dept of Ag for the vets to buy, so vets are charging at least €25 just for the passport, as they have to get their costs back, plus then the rabies vacc on top.

But the question of travelling from NI is one that needs to be answered, what is to stop people going from NI to Scotland or Liverpool? It makes no sense if they aren't going to implement it there.

Sounds like someone, or government, or both,is going to make money!

TooManyDogs

And what does it mean for the dogs if it is implemented? There are a lot of agility people would travel a lot of weekends to the north to compete and it could be that you go up 3 weekends out of 4 weekends but your tapeworm treatment only lasts 5 days so you've to give tapeworm treatment 3 times a month???

muddypaws

TooManyDogs wrote: »

And what does it mean for the dogs if it is implemented? There are a lot of agility people would travel a lot of weekends to the north to compete and it could be that you go up 3 weekends out of 4 weekends but your tapeworm treatment only lasts 5 days so you've to give tapeworm treatment 3 times a month???

That letter very clearly states GB, not the UK, so as far as the Irish Dept of Ag are concerned, dogs going into NI don't need passports. I'm not being political, just factual, GB is the big island of England, Scotland, Wales and their associated small islands.

Inexile

muddypaws wrote: »

That letter very clearly states GB, not the UK, so as far as the Irish Dept of Ag are concerned, dogs going into NI don't need passports. I'm not being political, just factual, GB is the big island of England, Scotland, Wales and their associated small islands.

But does that means dogs from NI travelling to GB would need to be passported? Can't see residents up North being happy with that.

muddypaws

I have just spoken to DEFRA in the UK, they are definitely implementing the pet passport scheme between the UK and Eire. If you travel to the UK without a passport, and you are stopped getting off the ferry you can be prosecuted, fined, and the dog will be taken off you and put into quarantine. As the person bringing the dog in illegally, you will be responsible for all costs, including the quarantine and court costs. If you travel from NI to GB, if you are from NI, you do not need a pet passport, but if you have gone from Eire into NI and then onto the ferry, and are stopped the other side, you will face the same penalties as if travelling direct from Eire. So, technically, it means that you need a pet passport now to enter NI from Eire.

Regarding worming - this is from the DEFRA website:

You don’t need to treat your dog for tapeworm if you’re coming directly to the UK from Finland, Ireland, Malta or Norway.

alroley

What's the point? Both countries are rabies free, right?

muddypaws

alroley wrote: »

What's the point? Both countries are rabies free, right?

Yes, which is why I didn't want to vaccinate my dogs, but don't want to take the chance on them being impounded and put into quarantine. I posted above, a UK rescue was told by her vet that it is because the UK authorities feel Ireland is allowed dogs in illegally from France or Spain, and then they are getting into the UK easily.

Another theory is that it is because of some rescues piling dogs into anything they can get, horse boxes etc, and shipping them to the UK without any kind of vaccination or health checks, and this is a way to stop that.

belongtojazz

How does it work now the other way around? So an NI or GB dog coming into Ireland and going home? do they need a passport to go home?

muddypaws

belongtojazz wrote: »

How does it work now the other way around? So an NI or GB dog coming into Ireland and going home? do they need a passport to go home?

If they have been in Eire and going into the UK, then yes they will, the same as if they'd gone on holiday to France. I'm not sure if Irish Dept of Ag will also be checking now for people coming over here, with the same consequences.

It is nonsense really, if you're from NI, you can go into Eire anytime you want with your dog, then you could go to GB, but as you're from NI, they won't know that your dog has been into Eire.

sambuka41

I was shocked to see this but really glad I did. I am moving to London tomorrow and the other half was going to bring the cat next Saturday on the ferry, but that's on hold now. I spoke with the Irish department of agriculture pet travel and they said that the UK are going to be coming down hard on this for the next few weeks.

I have the passport but not the vaccination- I am getting it tomorrow which would only be 7 days to travel; guy in department said that they would quarantine Jack until the 21 days are up- at my expense! Plus Jack gets cat flu when he's stressed so undoubtedly there would be vet fees on top of that.

Ferry re-arranged for 3 weeks time :mad:

Thanks for the heads up!!

Extrasupervery

Any rough idea on the price of the rabies vacc?

Plopli

Extrasupervery wrote: »

Any rough idea on the price of the rabies vacc?

I got it done yesterday for the dog and it costed me 30 for the passport and 45 for the rabies.

andreac

Got mine done today. All in 70. Vaccine is 45 where I got it done.

Inexile

andreac wrote: »

Got mine done today. All in 70. Vaccine is 45 where I got it done.

Do you know how much you will be charged, if at all for the visit prior to travel for the vet to sign off on the passport.

Folks please also remember that you must microchip your dog first and then give the rabies vacination. The other way round is not acceptable.

andreac

Inexile wrote: »

Do you know how much you will be charged, if at all for the visit prior to travel for the vet to sign off on the passport.

Folks please also remember that you must microchip your dog first and then give the rabies vacination. The other way round is not acceptable.

I don't understand? It's 70 for passport and vaccine where I got it done. Ill get the passport back soon.
What do you mean sign off on the passport??
I won't be going back to vets once I get the passport. Once I have the passport that's all I need for travel.

Inexile

andreac wrote: »

I don't understand? It's 70 for passport and vaccine where I got it done. Ill get the passport back soon.
What do you mean sign off on the passport??
I won't be going back to vets once I get the passport. Once I have the passport that's all I need for travel.

That's not it. You vac the dog at least 3 weeks before travel and then about 2 days before you return to the vet for them to sign off on the worm dose etc. that's how we have being doing it for the last few years but would be delighted to be proved wrong.

andreac

Inexile wrote: »

That's not it. You vac the dog at least 3 weeks before travel and then about 2 days before you return to the vet for them to sign off on the worm dose etc. that's how we have being doing it for the last few years but would be delighted to be proved wrong.

No you don't need to do that for normal travel. That's only for exporting a dog. I travel to uk all the time for shows. You don't need to for that type of travel to uk only for going into Europe.

Inexile

andreac wrote: »

No you don't need to do that for normal travel. That's only for exporting a dog. I travel to uk all the time for shows. You don't need to for that type of travel to uk only for going into Europe.

But the vet has to sign off on the worm/flea treatment too prior to travel and that has to be done within five days. If the UK are implementing the EU directive to the letter that's what they will be looking. Also do you not have to visit a vet prior to travelling back?

muddypaws

Inexile wrote: »

That's not it. You vac the dog at least 3 weeks before travel and then about 2 days before you return to the vet for them to sign off on the worm dose etc. that's how we have being doing it for the last few years but would be delighted to be proved wrong.

No, it's on the DEFRA website that the worming treatment is not necessary for travel between UK and Ireland (and a couple of other countries) - which does indicate even more, that the rabies and passport are needed.

sambuka41

http://www.defra.gov.uk/ahvla-en/files/pub-pet-pt35.pdf

Page 4 states:

(3) Pet movements between the UK and Republic of Ireland

 Under the EU pet movement system, all pet dogs, cats and ferrets moving between EU Member States must meet
the same animal health rules.

 From 1st January 2012 the requirement is that all pets travelling from the Republic of Ireland to the UK should be microchipped, vaccinated against rabies and accompanied by a pet passport.

This was revised in July 2013

muddypaws

sambuka41 wrote: »

http://www.defra.gov.uk/ahvla-en/files/pub-pet-pt35.pdf

Page 4 states:



This was revised in July 2013

And there it is, pet dogs so yet again, greyhounds are being treated differently. I wonder then if I could state that my huskies are working dogs, not pets when I go over for rallies?