How Long Does a Pet Passport Last?
Ten days to enter the EU, six months to come home, and a new certificate for every trip. Knowing the timings before you book saves a stressful scramble at the vet.
If you’re planning a trip abroad with your dog or cat and you live in England, Scotland or Wales, you now travel to the EU on an animal health certificate rather than the old pet passport. It’s good for 10 days to enter the EU and six months to come home, with a fresh one needed for every trip. The Northern Ireland document works a different way, and lasts as long as you own the pet. These rules were checked against GOV.UK in October 2026, so confirm them there before you book. Our pet travel after Brexit explainer covers why they changed.
How long an animal health certificate lasts
An animal health certificate is valid for 10 days from the date it’s issued for entering the EU, so your vet appointment has to be close to your travel date. Once you’re in, the same certificate covers onward travel between EU countries for up to six months, and re-entry to Great Britain for six months.
One certificate covers one trip. You need a new animal health certificate every time you travel from Great Britain to the EU, even if the last one is still within its six months. Our page on the animal health certificate explains what it is and how to get one.
When the rabies jab runs out
The certificate only works while your pet’s rabies vaccination is in date. If the rabies cover expires during the trip, the certificate can’t be used for onward travel or for coming home. So before you book the vet appointment for the certificate, check the vaccination expiry date against the whole of your trip, including the journey back.
After a first rabies vaccination, you must wait 21 days before your pet can travel, counting from the day after the jab. Some vaccines take longer, so ask your vet. If your pet gets a booster with no break in cover, there’s no new waiting period before travel, and repeat trips don’t need repeat vaccinations while the cover is current.
Coming back into Great Britain
For the return journey, GOV.UK accepts several documents, and one of them is an animal health certificate issued in Great Britain within the last six months. That means the certificate your vet gave you on the way out usually covers you on the way back — you just need to be within that window, and the rabies vaccination must still be in date.
Which document you need depends on the country you’re travelling from, so check the rules for your route before you set off. Our checklist for taking your dog abroad pulls the return steps together.
Northern Ireland pet travel documents
The Northern Ireland pet travel document is free, and you apply for it online. It lasts as long as you own the pet, so there’s no renewing it before each trip.
The chip number and your record
The microchip has to come before the rabies vaccination, so if your pet isn’t chipped yet, that’s the first job. Your vet writes the microchip number on the certificate at the appointment, so an accurate record is as much a part of the paperwork as the dates.
At that same appointment, check that the record is in your name and your phone number and address are current. You can register the microchip with Pet Database once it’s done, and our guide to applying for a pet passport walks through the order of appointments.
Before you travel, check that your pet’s chip is registered and your details are up to date. If a previous owner’s details are still on it, put the record in your name with Pet Database.
