About Pet Passports

Appearance

• Pet passports don't have a specific look and size, although most are a six-inch by nine-inch booklet with a blue or green cover. In some places, however, a pet passport is simply a paper listing medical information. The pet passport booklet usually has a front page with a space for a photo of the pet, the name and address of owner, breed and identifying characteristics of the pet and age and place of birth of the animal. Pet passports are free and can be obtained from any veterinarian in a country part of the Pet Travel Scheme.

History

• The pet passport was born in the United Kingdom as a means to allow pet owners to travel freely with their pets without having to put the animals under quarantine. Animals coming from any European country, as well as from Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Russia, Singapore, Taiwan, the United States and Canada into any country that usually requires a quarantine period will be free to enter the country as long as the passport requirements are met.

Health Regulations

• All pets must have a subcutaneous microchip implant and a certified rabies vaccination. Microchips must meet International Society of Pharmacovigilance specifications regarding brand, model and type of chip. Often, proof of rabies vaccination is not enough and additional paperwork must be submitted to prove that a serology test has been done and the vaccine is in effect. Certain countries require additional treatments or information for the passport before an animal can board a plane. The most common additions include tapeworm and tick medication administered 24 to 48 hours before departure, veterinarian certificate indicating the pet's good health and a government certification confirming the validity of the paperwork.

Types of Pets

• Each pet must have its own passport. Obtaining a passport for a dog or cat is relatively simple, but owners of other types of animals will need to comply with special issues. Rabbits and other rodents (except ferrets, which must meet the same requirements as dogs and cats) moving among European members of the PETS Scheme will not need to be quarantined or need rabies medication. However, all animals coming from member countries outside Europe (even those coming from the US and Canada) will need to be put in quarantine for six months. Birds and reptiles do not need a passport but must meet special rules imposed by the country to which they're being imported.

Additional Regulations

• While obtaining a pet passport is easy, ensuring that all the required information is included on it may not be a simple task. One important point is that pets must have lived for at least six months in a PETS Scheme member country if the animals are to fly to another country without undergoing quarantine. Pets that have been taken to nonparticipant countries do not qualify. Animals must fly on airlines that have been approved by the government to accept quarantine-free animals. This means animals arriving on private planes, by boat or by train must be quarantined, even if they have a passport. Pet passports must carry detailed information of the rabies vaccine administered to the animal, including maker, date of treatment, amount used, code and stamp number.