The upcoming EU-UK summit, scheduled for November 20 in Brussels, is expected to announce an agreement that could reinstate pet passports, simplifying travel for holidaymakers with dogs, cats, and ferrets across the Channel.
This initiative is part of a broader package aimed at enhancing cooperation between the EU and the UK, a protocol championed by former Prime Minister Keir Starmer and continued by current Prime Minister Andy Burnham. The measures will likely include a sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) agreement on food trade, UK access to the EU electricity market, and a youth mobility scheme.
The SPS agreement, considered the most straightforward aspect of the deal, is designed to eliminate checks on food and animal products, allowing the reinstatement of EU pet passports for UK travellers in exchange for the UK adhering to EU animal and food standards.
After Brexit, the UK was designated as a third country, resulting in the loss of pet passport privileges for British travellers, who now must secure an Animal Health Certificate for each trip (Northern Ireland retains access to the EU pet travel scheme).
Additionally, stricter EU rules regarding pet passports, which took effect on April 22, 2026, have further complicated matters, disqualifying residents of England, Scotland, and Wales from the scheme. However, if the SPS agreement is approved, UK pet owners may regain the ability to obtain a multi-use pet passport valid for EU travel instead of needing a new health certificate for each trip.
The agreement is anticipated to take effect around mid-2027, but until then, pet owners travelling from Great Britain to the EU will still require an Animal Health Certificate. For more information on bringing pets into the EU from non-EU countries, further details are available through EU guidelines.
