An upcoming agreement at the EU-UK summit may reintroduce pet passports, facilitating travel for pet owners with dogs, cats, and ferrets across the Channel. This initiative is part of efforts to reset EU-UK relations, with negotiations led by current UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham.
The summit, set for November 20 in Brussels, is expected to reveal a package that includes a sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) agreement on food trade, UK access to the EU electricity market, and a new youth mobility scheme. Notably, the SPS agreement aims to eliminate checks on food and animal products, thereby reinstating the use of EU pet passports for UK travellers. Currently, UK citizens must obtain an Animal Health Certificate for each trip due to the UK’s classification as a third country post-Brexit.
While pet owners are looking forward to the return of multi-use pet passports for EU travel, the agreement is not expected to take effect until around mid-2027. Until then, the requirement for an Animal Health Certificate will remain in place for pets traveling from Great Britain to EU countries. For more details on bringing pets into the EU from non-EU countries, information can be found on relevant EU resources.
