UK PETS Scheme - Taking Your Dogs and Cats to the United Kingdom

The Pet Travel Scheme allows cats and dogs to enter the United Kingdom from New Zealand without quarantine provided all requirements are met.

You can still export animals not eligible for importation under the PETS scheme into the United Kingdom. However they will require an import license and quarantine upon arrival in the UK. Animals that are required to enter quarantine might then be able to obtain early release if they can be shown to fully comply with the necessary PETS requirements at a later date. Further information about quarantine in the UK and obtaining an import license can be found at:

To travel to the UK from New Zealand under the PETS scheme

Your pet must:

  1. Be fitted with a microchip by your local veterinarian.
  2. Be vaccinated against rabies by your local veterinarian at least 21 days prior to the date of export
  3. For dogs only - be treated against Echinococcus tapeworm by your local veterinarian between 24 – 120 hours prior to the scheduled date of arrival in the UK with a praziquantel-based product.
  4. Be issued with an official export certificate and issued with an Animal Welfare Export Certificate (AWEC) by an Official Veterinarian.
  5. The certificate must be accompanied by the relevant documentation.

Managing the export process

  1. Check your pet meets the UK export requirements by searching for the latest requirements.
  2. Contact your local veterinarian to have any required treatments done. Your veterinarian will compile any records such as vaccination details.
  3. Check with your airline that they and their route are approved by DEFRA. Check if they require you to use a pet exporter. We highly recommend that you use the services of a registered pet export company as they are familiar with the protocols and procedures necessary to export pets overseas.
  4. Organise a pet exporter.
  5. An approved cage (offsite link to www.iata.org) will be required. A pet exporter can arrange this as well as provide you with the costs of exporting your pet.
  6. Contact an Official Veterinarian (located near airports) about the official export certificate, an Animal Welfare Export Certificate (AWEC), and any arrangements that are required.

Flying with an unapproved airline

If your pet flies on an unapproved airline, dogs and cats that otherwise meet the PETS requirements can go into quarantine for early release. DEFRA have said that the time in quarantine is expected to be about two working days. But in order to do this, you must have first obtained an import licence and made the arrangements to go into quarantine. We recommend that you visit:

to obtain the application form for the import licence, information about the quarantine facilities and full details of the process. Quarantine kennels in the UK can also help you to arrange getting an import licence.

PETS certificates issued before 1 October 2004

The pet can travel to the UK with a PETS certificate as long as it was issued before 1 October 2004 and is still valid. If this is the case, a new PETS certificate (EU regulation 998/2003 compliant) will be issued based on the old certificate and the appropriate tapeworm treatment documentation from your local veterinarian.

Contact details for DEFRA

You can get more information about the EU Pet Passport by contacting DEFRA on:
Telephone: +44 (0) 870 241 1710
Fax: +44 (0) 207 904 6834

Pet Travel Scheme
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Area 201
1a Page Street
London
SW1P 4PQ
E-mail: pets@ahvg.maff.gsi.gov.uk

For assistance please contact the Animal Exports Team on:
animalexports@maf.govt.nz

Page last updated: 16 January 2012