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4 November 2026

Pet passports are coming back — what the UK–EU deal means for your next trip

The headlines over the past few days say pet passports are coming back. If you are planning a trip with your dog, cat or ferret, the obvious question is whether you should hold off booking an Animal Health Certificate and wait. Here is what has actually been agreed, what has not, and what it means for a trip you are planning now.

What has been agreed

The UK and EU have reached a draft agri-food agreement — the SPS deal that has been under negotiation since 2025. Reports put it at around 200 pages, and it includes the return of a reusable pet travel document for dogs, cats and ferrets taken from Great Britain into the EU. In practice that would mean one document covering multiple trips, instead of a fresh certificate every time you travel.

It is expected to be signed at the UK–EU summit in Brussels on 20 November 2026.

What has not been agreed

Two things are worth being clear about, because the headlines have run ahead of them.

It is not signed. The government's own wording is that it "remains committed to concluding negotiations ahead of" the November summit. That is a statement of intent, not a done deal, and it is not yet confirmed that a final announcement will be made at the summit at all.

There is no start date. Even on the government's own timetable the agreement is not expected to come into force until mid-2027 at the earliest, and some reports suggest it could slip into 2028. Signing it and switching it on are two very different dates.

Until it is in force, nothing changes. If your main home is in England, Scotland or Wales, you still need an Animal Health Certificate for every trip to the EU.

Should I wait before booking?

If you are travelling before mid-2027, no. There is no version of this where a pet passport helps you with a trip in the next year or so, and waiting only risks leaving yourself short of time.

It is also worth knowing that the parts of the process with the longest lead times are not changing. Your pet will still need a microchip, and a rabies vaccination given after the microchip was fitted, with the first dose at least 21 days before you travel. If that is not done yet, it is the thing to sort out now — and it counts whichever document you end up travelling on.

What a pet passport would actually change

Assuming it goes ahead as described, the main change is the number of visits. One document used across multiple trips, rather than a certificate issued within 10 days of each departure.

What it almost certainly will not change is the underlying health requirements. Your pet would still need to be microchipped and have an in-date rabies vaccination, and destination-specific rules would still apply — dogs travelling to Ireland, Malta, Finland or Norway need a tapeworm treatment before arrival, and that is a separate requirement from the travel document itself.

The detail will only be clear once the agreed text is published. We will update this page after the summit.

What to do now

  1. Check your pet's rabies vaccination is in date, and that it was given after their microchip. This is the single most common reason a trip has to be postponed.
  2. If you are travelling before mid-2027, book an AHC as normal.
  3. Check back after 20 November — we will say here whether anything was actually signed.

Book your AHC appointment — evening and weekend slots available.

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