 Great News for UK pet owners in Spain
From January 2012 pet owners in Spain will no longer have to wait six months before taking animals back to the UK. British government rules are being brought into line with the rest of Europe, which means only a 21-day delay after rabies vaccinations.
Along with the much shorter wait, the other significant change is that blood tests will no longer be required. Anyone considering preparing an animal for travel to UK would be strongly advised to wait until next year, when the process will be much simpler and cheaper. The new requirements are laid out in the right hand column of the table below (compared to the present standards on the left).
Entry rules for pets entering the UK from SPAIN:
What has to be done |
Now |
From 1 January 2012 |
Microchip |
Yes |
Yes |
Rabies vaccination |
Yes |
Yes |
|
Yes |
Yes |
Blood test (dogs and cats) |
Yes |
No |
Pre-entry waiting period |
Yes |
Yes (21 days) |
Length of waiting period before entry to the UK |
6 months from date sample taken for blood test |
21 days after vaccination against rabies |
Tick treatment |
Yes (24-48 hours before embarkation) |
No |
Tapeworm treatment |
Yes (as for ticks) |
No - but under consideration at European level |
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