What is an Animal Health Certificate (AHC)?
An Animal Health Certificate (AHC) is an official veterinary document that allows dogs, cats, and ferrets to travel from Great Britain to the EU (and certain neighbouring countries) as non-commercial pets.
It confirms that your pet is microchipped, vaccinated against rabies, and meets the current entry requirements for your destination. Most travellers need an AHC for each trip, and it must be issued by an Official Veterinarian (OV) shortly before you travel.
How to get an Animal Health Certificate (AHC)?
Getting an AHC is straightforward — as long as your pet’s microchip and rabies vaccination are correctly in place. We keep the process calm and seamless, with pre-checks ahead of your appointment wherever possible.
Step 1 — Microchip
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Your pet must have an ISO-compliant 15-digit microchip. This must be implanted before (or on the same day as) the rabies vaccination.
Step 2 — Rabies vaccination 💉
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Your pet must have an up-to-date rabies vaccination recorded by a vet.
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If this is your pet’s first ever rabies vaccine, you must wait 21 full days before you can travel (and before an AHC can be issued for departure).
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If your pet is boosted on time, there is no 21-day wait.
Top tip: Keep the rabies record safe and ensure the microchip number is correctly recorded in the clinical notes.
Step 3 — AHC appointment with an Official Veterinarian 📆
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The AHC must be issued close to travel (typically within 10 days of your departure). At the appointment we will:
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Scan and verify the microchip
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Review your pet’s rabies documentation
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For some dogs travelling to certain countries, a tapeworm medication will need to be administered (see FAQ)
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Complete and issue your official AHC paperwork for travel​
What you’ll need (quick checklist) ✅
To prepare your AHC, please have:
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Your travel date and destination country
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Your pet’s rabies vaccination record/certificate
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Your pet’s microchip number (and proof it was scanned at the last rabies vaccination)
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The passport name and details of the person travelling with the pet
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Any previous travel documents (if relevant)
If anything doesn’t match exactly (names, spellings, dates), we’ll flag it early — helping you avoid last-minute stress before you travel.