What are the rules if you are travelling between France and the UK?

An agreement expected at the upcoming EU-UK summit is set to mark the return of EU Pet Passports for UK-based pets, allowing easier travel across the Channel for holidaymakers with dogs, cats and ferrets.

READ ALSO Pet passports set to be restored between the EU and the UK

But it’s crucial to note that this isn’t in effect yet.

A more detailed announcement is expected at the end of November, but media reports suggest that the Pet Passport might return from mid 2027.

In the meantime, however, the current rules remain in place.

Remind me, what are those again?

The UK stopped being part of the European Union at the end of the Brexit transition period in 2021. At that moment, it dropped out of the EU’s Pet Passport scheme.

Since then, the EU further tightened up the post-Brexit rules on access to the European Pet Passport.

The rules are now different depending on whether you live in the UK, or an EU country.

Pet owners who are legally resident in an EU country such as France can still get an EU Pet Passport for their furry friend. That means that your pet may have more rights than you do when it comes to travel (fortunately, you love them).

However, pet owners who are legally resident in the UK need an Animal Health Certificate (AHC), which can be obtained from any veterinarian at a cost of more than £100, for their cat, dog or ferret.

Be aware that you need a new certificate every time the animal crosses into Europe from Great Britain, so the cost for regular travel using AHCs can swiftly mount up for people who make multiple trips to France each year, especially if they have more than one pet. 

To get one you need:

• Proof of your pet’s microchipping history;
• Your pet’s vaccination record;
• A certificate for a rabies vaccination carried out at least 21 days before the date of travel.

Once you have the certificate, it is valid for entry to the EU for just 10 days, so your appointment needs to be close to your date of travel. The certificate can only be used for one entry to the EU.

Once you are in France, the certificate is valid for onward travel to other countries within the EU for six months and for re-entry to the UK for six months. If you intend to stay longer than six months in France, you need to get a new certificate to re-enter the UK.

EU rules state that arrivals from a non-EU country should also have a written declaration that their pet’s relocation is for non-commercial reasons, although this can be in the form of a simple letter. 

It’s a complicated and expensive system so it’s not surprising that pet owners are excited about the return of the Pet Passport – which once issued, covers all trips for the lifetime of your pet (provided their vaccinations remain up to date).

Second home-owners

For a while, some French vets issued EU Pet Passports to British owners of second homes in France with only proof of an address in France (such as a utility bill), but – after an initial requirement that pets should be listed on the French domestic registry to get an EU Pet Passport, it was confirmed in April 2026 that Pet Passports issued to owners resident in the UK or Northern Ireland would no longer be valid.

Since that date, all UK residents, including those who own property in France, must use the Animal Health Certificate.

This is not to say that second-home owners using Pet Passports issued prior to 2021 had been doing anything illegal. But they must now switch to the Animal Health certificate, in the same way as tourists and other UK-resident visitors.

At the border

Tighter border control rules for humans mean that it’s more important than ever that the animals and the humans in the group have matching statuses.

The EU’s new EES passport controls mean that stays in France are automatically tracked for non-residents.

It is therefore clear at the border whether you are a French resident, and how long you have been in France – non-residents arriving with a pet that has an EU Pet Passport are therefore more likely to be flagged.