If you have an EU pet passport for your dog, cat or ferret—and you’re resident in the UK—then you need to know about the EU pet passport rules changes which come into play in April 2026.
Whilst you’re still able to travel with your pet into Europe, the paperwork you need may have changed- read on to find out more.
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EU Pet Passport Changes- April 2026
There are major changes coming into effect on 22 April 2026, and unfortunately, they affect a lot of UK pet owners who travel regularly to Europe.
Whether you travel in a motorhome, campervan, car, caravan or bike, if you travel with your pet into Europe and have an EU pet passport, you need to be aware of the new rules.
Back in 2016, the EU approved Regulation (EU) 2016/429, known as the Animal Health Law. This regulation covered a lot of topics, one of which includes the use of EU pet passports and who can (and who cannot!) be issued or use an EU pet passport.
Because of the complexity of the law, it was given a 10-year transitional period, which ends in April 2026. And it’s causing a lot of drama!
When the UK left the EU, our old UK pet passport scheme ended.
Instead, UK travellers need to get an Animal Health Certificate (AHC) every time they visited the EU with their pet.
The problem is that the AHC system is, to be frank, ridiculous.
It requires:
- a vet visit within 10 days of every single trip to Europe
- a new certificate every time
- a cost of around £90+ per pet
Even if you’re going back and forth to Europe within a few weeks, you still need another one. And god help you if you have a second home in the EU or needed to make an emergency trip to see family; it just isn’t a feasible scheme.
Over the past few years, many people who visited Europe regularly with their pets, including me, have been able to obtain an EU pet passport.
These were issued by official vets in the EU and we were charged a lot of money to get one. Still, having one made travel back and forth in the UK easier and cheaper, as well as saving both us and the vets a lot of time.
Mac’s most recent EU passport was issued in Sweden when we were on our way to Norway, despite them knowing full well I was British.
It’s not clear how many people in the UK have an EU pet passport, but I expect it numbers well into the thousands, if not the hundred thousands.
And yes, most of us accepted that it was a handy loophole, but it was one of many things about Brexit that no one seemed to question or care about.
Until now…
The transition period from the 2016 regulation ends in April 2026 and in it the EU has made it very clear—and has apparently sent multiple reminders to vets—that they are not allowed to issue EU pet passports to non-EU residents.
However… this law change has NOT been communicated by the UK government or DEFRA at all. It is sheer fluke that I found out about it.
And it was unclear what the situation would be for those of us who already held EU pet passports.
- Would these be phased out?
- Would we be able to continue to use ones which had already been issued and paid for, until they expired?
No one in the UK government could tell us. Emails have been sent to DEFRA, local MPs, and anyone else who might be able to clarify the situation. There’s a very detailed discussion on MotorhomeFun showing just how much confusion there has been.
As the deadline got closer and closer, I think many of us hoped common sense would prevail.
After all, if our own government wasn’t telling us, surely the border controls would continue to allow use of the pet passports!
But no. Sadly, that’s not what’s happened...
On 17 April 2026—just 5 days before the law changes go live—the UK’s Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) finally issued this statement:
“An EU pet passport, issued to or held by a pet owner who is resident in GB, will no longer be a valid document for travelling with pets from GB to the EU.
This applies to EU pet passports issued in an EU Member State or Northern Ireland, including those issued before 22 April 2026.
EU pet passports may only be issued to owners whose main residence is within the European Union.
GB residents travelling to the EU with a pet dog, cat or ferret will need to obtain an Animal Health Certificate (AHC) for travel from 22 April 2026.”
FIVE. DAYS. NOTICE.
It’s insanity. Even worse, it means some people are already over in the EU with incorrect paperwork.
And there now seems to be a divide between the rules for residents of Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK.
DAERA also issued very clear guidance to vets in Ireland stating:
- it is no longer acceptable to exchange an AHC for an EU pet passport
- it is no longer acceptable to amend or update an EU pet passport using a non-EU address
- No EU pet passports can be issued to non-EU or Northern Irish residents.
There is a lot of noise online right now—mostly around whether border controls will actually enforce this immediately.
But here are some real examples already happening:
- people travelling via Eurotunnel before April 22nd have been told they won’t be able to travel with their dog after 22 April 2026 using an EU pet passport
- some vets in Europe are refusing to sign EU pet passports for the tapeworm treatment needed to return to the UK
- some vets in the EU haven’t heard anything about the new rules and are happily signing and issuing pet passports to British residents.
In short- it’s a mess!
Yes.
Some people are choosing to continue travelling using their EU pet passport and hoping for the best at the border.
That is a personal decision.
Personally? It’s not worth the risk for me.
I’ll be getting an AHC before I go to Ireland and before I go to France in a few months—even though Mac’s EU pet passport is still in date. I’d rather deal with the additional costs and hassle than risk being turned away at the port and not able to go on my trips.
If you have an EU pet passport but are resident in GB, don’t continue to use the pet passport. Get an AHC before you travel in the EU next.
If you don’t already have one, get an AHC and forget all about pet passports.
And always make sure:
- your microchip details are correct
- rabies vaccinations are valid
- tapeworm treatment timing is correct (when required)
I’ll be honest, it makes me furious how much some vets charge to issue an animal health certificate. Some charge as much as £350 per pet! For a 10 minute appointment.
Here are some I’ve found which are more reasonable:
Final Thoughts
It does look like the “get an EU pet passport abroad to make travel with your pet easier” is ending for UK residents.
For frequent travellers, that means increased AHC costs and faff, or not travelling with your pet.
We are apparently getting a new UK pet passport scheme, but don’t anticipate that to be before 2027/2028, so don’t hold your breath!
If you know someone who travels with a dog, cat or ferret into Europe, please share this with them—they need to know.
Safe travels for you and your pet 🐾
