Animal Health Certificates are a document required for pet travel from the United Kingdom to the EU. This certificate must be issued within 10 days of travel and allows for 4 months of travel within the EU (or until your animal's rabies vaccination expires). 

An AHC covers countries of the EU plus Northern Ireland, Switzerland, and Norway. 

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Countries in the EU include: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Republic of Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden.

An Export Health Certificate is a document used for export of animals from the United Kingdom to any country which accepts live animal imports. Exports (in the case of this document) are classed as non-commercial movement of over 5 animals, commercial movement of any number of animals, and those animals being moved to or being sold in another country. These certificates require more time to ensure they meet the entry requirements of destination countries, thus the price of a certificate will be calculated based on a case-by-case basis. Please enquire or request a booking via email for a quote. 

For animals relocating to Australia. These are identification checks which can be performed to help your animal qualify for shorter quarantine upon arrival in Melbourne. NOTE** If your animal originated in Australia and you still have the original export paperwork you may not need to perform these checks to qualify for shorter quarantine. 

You should book an appointment as far in advance as possible once you know your travel date. This will ensure availibility and if there are any issues with pre-appointment paperwork, they can be rectified in a timely manner.

AHC's, EHC's and Fit to Fly's - The appointment starts with confirming all of the owner and pet details are correct on the certificate. A short physical examination will be conducted and then your pets microchip will be scanned. If all the information is correct and matching the certificate will then be printed and signed. 

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OV66 ID Check - A photograph of your pet will be taken alongside a microchip scanner to verify your pet's microchip number. Once confirmed, the form will be completed, and the microchip details will be cross-checked with your registered database. Finally, the documents will be submitted to DAFF for processing.

Please allow 60 minutes for your appointment. However, if all information is up to date prior to the appointment it will likely take less time than this. 

No, the certificate will be issued to you at the appointment. 

Given one of the requirements for an AHC is a valid Rabies vaccination, travel will only be allowed from 15 weeks of age. This is the age because rabies vaccinations are only able to be administered at 12 weeks of age and travel is only valid from 21 days from inoculation. There are certain countries (none within the EU) which allow travel under this age, but these exports have strict regulations and require extra certifications to be made. This also means animals within this category will require and EHC rather than a AHC. 

The only required vaccination for an AHC is the rabies vaccination. The vaccine must have EITHER been performed at least 21 days prior to issuing a certificate & travel OR must still be in date from previous inoculations. Rabies vaccinations are valid for 1-3 years depending on the manufacturer, therefore it is imperative you check your pets vaccination status with your veterinarian prior to booking travel with a pet. If your pet requires a new vaccination please ensure your GP veterinarian can perform the vaccination more than 21 days before requiring the certificate and travel. 

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Please also ask your GP veterinarian for a valid vaccine certificate or to your pet's medical history which includes the date/information of your pets rabies vaccination to wolfvsahc@gmail.com.

Wolf Veterinary Services is completely non-clinical therefore we do not offer vaccinations and worming treatment. Both can be generally be obtained from your GP Veterinary Surgery. Please call ahead to ensure they are stocked with vaccines and appropriate worming treatment and can book your appointment in a time suitable for validity for your trip.

For countries such as Norway, Finland, Malta, Ireland and Northern Ireland tapeworm treatment must be administered before travel. 

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For other EU countries, tapeworm treatment must be administered within 24-120 hours prior to travel back to the United Kingdom. Administration must be signed off on Page 4 of your AHC by ANY veterinary surgeon. 

If you have a Great Britain issued Pet Passport these will no longer be valid for travel to the EU. In these cases and AHC will be required for travel. 

If you have an EU issued Pet Passport, the rabies vaccination is still in date and was administered by an EU veterinarian you may use this document for travel. 

No, the legal owner of the animal must apply for and be present at the appointment. If you are using a transport company or friend to transport your animal you must be re-united with the animal within 5 days. If you will not be re-united within 5 days then an export health certificate must be used to transport your pet. 

The requirements for an EHC vary by country. Therefore, for each certificate, research must be completed to ensure all requirements can be met and a timeline for completing any vaccinations or blood tests can be planned. Once all requirements have been identified the legal owner can start the application by applying for the certificate through EHCO (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/apply-for-an-export-health-certificate). Once the certificate has been created an Official Veterinarian can download it, check all requirements, then certify and sign it. 

We recommend your pet is up to date with its core vaccinations (DHP and Leptospirosis 2 or 4), flea/tick prophylaxis, and worming prophylaxis. If you are unsure if your pet is covered please send us an email or ask your GP veterinarian. If you require additional treatment this will need to be purchased from your GP veterinary surgery.