CollarPassAn animal health certificate (AHC) is the veterinary document that lets a pet enter the European Union, and a differently named certificate does the same job for Great Britain. Two numbers decide most of the planning: 10 days and 6 months. The 10-day window is how long the certificate remains valid for entry. The 6-month tail lets the same document cover onward travel inside the EU or a return to Great Britain.
Most spoiled certificates fail on timing or authority rather than the animal's health: signed too early, signed by a vet who cannot issue it, or issued before a rabies titer waiting period had finished. This guide covers dogs, cats and ferrets on non-commercial movements; CollarPass explains the process but does not issue or endorse documents.
Sources: European Commission entry conditions, GOV.UK AHC guidance, and USDA APHIS export guidance — checked November 11, 2026.
Quick answer
- From Great Britain to the EU, an AHC must be signed by an official veterinarian (OV) and used for entry within 10 days of issue.
- Into the EU from a non-EU country, use the Annex III model to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/705, issued by an official veterinarian or by an authorised veterinarian with competent-authority endorsement.
- Day 1 is the issue date, not the day you fly.
- After entry, the certificate covers onward EU travel for 6 months or until the rabies vaccination expires, whichever comes first.
- A new AHC is needed for each new trip from Great Britain to the EU.
Sources: European Commission and GOV.UK — checked November 11, 2026.
What the AHC is, and what it is not
It is a government-model certificate. The EU version records the microchip or tattoo code, rabies vaccination details, blood-sampling details where a titer test applies, any tapeworm treatment, and a statement that the animal is fit to travel. It travels with an owner declaration that the movement is non-commercial, using the model in Part 2 of Annex V to the same regulation.
It is not a pet passport: GOV.UK accepts a Great Britain-issued passport for entry only if it was issued before 1 January 2021. Nor is it a rabies titer report or a CDC Dog Import Form, and it does not replace the entry conditions on your route.
Sources: European Commission and GOV.UK travel document rules — checked November 11, 2026.
Which document your route needs
| Route | Document | Who signs it | Entry window |
|---|---|---|---|
| Great Britain to the EU | Animal health certificate, GB model | An official veterinarian in Great Britain | 10 days from issue |
| Non-EU country to the EU | Animal health certificate, Annex III to Regulation (EU) 2026/705, plus owner declaration | Official veterinarian, or authorised veterinarian plus competent-authority endorsement | 10 days to the entry checks |
| Any country to Great Britain | Great Britain pet health certificate | An official veterinarian with government authority | Enter within 10 days of issue |
| Within the EU | EU pet passport | Authorised veterinarian | Continuous, while vaccination is valid |
Sources: GOV.UK AHC guidance, European Commission, and GOV.UK GB certificate — checked November 11, 2026.
One AHC can cover more than one animal. GOV.UK allows up to five pets on a GB-issued AHC. The EU limit is five pet animals per vehicle for non-commercial movement; a larger group needs evidence of a competition, show or sporting event and animals over six months old, or the commercial animal health conditions apply.
Sources: GOV.UK AHC guidance and European Commission — checked November 11, 2026.
The 10-day clock, counted properly
GOV.UK is explicit: the certificate is valid for travel any time within 10 days after it is issued, and day 1 is the date of issue. Its worked example vaccinates a pet on 1 October with a vaccine that takes 30 days to work, issues the certificate on 1 November, and allows entry up to and including 10 November.
For EU entry, the certificate is valid for 10 days from issue until the documentary and identity checks at the travellers' point of entry. A sea journey extends that period by the duration of the crossing. The deadline is therefore tied to the check, not to your departure gate, and a certificate signed 11 days before arrival is expired however good the flight was.
Sources: GOV.UK AHC guidance and European Commission — checked November 11, 2026.
Who signs, and what endorsement adds
In Great Britain, the certificate must be signed by an OV. GOV.UK tells owners to check that their vet can issue AHCs and, if not, to ask the practice to help find an OV. The pet also needs an up-to-date rabies vaccination before the certificate is issued; if it is a first vaccination, at least 21 full days must pass first.
For EU entry from outside the EU, the certificate is completed and issued by an official veterinarian, or by an authorised veterinarian and then endorsed by the competent authority. The EU allows either route, so ask which one your route uses before the appointment.
In the United States, a USDA-accredited veterinarian prepares the certificate and submits it to APHIS for endorsement through the Veterinary Export Health Certification System (VEHCS). Ask what the destination accepts as final: an endorsed electronic file is not automatically a printed, stamped original.
Sources: GOV.UK, European Commission, and APHIS — checked November 11, 2026.
What to bring to the appointment
Bring the microchip number and implantation date, the full vaccination history with product names and validity dates, and any titer report with its sampling date and laboratory. Bring identification for the traveller and the itinerary, including the first EU entry point. If the pet travels with an authorised person instead of its owner, the owner must travel within five days before or after the animal and carry the written declaration.
Dogs also need tapeworm treatment for entry to Finland, Ireland, Malta, Norway and the United Kingdom (Northern Ireland). A veterinarian must give it between 24 and 120 hours before scheduled entry and certify it in the certificate. The window is short, so agree the timing with the issuing vet rather than leaving it to the last clinic visit.
Sources: European Commission — checked November 11, 2026.
After issue: border checks and the 6-month tail
At an EU travellers' point of entry, the owner must contact the competent authority for documentary and identity checks. After those checks, the certificate covers movement into other EU countries for 6 months or until the rabies vaccination expires, whichever is earlier. A certificate issued in Great Britain also covers re-entry to Great Britain within 6 months of entering the EU, but it cannot be stretched into a second trip from Great Britain.
Check which model you are carrying. The Commission states that certificates drawn up under Annex IV to Implementing Regulation (EU) 577/2013 remain valid for entry if they were issued before 1 October 2026. If your certificate is older than that, or your vet used a superseded template, ask the issuing authority before travel.
Sources: European Commission and GOV.UK AHC page — checked November 11, 2026.
Common reasons a certificate fails
The recurring failures are administrative. The certificate was signed outside the 10-day window. A titer test was still inside its 90-day wait when the certificate was issued. The signing vet lacked official authority. The chip number differs from the one in the vaccination record. The owner declaration is missing. The tapeworm treatment falls outside 24 to 120 hours before entry. Or the rabies vaccination had already lapsed, which no certificate can repair.
Work backwards from the flight: confirm the destination, finish any titer wait, then book the examination inside the 10-day window. The international health certificate guide covers other destinations, the rabies titer guide explains the waiting periods, and the ISO microchip guide fixes identification first. Compare routes through country requirements and see pricing for a dated plan.
Sources: GOV.UK, European Commission, and APHIS — checked November 11, 2026.
