Planning a holiday, or a much-anticipated journey, should be an exciting time. Many pet owners understandably wish to take their pets with them as they travel. Until recently, dogs, cats and ferrets could travel freely between Britain and the EU with a valid pet passport. But this all changed when Britain exited the EU. Now, the paperwork involved in pet travel causes stress and anxiety for both pet owners and vets alike.
Table of contents
What is an AHC?
An AHC, or Animal Health Certificate, is the travel documentation that replaced the pet passport travel scheme when Britain exited the European Union. Any pet passport issued in Great Britain (England, Wales and Scotland) is now no longer valid for travel, and an AHC is required instead. These health certificates can only be issued by an OV (Official Veterinarian), who are veterinary surgeons who have undergone additional training to be able to certify pet travel.
What countries do I need an AHC for?
You will need an AHC if you are travelling from the UK to the EU or Northern Ireland with a dog, cat or ferret. If you are travelling to a non-EU country, you may need different documentation; as well as additional blood tests, parasite treatments or vaccinations. There is more information about travel to non-EU countries here.
How do I get an AHC?
In order to be issued with an AHC, you need to visit your vets. Only an Official Veterinarian (OV) can issue an AHC, so check with your local practice that they can provide this. You will need to take your pet, their medical records and their proof of a rabies vaccination with you to the appointment.
What does my pet need for an AHC?
There are certain requirements for your pet to be issued with an AHC so that they can travel to a European country.
- A microchip
- A valid and current rabies vaccination (they will need to be at least 12 weeks to be vaccinated against rabies)
- Tapeworm treatment is required for certain countries
The AHC will be valid for 10 days for entry into the EU or Northern Ireland, 4 months for onward travel within the EU and 4 months for re-entry into the UK.
A new AHC certificate will need to be issued for each trip to the EU or Ireland from Great Britain.
Why do they take so much time?
Pets need a new AHC every time they travel to the EU, rather than using the same passport; which automatically adds a lot of time for frequent travellers. The AHCs themselves are long – up to 10 pages, and many have bilingual requirements depending on the travel destination; this can prove problematic and time-consuming. Most vets find filling out these long and complicated forms stressful. And they will spend time checking and double-checking details to make sure no problems are encountered at port. They are also fairly new, so most vets have yet to become familiar with the process. On average, an AHC will take a whopping 1.5 hours to complete!
Why is the time such a problem for vets?
If you conducted a snap poll of vets working in general practice, I doubt many of them would say that paperwork is one of their favourite parts of the job. Of course, we all have to deal with the highs and lows of working life. But time spent doing paperwork for a vet means less time treating sick pets, advising on preventative care, looking through laboratory reports and making treatment plans. Most practices offer 15 minute consultations. This means that a vet could see six sick animals in the time it takes them to fill out an AHC.
There are additional pressures on the veterinary industry that make that time spent on hours of paperwork seem more wasteful. A high percentage of veterinary practices are currently understaffed. This combined with soaring pet ownership is leading to veterinary practices struggling to cope. Many practices are currently not able to take on new clients, and are having difficulty coping with the sheer volume of sick pets coming through the doors. It frustrates vets to be spending hours filling out paperwork when there may be a pet in need of treatment who is having to wait. Of course, sick animals who need urgent attention will always be prioritised. But this means that many vets report staying late to finish AHC paperwork after work, or squeezing it into lunch breaks, for example.
What can be done?
AHCs are here to stay, but there are some ways to help. There are now some practices who do a lot of AHCs and offer them as a professional service, usually those near the ports that can do an AHC mostly remotely, with only a quick stop in from the pet owner to scan the microchip before departure. As vets get more familiar with the AHC process, hopefully the time taken to complete them will lessen. In the meantime, please do have patience with your veterinary practice. Make sure you provide all the details and paperwork asked for so that the basic parts of the AHC can be pre-filled by support staff. And try and give plenty of notice that you wish to book in for an AHC. Your vets will thank you for it!
Discussion