Taking your pet from the UK to Spain
You need four things: a microchip, a rabies vaccination, an animal health certificate and, for the journey home, a tapeworm treatment for dogs. The whole process takes a minimum of 22 days from a standing start, because the rabies vaccination alone needs 21 full days before your pet is allowed to travel.
We drive this route every month, out through Dover and into the EU at Calais. Below is the order we tell every customer to work in, with the dates that actually catch people out.
Start counting backwards from your travel date
| When | What happens | Who does it |
|---|---|---|
| At least 22 days before | Microchip, then rabies vaccination | Your vet |
| 21 full days after the jab | Your pet becomes eligible to travel | Nobody, you wait |
| 10 days before you enter the EU | Earliest date the animal health certificate can be issued | An official veterinarian |
| Around 5 days before | We check your certificate | Us |
| 24 to 120 hours before you land back in the UK | Tapeworm treatment for dogs | A vet in Spain |
The one that goes wrong most often is the microchip. It has to be fitted before or at the same time as the rabies vaccination. If your pet was chipped afterwards, the vaccination does not count and the 21 day wait starts again from a new jab.
The rule that changed on 22 April 2026
If you live in England, Scotland or Wales, you can no longer use an EU pet passport to enter the EU. This applies even if the passport was issued in Spain, and even if it was issued years ago. You now need an animal health certificate for every outbound journey.
You can still use that EU pet passport to come back into Great Britain. It is only the outbound leg that changed.
This one catches out second home owners more than anyone else. If you have been driving down with a Spanish issued passport since 2021, that route is closed.
About the certificate for a Spanish journey
Your animal health certificate is issued in English and French, not English and Spanish. The language follows the country where you enter the EU, and on our route that is France. Get one issued in English and Spanish and you have a problem at Calais, not at the Spanish border.
Where we fit in
We arrange the animal health certificate for you. Once the appointment with the official veterinarian has taken place, the signed certificate is in your inbox within 24 hours.* Ask us for the current price when you book.
If you would rather use your own vet, that is fine, and plenty of our customers do. Two things we ask in that case: book the appointment early, because official veterinarians get busy in July and August, and send us a copy about five days before travel so we can check it. Errors are rare but they are much easier to fix on a Tuesday than at the port.
*Those 24 hours run from the appointment, not from the day you book with us. A certificate cannot be issued more than 10 days before you enter the EU, so on a trip booked six weeks ahead we set the appointment for the week you leave. Only a late booking runs the whole thing inside a couple of days.
The five steps
- 1. Can your pet travel? Species, age and the number of animals allowed.
- 2. Microchip Why the order matters more than the chip itself.
- 3. Rabies vaccination The 21 day wait, explained with dates.
- 4. Animal health certificate What it is, who signs it and when.
- 5. Tapeworm treatment Dogs only, and only on the way home.
FAQ
- How long does the whole process take?
- A minimum of 22 days if your pet has never been vaccinated against rabies. Allow six weeks if you want it to be comfortable.
- Can I still use my pet passport?
- Not to enter the EU, if you live in England, Scotland or Wales. Since 22 April 2026 you need an animal health certificate instead. You can still use the passport to return to Great Britain.
- How many pets can travel on one certificate?
- Up to five fit on one certificate. Separately, no more than five pets may travel in one private vehicle. Above that you are no longer travelling under the pet travel rules and a different set of requirements applies.
- Does my pet need a blood test?
- No. The UK is a listed country, so no rabies antibody titration test is required for travel to Spain.
- What if my travel date moves?
- Tell us straight away. The animal health certificate expires 10 days after it is issued, counted to the moment you enter the EU. A delay of two days can push you past that date, which is why we do not like certificates issued nine or ten days ahead.
Next: Can your pet travel?
Tell us about your journey and we will confirm the dates before you book.
Sources: Taking your pet dog, cat or ferret abroad, GOV.UK and New EU rules for pet travel for GB residents, GOV.UK.
Last checked: 10 September 2026.