How old a puppy has to be to travel from the UK to Europe

The earliest a puppy or kitten can travel from Great Britain into the EU is fifteen weeks old. There is no way to shorten it, and the number is simply two rules added together.

Where fifteen weeks comes from

1. The rabies vaccination can only be given from twelve weeks of age.
2. The animal then has to wait twenty-one days after that vaccination before it can travel.
3. Twelve weeks plus three weeks is fifteen weeks, and that is the earliest possible travel date.

Before the rabies vaccination the puppy must already have its microchip. A chip fitted afterwards means the vaccination does not count and the twenty-one days start again.

Then the certificate

The Animal Health Certificate has to be issued by an Official Veterinarian within ten days of arriving in the EU. For a puppy travelling at fifteen weeks, that appointment falls somewhere in its fourteenth week. Book it when you book the vaccination: Official Veterinarians are busy, and the window is short.

Buying a puppy abroad

Bringing a puppy from Europe into Great Britain follows the same fifteen-week minimum. A puppy offered for travel younger than that, or with a vaccination date that does not add up, is a warning sign rather than a bargain. If the move is a sale or a rehoming rather than your own pet travelling with you, it counts as a commercial import and has rules of its own; ask us before you commit.

What we do

We check the chip and vaccination dates against each other when you book, and tell you the earliest date the journey can happen and when to see the vet. Rules change from time to time, so confirm the detail with your vet too.