Is a Pet Passport Necessary?

Hi All -


I have an appointment next weekend to take my dog to have his Rabies Vaccine updated so that I do not fall into dafault of the limitations of having brought him from the US. I was told when I first brought him into the UK by the man completing his paperwork that I should go ahead and get him the Pet Passport so that if I took him back to the USA, it wouldn't be as difficult. However, in my own research, it seems as though the CDC's only requirement for importing a dog into the USA is a rabies vaccine no less than 30 days before the flight. I understand that the airline will likely require a health check. These are both easily attainable and don't seem to have any connection to a Pet Passport. Can anyone with any information/experience provide advice?

You don't need (and, in fact, can't get) a pet passport outside of the EU. You will need to do the equivalent Third Country Official Certificate in order to bring your pet into the UK.

As far as going back, I got both of my guys pet passports, both as a security measure (it holds all their vaccination history so it's easy to hand over to boarding kennels as proof of up-to-date vaccines) and in case I want to travel outside the UK with them (or, at least, with the dog). So far, I haven't done it, but the passports were only about £50 each, so I figured it was worth it.

All you really need to do once you're here, though, is make sure the rabies stays up-to-date. I haven't brought an animal from the UK to the US, but it's much simpler than US to UK, so I don't think a pet passport would dramatically help matters.

That's the idea I was getting as I did my research. We don't plan to take him traveling to any part of Europe with us while we're here, so I don't really see the need in getting one if it won't be beneficial in getting him back to the States. Thanks for the advice! 

We brought 2 dogs over to the UK back in 2006 under the Pets scheme and then moved them both back the the US in 2009.  We never got them a passport while here in the UK because it never came up that they needed one.  We just made sure they got their rabies stuff done whenever they needed it.  

As far as taking them back to the US all we needed was the vaccine records and a health cert for the airline.  One the day of flying back nobody ever even looked at the paperwork.  When we arrived in the US and the went to check them the agent asked us where we flew from and when we said the UK they just ok (not sure if that meant anything).  

We are now in the process of moving our 1 dog back to the UK and I guess in hindsight the passport would have just kept everything in one place and in one format but other than that we never needed it

I would imagine they didn't seem too concerned because you were coming from the UK - where there is no rabies & their importing laws are so strict.
Thanks for sharing your experience!

Yeah that was almost the tone in their voice.  It was definitely much easier bringing them back paperwork wise.  Keep us posted about if you decide to get a pet passport when they arrive