Pet relocation guidance UK to France
Specialist partners, paperwork-aligned
Pet relocation is handled by specialist firms; we coordinate timing with your household move and provide guidance on the post-Brexit pet travel paperwork.
About pet relocation guidance uk to france
— in detail
Pet relocation is outside the scope of our removals service directly — animals travel under their own paperwork regime and require specialist handling that is not interchangeable with household goods. We refer pet moves to specialist firms in our partner network; we coordinate the timing with your household move so the family's arrival in France aligns with the pet's arrival.
Post-Brexit pet travel paperwork is more involved than the pre-2021 EU pet passport regime. Dogs, cats, and ferrets travelling from the UK to France need a microchip, a rabies vaccination given at least 21 days before the certificate is issued, and an Animal Health Certificate (AHC) signed by an Official Veterinarian. The AHC is valid for entry to the EU only within 10 days of issue. France does not require tapeworm treatment for dogs arriving directly.
Other pets — rabbits, birds, reptiles — have separate regimes. Birds particularly often need export documentation specific to the species. Our pet-relocation partner can advise on the species-specific paperwork.
Practical timing guidance: the AHC is the most time-sensitive document, and not every practice has an Official Veterinarian on hand. Book the appointment early, and make sure any boosters or other veterinary issues are dealt with well before the certificate is due — the certificate itself must be timed against the day the animal travels, not the day the lorry loads.
On the quote
- Specialist pet-relocation partner network
- Post-Brexit AHC (Animal Health Certificate) timing guidance
- Coordinated with your household move timing
- Dogs, cats, ferrets — standard regime
- Other species — specialist paperwork
Right for
- Households moving with dogs, cats, ferrets, or other pets.
- Specialist pet owners (working dogs, breed-society animals) needing experienced handling.
Common questions
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No — pets travel under their own regime through our specialist partners. We coordinate timing and refer.
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Earlier than you think. The certificate must be used for entry to the EU within 10 days of being issued, so the appointment itself is timed close to travel — but finding an Official Veterinarian and clearing any vaccinations first needs to start well ahead of the move.
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A pet passport issued in Great Britain is no longer accepted for travel to the EU — Great Britain is treated as a third country for pet travel, so the AHC is the document you need. A pet passport issued in an EU country remains valid.
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No — animals travel with you (in your vehicle, by ferry foot-passenger, or by air through specialist pet-transport firms). The moving lorry is not animal-suitable transport.
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Start a quote How it actually runs
Animals never travel in a removals vehicle. They go with you, or with a carrier whose whole business is live animals. What we do is make sure the animal paperwork sits inside the move plan instead of surfacing at the last minute.
The Animal Health Certificate is the tightest single constraint in a France move. An Official Veterinarian issues it, and it is valid for travel only within a short statutory window — which means the appointment is timed against the date you travel, not the date the lorry loads. Those two dates are frequently weeks apart, and that gap is where plans come apart.