Pet travel

Animal health certificate costs: compare UK prices

Most Great Britain residents need an animal health certificate (AHC) — not a pet passport — to travel to the EU. The same document costs anything from £69 to £480, so it pays to check before you book. Enter your postcode to see vet practices near you and the pet-travel specialists that publish a price.

532 UK practices publish an animal health certificate price on their own price list, alongside 39 pet-travel specialists we check by hand.

What an animal health certificate is, and why costs vary so much

The document that replaced the pet passport

Pet passports issued in Great Britain are no longer accepted for entry to the EU. A vet registered as an Official Veterinarian instead completes an animal health certificate, confirming your pet's microchip number and rabies vaccination. Since 22 April 2026, people whose main home is in Great Britain should not rely on an EU-issued passport for the outbound journey either. Read our current pet passport guide for the exceptions and return journey rules.

Timing: 10 days out, six months back

The certificate has to be issued within 10 days of your arrival in the EU. Once you have travelled, it covers onward journeys within the EU and your return to Great Britain for six months. Because it is single-use for the outbound trip, a family that travels twice a year needs two certificates — one reason regular travellers shop around on price.

What your pet needs first

A microchip, then a rabies vaccination given at least 21 days before travel — in that order, or the vaccination does not count. Dogs entering Finland, Ireland, Malta or Norway also need tapeworm treatment from a vet between 24 and 120 hours before arrival. Northern Ireland has separate rules, including an exemption for dogs travelling with its Pet Travel Document. If your pet needs the rabies jab or a booster, budget for that separately: the providers we track charge roughly £70 to £120 for it.

Why the same certificate costs £99 in one place and £300 in another

Filling in an AHC takes an Official Veterinarian a good part of an hour, and practices price that time very differently. Specialists that handle nothing but pet travel run high volumes and tend to be cheapest, often working by collection point or home visit. A general practice fits the paperwork around a normal clinic list and may add a consultation fee on top. Extra pets on the same certificate are always far cheaper than separate ones, and anything urgent — same-day or inside 48 hours — carries a premium.

Animal health certificate questions

How much does an animal health certificate cost?
Published prices run from about £69 to £480 for one pet. Among the providers whose prices we have verified against their own websites, the middle figure is £140 for a single animal, while vet practices that list an AHC on their general price list sit higher, at about £230. Extra pets on the same certificate usually cost £25 to £75 each. Urgent or same-day certificates carry a surcharge, often £50 to £150 on top.
How long is an animal health certificate valid for?
An AHC must be issued no more than 10 days before you enter the EU. After that it remains valid for onward travel within the EU for six months, and for re-entry to Great Britain within the same six-month window. It is single-use for the outbound journey, so a new certificate is needed for every trip.
What is an animal health certificate?
An animal health certificate is the official document most residents need when taking a pet from Great Britain to the EU. It confirms the pet's microchip number and rabies vaccination, and it must be completed and signed by a vet who is registered as an Official Veterinarian (OV). Direct travel from Great Britain to Northern Ireland normally uses the separate Northern Ireland Pet Travel Document.
Can I still use a pet passport?
A pet passport issued in Great Britain is not valid for entering the EU. Since 22 April 2026, people whose main home is in Great Britain should not rely on an EU-issued passport for outbound EU travel either; government guidance says they should obtain an AHC. Our pet passport guide explains the differences, including documents that can still be used to return to Great Britain.
What does my pet need before the appointment?
Your pet must be microchipped, and must have had a rabies vaccination at least 21 days before travel — the microchip has to be fitted before or at the same time as that vaccination. Dogs travelling to Finland, Ireland, Malta or Norway also need tapeworm treatment given by a vet between 24 and 120 hours before arrival. Northern Ireland has separate rules, including an exemption when the dog travels under a Northern Ireland Pet Travel Document. Take your pet's vaccination record to the appointment; without proof of a valid rabies vaccination the certificate cannot be issued.
Can one certificate cover more than one pet?
Yes. Up to five pets can travel on a single animal health certificate, provided they are travelling with you or within five days of your journey. Most providers charge a lower fee for each additional pet on the same certificate, which is why the total for two or three animals is usually far less than paying separately.
Who can issue an animal health certificate?
Only a vet approved as an Official Veterinarian can sign one. Not every practice has an OV on the team, and some that do only certify for their own registered clients. That is why specialist pet-travel providers exist alongside ordinary practices — and why prices for the same document vary so widely.

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