Bringing your pets to Spain

By Sheila Ross

If you are relocating to Spain from the UK and wish to take your pet cat or dog with you, the Pet Travel Scheme allows you to travel with your pets between the two countries. However, you can check for amendments to the scheme with the Department of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA).

To be eligible for the scheme, your cat or dog must:

• Be fitted with a microchip.
• Be vaccinated against rabies.
• Have a blood test taken by a European Union approved laboratory.
• Have a pet passport issued by their vet.
• Be treated for tapeworm and ticks, not less than 24 hours and not more than 48 hours before checking in with a PETS approved carried for the journey back to the UK.

Travel via PETS approved sea, air and rail routes.

However, if you are taking your pets to Spain and do not intend to return to the UK, they do not need to have the rabies blood test, but they still need a pet passport showing microchip and rabies vaccination.

Some useful links for travelling abroad with pets are:

www.trans-pet.co.uk who provide a door-to-door travel scheme for pets.

www.animalairlines.co.uk who will give a free quote for flying your pets to their Spanish destination.

About The Author

Sheila Ross is the Administrator of the Customer Services Department at

Inland Andalucia. She relocated to Spain in 2003 with her husband and three pet dogs, 2 Cocker Spaniels and 1 Border Terrier.

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