New EU updated pet travel rules, the good and the bad

The EU Commission Delegated Regulation 2026/131 is now in force, and it covers all non-commercial movement of dogs, cats, and (surprise) ferrets across EU borders both within the EU and from outside it.

→ For EU pet parents, travelling within Europe, the framework is practically like before but with more control: microchip, rabies vaccination, valid pet passport, and for dogs entering Finland, Ireland, or Malta, a tapeworm treatment timed to within 24-120 hours of arrival.

→ For UK pet parents, travelling to Europe it gets downhill complicated.

Brexit turned what was a simple passport into a bureaucratic marathon:
❌ The EU Pet Passport from Great Britain is no longer valid
• Rabies blood test required, but only 30+ days after vaccination
• Then a 90-day wait before the health certificate can even be issued
• That certificate is valid for just 10 days
• Your pet must enter through a designated border point

Which means, we’re talking over 4 months of preparation for what used to take a trip to the vet. Basically, to get to Europe from the UK, you have to get your pets ready now, in April, to be able to travel in August-September.

A significant number of UK residents with French second homes had been using French-issued EU pet passports to avoid that cost, something that has now been explicitly closed off.

Millions of people travel across European borders with their pets every year.
There’s no EU-wide count of cross-border pet trips, but contextual clues suggest the scale is enormous.

Globally, 53% of travellers take holidays with their pets, and that number is increasing every year.

Applied to Europe’s current 139 million households with pets, even a fraction travelling internationally represents tens of millions of trips.

The gap between what people expect and what the law now requires is huge.

More control is expected, but continuing with the same outdated requirements in aviation and in other means of transportation, like some ferries and trains, doesn’t sound like much advancement or inclusion to me.

Whether you’re an EU resident or a UK tourist, the message is the same: plan well ahead, and talk to your vet early 🧡

Pic. The first time for Soul, my dog, flying (Barcelona airport, 2019)