Hi i am in the process of adopting through a charity a dog with has an EU Pet Passport. On the details of ownership, the name of the owner is on there, but there is a 2nd blank area can i complete this with my details as the new owner? 
Won’t they do all the paperwork for you?
I’m not sure that only filling in the passport owner details is enough. The border control is quite thorough now to control puppy peddling from eastern Europe.
Are you registered as the owner on the microchip register? This is very important because gets verified electronically at the border. The present chip registered owner must make the record change.
I am sure @David_Spardo has more up to date info that can help you. If not, I will try
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Sorry, I have no idea, never gave ii a thought as I don’t cross borders with dogs anymore and if I did they would be internal EU ones only.
When I adopted little Opie a couple of months ago from the SPA they did everything and the I-cad card came through the post with all my details pre-printed on it, but that is not a passport, she doesn’t have one of those.
We got our vet to do the passport and the chip name and address change for us.
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Just remembered we did too with Bertie whom we got from a pet rescue. He has a very fancy blue passport.
Talk to the Association you are adopting through. They have their own rules - it should be in the contract they give you. If you’re lucky they do the import paperwork and they’ll forward on the paperwork in time.
If it’s non French - it has to be registered with ICAD - normally you do this at the vets. This registers it’s chip to you. But the Association may have done this
Now some Associations keep registration for 6 months or until after they’ve been snipped - they then sort the ICAD out and you get the ownership papers.
It’s the chip and ICAD that are important - the passport just has to link with the dogs chip. So yes you can add your name to the passport.
In context our first pup had his passport in my name but his ICAD stayed with the association until he was castrated. So
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That’s correct, I am assuming that there is no need for a pet to have a passport, it is only required to take it across a frontier. Which basically means the English Channel. It had never occurred to me before with Opie, but it would do no harm to get one I suppose.
It keeps all the vaccination records together if nothing else
Yes, but she does have a carnet de sante which contains all that stuff.
Firstly, Congratulations! @Issy on finding a pup to love and bring into your forever home.
Don’t worry, border bureaucracy is clear and efficient. All you need do is follow the requirements.
As the pup already has an EU Pet Passport, I assume the pup is already in the EU?
The Passport is a document issued by an official veterinarian in a European Union Member State containing official health information related to only this dog. The document cannot be obtained outside of the EU. The purpose of the pet passport is to simplify travel between EU member states. In addition, the European Commission has also allowed it to be used for pets returning to the EU from third countries
Here are the details to be included in an EU Pet Passport:
- Passport must contain your name and current home address. There are two spaces for this in each Passport and you can add yours if there is still one space.
At a BCP you will present your pup with Pet Passport and your own passport. In France they may ask to see your Carte de Sejour and check your address is the same as listed under Owner in the Pet Passport.
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The Passport must contain the identification number of the microchip of the pup. (Check this works and is easy to find with the electronic reader. Usually behind the neck between the shoulders.)
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The Passport has an EU approved veterinarian’s entry record of rabies vaccination and signature.
All vet entries_must_ be filled in correctly and signed without crossings out. Any changes must be initialled.
According to EU regulations, the movement of cats, dogs, and ferrets between EU countries is only allowed if they have been vaccinated against rabies at least 30 days before the trip. The vaccination cannot be more than twelve months old and must be documented in the Passport with vet’s signature.
If the pup is now outside the EU (for instance in UK) you will be visiting a border control post at point of entry.
Please note : not all border control posts (BCP) are authorized to control pets. You must, before boarding, find out about the competence (successful functioning) of the PCF at the point of entry.
I hope all this helps you to feel prepared and puts any concerns to rest. I have passed with my two dogs at the BCP mire than 10 times over the past two years. Officials are always friendly and the service is swift and precise. One small warning, I have seen owners with dogs refused entry. It certainly does not pay to be cavalier about officialdom, especially when there is a little life in your charge.
The aforementioned ICAD registration in France should be done by your vet to record the pup and your ownership on the France database. It is a requirement that also helps to protect your pup.
Add to that the registration with your vet should be done within 7 days of arrival. I missed this (did not know) when importing a kittem from Germany. All hell broke loose. 6 months home quarantine, re vaccination against rabies, threat of huge fine (up to 300.000 E), or euthanizing the cat…
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