Hello folks
We are planning to bring a puppy over from the UK. Getting importation info is proving interesting, as everyone has a different opinion. The most useful thing we have been told is that as long as you have a note from the vet saying the pup has not been out and socialised or been exposed to other dogs apart from mum and litter mates you can bring it in under the age of 12 weeks. Over 12 weeks and it has to have it's rabies jabs and antibodies confirmed.
Anyone have any definite information?
Hi Alan, it was awhile ago, but I remember they said it was by the weeks and not calendar months........
Carolyn
Sorry Carolyn, but normal time for a Rabies jab is 3 months not four. Maybe your vet was an exception. I was speaking this morning with the UK Kennel Club vet section about another matter on Health Screening and checked this with them.
Another matter for Miles. If you are buying a pedigree puppy, have you checked that both parents have been health screened according to UK Kennel Club requirements for the breed? Is the breeder a KC accredited breeder?
Hi Miles
I know from previous experience that you def have to have had the Rabies jab, and most vets will not give the pup that until they are a minimum of 4 months (16 weeks) old.... and they can then normally travel 21 days after....
Good luck..
Carolyn
Hi Miles,
We have a boarding kennels and breed Labradors and Springer Spaniels. We bought our first dogs over to France with us in 2008, and imported a Springer bitch from Finland last year, so are up to speed on this one. The following info is up to date.
1. The puppy must be vacinated against Rabies and have an up to date Pet passport.
2. The puppy does not need a blood test, and in any case this only used to apply to dogs going INTO the UK.
3. The puppy can not enter France until 3 weeks and 3 days after the Rabies jab. This does mean that a puppy from the UK is going to be over four months before it arrives in France, as Rabies jabs in the UK are not normally given until the puppy is three months old (eight weeks in some countries such as Finland).
Is this a pedigree puppy you are bringing in? If so is it a dog or bitch? Do you intend to breed or show?
These questions are relevant, as if you plan to breed you need to get the dog 'Confirmed'.
Remember you also need to get an Identity card, ideally within three weeks of arrival.
If you have any further questions contact us through ww.strathummel.com
We had a long wheels based transit i used to transport the dogs kitted out with their own cages each dog knew their own pen i only had to pick up the van keys and they rushed to the door and sat outside the van waiting, very often with having that type of vehicle plus a trailer we were inspected by uk customs at Dover never asked for paper work even when the customs made a fuss of the dogs, having lunch at a French service area the dogs had their long hair cut off for travelling nothing worse than a tangled matted OES
Excellent advice too John, we hear of many people - french residents too who simply forget to update identification records for their cats and dogs when they move house etc. It's not until they are needed that it is thought of, and sometimes this may be too late.
As i say its my own experience speak to your uk vet its a good idea to have the dog chipped and rabied just for its own safety plus all the other precautions with a dog so young, also get the chip registered in France the French vet will do it no point living in France with the dog registered in the uk
That would be very useful Lynn, Thank you!
I agree with you John to an extent,but I personally wouldn't want to take the risk and have my dog impounded.
I can only tell of our experiences taking our 4 Old English Sheepdogs back and forth for over 5 years, bringing the dogs into France no one and i mean no one at all at the exit port of Dover or the entry port of Calais ever asked to see any paperwork regarding the dogs, returning to the UK was a different matter the dogs have to be micro chipped and vaccinated against rabies that i believe is the same as its always been but the waiting time is relaxed, the worming and flea/ tick treatment time i think has been relaxed. when the dogs made the final trip to live in France along with my dads budgie which had to have more paper work than enough from DEFRA again no one cared not one check even on the bird, we now carry on with the rabies vaccine though i doubt they will ever return to the uk i suggest you speak to a UK vet as a pup needs to be vaccinated wherever its going if the dog is going to return to the uk at anytime then it must be chipped and the rabbies process gone through
What the paper from the vet regarding whether the pup has been out or not and socialised is for god knows unless its classed as a dangerous breed then its a whole new ball game
http://www.defra.gov.uk/wildlife-pets/pets/travel/pets/
You no longer need to have your animal blood tested after the rabies vaccine but they may not renter the UK until a month after the vaccination. The rules changes in January 2012.
Animal Courriers usually know their stuff Miles, as you know this is what they specialise in, so I guess they are the best to know, if you follow this link to Chats du Quercy website it is written by our contracted vet, if you'd like to send us an email I'd gladly give you her details as she works with animal courriers too and is usually happy to clarify any details.
There’s no interest from immigration coming into France but you do need to have your pet passport checked and the chip read going into the UK. Your dog needs to be registered by your vet once in France: costs 9 euros 20. Unlike the UK ( where vaccinations last 2 years) your animal must be rabies vaccinated annually.
New information! How would you interpret the last italic line of this government PDF? This was sent to us by Animal Courriers in the UK, and that's how they bring over young puppies. If you took the letter of the law, it would be impossible to bring a puppy of less than 4 months from the UK to France...
MINISTÈRE DE L'AGRICULTURE, DE L'ALIMENTATION, DE LA PÊCHE,
DE LA RURALITÉ ET DE L'AMÉNAGEMENT DU TERRITOIRE
INFORMATION
CONDITIONS SANITAIRES POUR VENIR EN FRANCE AVEC SON ANIMAL DE COMPAGNIE
A PARTIR D'UN PAYS DE L'UNION EUROPEENNE
(mouvements non commerciaux)
A - Pour venir en France avec son Chat / Chien / Furet, à partir d'un pays de l’Union européenne
l’animal doit disposer de :
1- une identification par puce électronique (transpondeur).
(Les animaux identifiés par tatouage avant le 03 juillet 2011 peuvent continuer à voyager au sein de
l'UE pourvu qu'il soit clairement lisible).
2- un passeport délivré par un vétérinaire habilité par l’autorité compétente attestant de l’identification et
de la vaccination antirabique de l’animal) ;
3- une vaccination antirabique en cours de validité (primo-vaccination et rappels) ;
dans le cas d’une primo-vaccination, celle-ci est considérée valide après un délai de 21 jours.
Attention :
les carnivores domestiques (chiens, chats, furets) âgés de moins de trois mois ET non vaccinés contre
la rage ne peuvent pas être introduits en France.
En revanche, si un animal de moins de trois mois est valablement vacciné contre la rage, en respect
du protocole en vigueur dans l’Etat membre de provenance , il peut être introduit en France.
I would agree with Andy, Miles.
Have a look at our advice here too, it applies equally to dogs as to cats
http://chatsduquercy.fr/en/cat-care-and-welfare-behaviour-advice/europeen-pet-passport/
I have never bought a dog over, we were told in the UK we had to get our cat innoculated, passported, chipped etc which cost over £200. The French immigration at dover couldn't care less didn't want to see anything just let us go through. I would look at the French import rules rather than what an British vet advises.