UK Government tells pet owners to visit the vet four months before travelling to the EU post-Brexit

How they'll enforce the 'pet passport' at the Irish border remains to be seen.

The UK Government have updated their guidelines on how people should begin to prepare for a no-deal Brexit, and part of that update includes a section for pet owners. According to the updated statement, a no-deal Brexit will see "the UK is likely to be treated as an unlisted country under the EU Pet Travel Scheme. "To make sure your pet is able to travel from the UK to the EU after Brexit, you should contact your vet at least four months before travelling to get the latest advice." Additionally, all current EU pet passports issued in the UK will no longer be valid for travel to the EU should a no-deal Brexit go ahead. As it currently stands, there are some difference in the rules for pet owners coming to and from Northern Ireland, where the Pet Travel Scheme (PETS) is enforced. According to that scheme, your dog, cat, or ferret must be fitted with a microchip, be vaccinated against rabies, wait 21 days from the date of their first rabies vaccination before travelling to another EU member state or approved Third Country, and not have visited any non-approved countries or territories for at least four months before entering or re-entering Northern Ireland. It doesn't currently indicate whether these PETS scheme rules will remain the same if a no-deal Brexit comes to pass. This would still indicate that all pets crossing the Irish border would need at least three weeks of vaccinations in their system before allowed to cross.