Taking your dog
from the UK to Spain?
Tell us about your dog and you'll get the exact steps, in the right order — including the one step most people forget until they're already in Spain.
The rules changed — and half the internet didn't.
One EU pet passport used to cover years of trips. Now, leaving Great Britain means a fresh stack of steps and deadlines — every single time.
One passport. Sorted once, reused for years.
valid
A new Animal Health Certificate for every single trip.
Border Pet works from the rules as they are now.
Not the ones that changed in 2021.
Microchip
In place — and dated before the rabies jab.
Rabies vaccination
A first jab has to be at least 21 days before travel — your date is 12 days away. You'd need a later date.
Animal Health Certificate
Issued by an Official Vet, within 10 days of travel.
Travel day
Carry the printed AHC — Spain doesn't accept digital copies.
How it works
-
1
Answer a few questions about your dog and trip.
-
2
Your checklist appears, in the right order.
-
3
Follow it step by step — no guessing, no conflicting advice.
Common questions
I still have my dog's EU pet passport, and I've always used it. Can I still?
Not from Great Britain any more. For a while, some owners kept getting through on an EU pet passport — but that route has closed. Travelling from England, Scotland or Wales, a pet passport no longer counts, whoever issued it.
You now need an Animal Health Certificate (AHC) for the trip. Turn up with just the passport and your dog can be refused entry into the EU. If you've used it before without trouble, that isn't a sign it still works — it's the gap that's just been shut.
Do I really need a new certificate every single trip?
Yes. One AHC covers one trip out of Great Britain. You have to enter the EU within 10 days of it being issued. After that, it covers onward travel within the EU for up to 6 months, and your return to Great Britain within 6 months of the issue date — as long as your dog's rabies vaccination stays valid.
Your next trip to Spain needs a new AHC, even if the old one hasn't run out.
Can my usual vet do the certificate?
Only if they're an Official Veterinarian (OV) — and plenty of regular vets aren't. Check with yours directly before you count on it.
You don't have to use your own vet, either. There are specialist OV providers who do AHCs at lower prices, often by home visit, so it's worth shopping around.
What's the step people forget?
The tapeworm treatment before you come home. It has to be given by a vet, recorded on the paperwork, and timed to a set window before you re-enter Great Britain.
It's the bit even confident travellers miss — usually because they only find out about it once they're already in Spain.
How far ahead should I start?
It depends on your dog's rabies history. If your dog needs a first rabies vaccination, it has to be at least 21 days before you travel — and the microchip has to come before the jab, or it doesn't count.
The AHC is the opposite: it can only be issued in the 10 days before you go. Tell us about your dog and we'll show you the order, so nothing's cutting it fine.