Reader experiences: Travelling to France with dogs
Four dog owners tell The Connexion about their struggles since Brexit
People who live in France can travel with their pets under an EU pet passport, which is valid for life as long as you keep up with annual rabies jabs.Ann Tyurina / Shutterstock
It has always been a challenge to travel with a pet, but the task has become harder in relation to the UK since Brexit. We speak to four dog owners who share their experiences.
People who live in France can travel with their pets under an EU pet passport, which is valid for life as long as you keep up with annual rabies jabs.
This costs €15-€20 from a French vet, but prices vary.
UK vets are no longer allowed to issue EU pet passports, so people travelling to France from the UK require an Animal Health Certificate (AHC) from their vet.
A certificate is required for every trip to the EU. Pets must also be microchipped, vaccinated against rabies, and have tapeworm treatment.
“There is no exemption for assistance dogs,” Guide Dogs UK told The Connexion. It says that after Brexit it was “deeply disappointed” that no agreement was reached on pet travel.
“We have repeatedly expressed our concerns at the steep increase in the cost of AHCs and how their complexity and inflexibility is preventing people with guide dogs from working or attending important events at short notice, as well as general travel.”
Martin Atkin, of Assistance Dogs International added: “The new regulations embed discrimination into the travel process.”
‘Stressful’
Mary-Louise Harrison, who has a second home in Vosges, says: “We started taking our dogs over in 2022.
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Now we’ve done it a few times, it more often than not goes smoothly – but this has not always been the case.
“The first time, the paperwork wasn’t filled in correctly. Then we had to stay over in Calais because our dog had to be wormed by a French vet. Costs have come down slightly, but it is still around £1,000 each year to take both our dogs abroad.
Maxine Shaverin moved to France with her dogsMaxine Shaverin
“The issue is threefold: the cost of £350- £400 per return trip; the inconsistency as regards the UK/French vets as well as at the border; and the angst this causes.
Most of the time there are no issues but when you are held up at the border it is extremely stressful.”
‘Hard for short breaks’
“The paperwork is cumbersome, costly and, I would suggest, prohibitive to anyone just wanting a week away every few months,” says Maxine Shaverin, who moved to the Charente from north-west England three years ago.
‘Carting paperwork around’
Shell Robinson previously split her time between Norfolk and Deux-Sèvres, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, and has four dogs.
“Getting the initial rabies jabs and examination was very expensive for the first AHC, over £1,000,” she says.
“Then we discovered a vet near the tunnel who specialises in these certificates, which are greatly reduced. On your return, you have to be organised and hope the period in which worming is needed does not fall on one of France’s public holidays.
Shell Robinson spent over £1,000 for her dogs' first AHCShell Robinson
“I’ve now moved to France long term and my dogs have passports. These are cheaper than the AHC but we still have to go through the worming palaver. We must also carry old AHCs with proof of rabies vaccination in the UK, so we are still carting paperwork around.”
‘Forward planning’
“I have a long-stay visa and once a dog is on an EU passport, the costs of the travel reduce greatly. I’ve also found routine vet costs in France are lower than the UK,” says Bridget Wheeler, who lives in the Gers.
“Having to ensure rabies jabs are kept up to date in the EU (only EU-administered jabs count in an EU passport) requires forward planning, however.”
“I have four dogs, so when I moved to France I needed pet passports, which were very expensive and our UK vets seemed confused by the paperwork, even arguing among themselves,” says Emma Louise Gardner.
She moved to Lot-et-Garonne from Staffordshire in 2022.
“We were helped by an amazing pet transport service. Once here, we obtained passports, which we use to travel to the UK if we ever need to come back.
“We also need wormers, which, with four, can still be costly. However, the actual travelling and document check is simple.”
