Pets

Spanish Removals also specialise in shipping pets to Spain. For most people their pet is far more precious than anything in their house.

We have over 20 years experience of shipping animals worldwide and we provide a comprehensive service for sending your pet to Spain at a price that won’t break the bank as we have special arrangements with various airlines.

Dogs & Cats leaving the UK must now comply with the Pet Travel Scheme and have an EU Pet Passport.

If you have a bird or reptile different rules apply. Although the freight procedures are normally identical there are different regulations covering the identification and documentation for the animal. These very often require an export certificate and/or an export licence or cities permit to allow travel. In such cases it’s best to contact us for advice.

To qualify for a Pet Passport your dog or cat must complete the following procedure in this order:

• Your pet must be micro-chipped
• Your pet must be vaccinated against rabies
• A further test must be carried out to check for immunity to rabies (optional)
• Your Vet must issue an EU pet passport
• Your Vet must carry out a health check and then certify the animal fit to travel

The above must be done by a local Veterinary Inspector (LVI)

***Please note that there is now a new 21 day waiting rule from the date of the first rabies vaccination and travel to another EU country****

Your pet must first be fitted with a microchip to identify it

In Europe, ISO (International Standards Organisation) standard microchips meeting specifications 11784 or Annex A of ISO Standard 11785 are generally used. If the microchip does not meet either of these ISO Standards, you must provide your own microchip reader (at your expense) to enable the microchip number to be read successfully when your animal enters the UK or needs to be checked in another European pets country.

Your pet must be vaccinated against Rabies

Your pet must be at least three months old before it is vaccinated. This can be done any time after it has been fitted with a microchip. Before vaccinating your pet, make sure your vet checks its microchip number and enters it on your pet’s vaccination record.

If your pet has been vaccinated against rabies before it was identified by a microchip, it will have to be vaccinated again. This is to make sure that your pet is correctly identified when it is vaccinated.

If you think you may return to the UK get your vet to perform a rabies blood test

The rabies blood test will confirm that your pet has immunity against rabies and will confirm that your pet is eligible to return to the UK without quarantine 6 months after the date of the clear test result provided that the other requirements under the scheme have been met. We would advise getting this done 6 weeks prior to travel.

Your vet must then issue an EU Pet Passport

In Great Britain, the passport is issued by a government-authorised vet known as a local Veterinary Inspector (LVI). If your veterinary practice does not have a resident LVI, your vet may be able to tell you where the nearest one works. Your local Animal Health Office can also provide these details. Defra does not charge vets for the passport.

For animals in other EU countries, a vet in that country will issue the passport.

When you go to get the passport take your pet, its vaccination record and, if applicable, the blood test result. The documents must show your pet’s microchip number. Also take evidence of the date your pet was microchipped.

Make sure that the vet correctly completes sections I-IV of the passport, and V if the animal has had a satisfactory blood test.

Your vet must examine the animal between 2-9 days prior to departure and certify the animal fit to travel

You should take you pet to your vet between 2 and 9 days prior to departure and have them perform a thorough health check and the stamp the “clinical examination” page of the passport certifying the animal is fit to travel. Depending on the airline you may also require a veterinary health certificate as this is an individual requirement of certain airlines. Ensure that your vet scans the animal’s microchip as the animal could be delayed if the microchip cannot be read.

Once you have the above the animal is ready to travel. We always advise that you discuss your animal’s individual health requirements for when they first arrive in Spain. Dogs for instance must be protected against heartworm and flea and tick prevention may require a different regime from the UK so you should always have a small supply of necessary medication to keep your pet in peak health until you find a local Spanish vet.

The animal cannot travel to another EU member state until 21 days have elapsed between the vaccination and travel date.  

The correct container / box / crate for you animal

In order to transport your pet you must have a container that meets the requirements set out in the IATA live animals regulations. The correct container allows your pet to stand up, lie down and turn around in comfort whilst they are in the container and that they have sufficient ventilation, comfort and fresh water during travel.

We only supply containers that exceed these requirements, if you already have a container the chances are is that it won’t be suitable for air freight because the requirements are so stringent and never take any unnecessary risks where the container is concerned.

We can supply the majority of containers within 24 hours and even if you have a specific requirement that’s not a stock item it can usually be supplied within 3-4 days.

The crate is determined by the animals size if you wish us to quote for transport of your pet please supply us with the following measurements;

• Length in cm = Nose to root of tail - tail excluded
• Height in cm = Floor to top of head while standing
• Width in cm at the widest point

For up to date information it’s always wise to give us a call to discuss your pet’s individual requirements, advice and estimates are free.

The DEFRA website is also a good source of information and can be reached by clicking the link below

Returning to the UK

If you plan to return to the UK you must follow the procedure for return under the scheme, the key thing to remember is that if you wish to avoid quarantine then your cat or dog must have a valid rabies blood test which is more than 6 months old and its rabies boosters must be up to date.

The procedure for return is very simple but make sure that you follow the rules to the letter, if everything is not correct your animal may be quarantined on arrival in the UK and the bill for quarantine can run into thousands of pounds.

The first thing to do is plan when you wish to return, you need to know the EXACT DATE AND TIME when the animal will arrive in the UK.

This is because the animal must be treated for ticks and worms BETWEEN 24-48 hours before the actual time of arrival in to the UK. This means that the flea and worm treatment administered by the Spanish vet must be AT LEAST 24 hours old and NOT MORE than 48 hours old.

The animal will not be allowed to travel to the UK until at least 24 hours have passed from the time of the treatment. This is applicable at the port or airport of departure. If for instance you are departing from Calais you must make sure that the treatment is at least 24 hours old but not more than 48 hours old less the voyage/flight time before you land/arrive in the UK. Some owners have the treatment done by a vet in France if they are travelling by car. There is a list of French vets on the DEFRA website.

If the animal is going by air then this is usually very simple as we can normally tell you the exact time that the flight will arrive. If you are travelling by ferry then you need to know when the boat is likely to dock.

You need to follow the steps below in this order to ensure a smooth arrival in the UK

• Book your return journey with us if travelling by air or the ferry company if travelling by sea
• Make sure you have the correct crate for your animal
• Take the animal to the vet 24 hours prior to the flight time with it’s pet passport, MAKE SURE THE VET SCANS THE MICROCHIP AND IT IS WORKING.
• Have the vet administer the worm and flea treatment and STAMP, DATE , SIGN AND TIME pages vi and vii of the passport make sure the vet records EXACTLY what drugs are given as the worm treatment must contain praziquantel.
• Ensure the vet also completes section ix the clinical examination page xi of the passport.
• If travelling by air then we will arrange to meet you with your animal between 2 and 3 hours prior to departure where we will check everything is correct and tender your pet for transport.

On arrival in the UK DEFRA will check your animal’s passport and microchip and if everything is OK your animal will be released normally within 30-45 minutes for collection from the airline cargo terminal. Arrival procedures for ferries vary by operator.

The following phrases may be useful when making arrangements with the Spanish Vet

• I am travelling back to the UK with my cat/dog/ferret under the Pet Travel Scheme.
  Voy a volver al Reino Unido con mi gato/perro/hurón de acuerdo con el Plan para el traslado de animales de compañía (Pet Travel Scheme - pets).

• Can you read my pet's microchip? Do you have a microchip reader? The microchip is located here (point where the microchip is).
  ¿Puede leer el microchip de mi animal? ¿Dispone de un lector de microchips? El microchip está aquí (point where the microchip is).

• My pet has to be treated against ticks and tapeworms (Rhipicephalus sanguineus and Echinococcus multilocularis). Can you do this?
  Mi animal tiene que ser tratado contra las garrapatas y la tenia (Rhipicephalus sanguineus y Echinococcus multilocularis). ¿Puede hacerlo?

• The treatment for ticks must be an acaricide licensed for use against ticks. A tick collar is not acceptable. The treatment for tapeworms must contain praziquantel.
  El tratamiento contra las garrapatas debe ser un acaricida de uso autorizado contra las garrapatas. Los collares contra las garrapatas no son aceptables. El tratamiento contra la tenia debe contener praziquantel.

• You will need to complete sections VI and VII of my pet's passport/give me an official certificate to show that you have treated my pet. You must record the day and time that you did the treatment.
  Tiene que rellenar las secciones VI y VII del pasaporte de mi animal/darme un certificado oficial que muestre que usted ha tratado a mi animal. Debe registrar la fecha y la hora en la que usted efectuó el tratamiento.

• I already have an official certificate for my pet to re-enter the UK. I got it from my vet in the UK. Do you want to see it?
  Tengo un certificado oficial para que mi animal pueda volver al Reino Unido. Lo obtuve de mi veterinario en el Reino Unido. ¿Desea verlo?

• My cat/dog has been vaccinated against rabies and successfully blood tested.
  Mi gato/perro ha sido vacunado contra la rabia y se le ha realizado con éxito el análisis sanguíneo.

• My vet took the blood sample for the blood test on .......
  Mi veterinario tomó la muestra de sangre para el análisis, el (date/fecha).......

• Can you give me an EU pet passport/official entry certificate for travel to the UK under the Pet Travel Scheme?
  ¿Puede darme un pasaporte de la UE para animales de compañía/certificado oficial de entrada para el viaje al Reino Unido bajo el Plan para el traslado de animales de compañía?

• Passports/official certificates are supplied by your Government Veterinary Authority.
  Los pasaportes/certificados oficiales son suministrados por la autoridad veterinaria.