Taking Pet Cats and Dogs from Sri Lanka to United Kingdom

Your pet cat, dog or ferret may enter the UK travelling from Sri Lanka, and will not be required to enter quarantine, if it has:-

1. Been microchipped 
   The microchip must be inserted before the rabies vaccination, and must be readable by a device compatible with ISO standard 11785.  If the microchip cannot be read when you enter or return to the United Kingdom, your pet could be put into quarantine or refused entry.  You may carry your own hand-held scanner if the microchip is not readable by a device compatible with ISO standard 11785.

2. A valid rabies vaccination and successful rabies serological test (blood test)

Rabies vaccination

(i) The vaccination must be given after the microchip is inserted.

(ii) The pet must be at least 12 weeks old before the vaccination is given, and it must be given by a vet authorized by the government authorities of your country.

Rabies serological test (blood test)

(i) You must wait at least 30 days after the rabies vaccination has been given before the blood test is carried out.  Otherwise your pet will fail the compliance check.

(ii) Your vet must send the blood sample to an EU-approved blood testing laboratory.  The laboratory may be located either in an EU Member State or another country.  A list of approved laboratories can be accessed on https://ec.europa.eu/food/animals/pet-movement/approved-labs_en.

(iii) The result of the blood test must show that the vaccination was successful (a rabies antibody level of at least 0.5 IU/ml).

(iv) The animal must wait three (03) months from the date of the blood draw, if a satisfactory result has been obtained, before it can travel to the EU, including the UK. 

(v) The original blood test certificate from the lab, or a copy received from the lab, must travel with the animal as part of its health certificate and be presented when the compliance check is being carried out.

The 3-month wait period does not apply if:

• the blood sample was taken by a vet in an EU Member State or in the UK
• the satisfactory result is entered into the passport or EU health certificate beforethe animal left the EU / UK and
• there was no break in rabies vaccinations after the blood test was carried out.

This is particularly relevant to, for example, a European pet who is to travel to an unlisted country (Sri Lanka) and the owner wishes to re-enter the EU with their pet without having to wait 3 months before coming back to the EU.

A rabies vaccination with a 1 or 3-year validity period is acceptable for entry into the UK. 

A valid blood test will remain valid for the life of the animal only if there is no break in rabies vaccination cover after the blood test is performed.

If there has been a break in rabies vaccine coverage, the next vaccination will be considered a primary vaccination and the blood test must be repeated at least 30 days after the vaccination, and then the 3-month waiting period following a successful blood test will apply.

3. is accompanied by a valid EU pet passport, or EU health certificate
   
   United Kingdom accepts pet passports from all EU countries, and from the following European countries/territories: Andorra; Gibraltar; Greenland and the Faroe Islands; Iceland; Liechtenstein; Monaco; Norway; San Marino; Switzerland; Vatican City State.

A valid passport is a passport issued by an EU country or territory listed above, which certifies that the rabies vaccine given is valid, and only an EU vet may complete this section of the passport.

Vets in countries outside of the EU may not complete, sign or stamp the section on rabies vaccination or the rabies serological test in the passport. If they were to do so, this would make the EU pet passport invalid for travel.

If your pet dog, cat or ferret does not have a pet passport, issued by one of the countries or territories listed above (point 3), it must be accompanied by a EU health certificate (also known as EU Annex IV / Non Commercial Health Certificate), before entering an EU country, including the United Kingdom.

An EU health certificate must be:

• Completed by us (Pet Express as we will be the handling agent), AND
• Signed and endorsed by the Official Government Veterinarianof Sri Lanka, within 10 days of pets arrival into the UK,
• Immediately upon arriving into the UK, signed and endorsed by the EU country which performed the compliance checks.

4. Tapeworm treatment for dogs

For all pets travelling from Sri Lanka to the United Kingdom, a vet must treat your dog for tapeworm (specifically Echinococcus multilocularis) and record the treatment in the pet passport or third-country official veterinary certificate each time you intend to travel to the UK.

The treatment must contain praziquantel and must be administered by a veterinarian no less than 24 hours (1 day) and no more than 120 hours (5 days) before the scheduled arrival time of the dog in the UK. Your dog may be refused entry or put into quarantine if you do not follow this rule.

Cats do not require the tapeworm treatment when flying to the United Kingdom.

5. Other vaccinations

Apart from the rabies vaccination; pet dogs are required to have the DHLP vaccine (distemper, hepatitis, leptospirosis, parvovirus) given not more than 12 months and not less than 30 days at the time of travel.

Pet Cats require the combined Feline Vaccine i.e. PCH / TriCat (panleukopenia, calicivirus and herpesvirus infection) given not more than 12 months and not less than 30 days at the time of travel.

6. Pets must enter through designated approved Airports (BIPs) and must undergo compliance checks on arrival.

7. Travel Method

All pets arriving in the United Kingdom must travel as Manifested Air Freight Cargo under an Air Waybill (AWB). Any pet travelling as Excess Baggage/ Checked in Baggage will be considered as an illegal entry and will be subject to penalties, return back to the origin etc. 

8. Owner’s Travel Requirements

Your pet must arrive in the UK no more than 5 days before or after you, or you’ll have to follow different rules.

Exceptions: Your pet can travel to the United Kingdom without the Rabies Antibody Titer Test (RNATT) provided that we obtain a special DEFRA landing license and a boarding license.

However the pet will be required to stay at a DEFRA approved quarantine kennels and go through aforementioned same process where the pet will be subject to a RNATT and then needs to complete three (03) months before being released to the pet owner. The pet can be visited by the pet owner at the quarantine kennels during permitted visiting hours. Food & Care will be provided by the quarantine kennels.