Pet Travel from the UK in 2025: Your Complete Guide to EHC and AHC Certificates
Pet Travel from the UK in 2025: Your Complete Guide to EHC and AHC Certificates
Planning to take your cat or dog abroad? Since Brexit, the rules around UK pet travel have changed significantly — and April 2025 has brought further important updates that every pet owner needs to know. This guide explains everything clearly, whether you're heading to Europe or travelling further afield.
AHC vs EHC: what's the difference?
These two certificates are often confused, but they serve different purposes.
An Animal Health Certificate (AHC) is required for non-commercial travel — i.e., you're taking your own pet with you — from the UK to EU countries (plus Norway, Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Iceland). Each AHC is valid for one trip. It covers entry into the EU for 10 days from the date of issue, and allows return to the UK for up to 4 months.
An Export Health Certificate (EHC) is required for commercial movements — for example, if you're relocating a pet to a new owner, travelling to non-EU countries, or moving more than five animals at once. EHCs are also considerably more complex, as requirements vary by destination country and often involve additional testing beyond the standard AHC.
April 2025: what's changed
The most significant update for dog owners travelling back to China and certain other destinations is that EHCs now carry a 14-day validity window and dogs can enter without quarantine provided all documentation is correctly completed. This is a major shift for UK-based Chinese pet owners who previously faced lengthy quarantine periods on return visits home.
If you've heard about these changes and are unsure whether they apply to your travel plans, the honest answer is: it depends on your specific destination, your pet's vaccination history, and the timing of your trip. This is exactly why working with an Official Veterinarian who processes these certificates regularly is so important — the consequences of an error (a missed date, an incorrectly stamped document) can mean your pet being turned back at the border.
What your pet needs before any international travel
For most destinations, your pet will need:
- A valid microchip (implanted before the rabies vaccination to be legally valid)
- A current rabies vaccination — administered at least 21 days before travel, with 3-year vaccines strongly recommended for future trips
- A health examination by an Official Veterinarian (OV) within 10 days of departure
- A correctly completed AHC or EHC, signed and stamped by the OV
Some countries — particularly Australia, Japan, and several others — have additional requirements including rabies titre blood tests, mandatory waiting periods of up to 180 days, and specific treatment protocols. For Japan and China travel specifically, we strongly recommend getting in touch at least 3 months before your planned travel date.
Why ViolaPets?
At ViolaPets we issue AHCs and EHCs through our partnering Official Veterinarian, and we specialise in supporting the UK's Chinese community with pet travel to and from China, Japan and EU destinations. We handle the full process: checking your pet's vaccination records for compliance, identifying any gaps before they become problems, preparing the documentation correctly, and making sure the timing works for your travel dates.
We also offer a document pre-check service — send us your pet's vaccination history and travel dates and we'll tell you exactly what's needed, before you book anything. This saves both time and the stress of discovering a problem at the last minute.
April 2025's regulatory updates make this a particularly important time to verify your documentation if you're planning to travel this summer. Don't leave it to the week before departure.
Get in touch at www.violapets.co.uk or via WhatsApp to start the process.
