As I write this article politicians seem to be in total turmoil about Brexit, indeed in the 24 hours since I decided to write on the subject the situation has changed multiple times. Most importantly, as I am writing this, there is a risk of a no deal Brexit. Never mind the politics of all this – a no deal Brexit will be a major issue for those travelling overseas with their pets using a Pet Passport.

If we end up leaving the EU without a deal then from 29th March 2019 EU Pet passports will no longer be valid.

We do not yet fully know what this will mean for pet passports but we do know that if passports become invalid then pets will need not only rabies vaccination but also a blood test 30 days later to check that the vaccine has worked and there will be a delay of 3 months post blood sampling before the pet can re-enter the UK.

The reality is that we do not yet know what the full implications are but my advice would be that if you are definitely going to be travelling with your pet after 29th March 2019 you must be aware of all emerging recommendations from Defra (their website is very useful). Think about getting your pet rabies vaccinated in good time because there may well be a 4 month lag phase between vaccination and travel. March is only four months away so if you need to travel then you must think about acting now.