Hi everyone, wonder if anyone could help me please.
I am thinking of getting a puppy from another EU country (Czechs Republic) and wondering that apart from rabies vaccination, passport and worming what else do we need please? Also how it works, would the pup need to come to the country through Dover? Thank you in advance

See the bottom DEFRA link for access to all details, as they are right now, but, bear in mind that with all government daily/weekly iff'ing & but'ting going on all the time about Brexit, this & that it all needs to be checked within a couple of days before making any moves
Below is the DEFRA link, read items in the overview area, they are your safest contact around that time because of all this ongoing, almost daily, Brexit chaos & uncertainty.

DEFRA
https://www.gov.uk/take-pet-abroad

Are you importing from someone you know? Are you travelling over to visit/collect your puppy ?

The DEFRA site supplies the information & BREXIT will NOT affect you if you are doing this before 29th March 2019

Euro, there is no 'ongoing uncertainty' not for importing pups in the next year at least.

Ongoing negotiations on brexit will have NO effect on the law until we actually leave the eu in March 2019.

Still the link is a good one

I am importing from a reputable breeder, dont know her personally. Also I would like to go there and pick up the puppy

Collecting your puppy is the best way. Dont forget the day of Rabies Vaccination is day 0 not day 1 & the tapeworm treatment is within 120 hours but not less than 24 hours before entry into UK.

I presume you would be driving there & back ?
I would get a scanner to ensure the chip is working either borrow or buy. Chips can & do fail or move & without one its quarantine or no entry

Many thanks Tommee. Could you tell me please what does count as day 0 or day 1? I thought Rabies has to be given at 16 weeks and then wait 3 weeks for travel

farkeywelly - I am importing from a reputable breeder, dont know her personally. Also I would like to go there and pick up the puppy

I assume your driving there & based on that you need to have an accurate understanding of the winter tyre laws in Germany, you MUST have them in winter months, see link below, if your in AA or RAC they will give you any info you need as a member, they give 'some' online to anyone but its not very detailed, see link:

https://www.german-way.com/travel-and-tourism/driving-in-europe/driving/snow-tires-winter-driving/

If your puppy was vaccinated for Rabies on 1st Jan that is day 0. Day 21 would be 22nd Jan.Rabies vax can be given from 12 weeks of age not 3 months. To be on the safe side my friends who have imported puppies have always waiting until puppies were 85 days old & travelled them 22 days after rabies vax, that way there is no confusion.
Very important that chip is regularly checked before travel date, I know of at least 2 chip failures that meant the dogs had to be rechipped. Fortunately because accurate records were kept they didn't have to be revaccinates & chips were/are cross referenced

Sorry guys if I seem dumb but can't find still info as where to cross the UK. Will anyone stop me at the border to show relevant papers or is it enough to send them 24hours prior to arrival as it states on the website?

farkywelly, when you wrote this bit >''can't find still info as where to cross the UK''< ........do you mean whereabouts in the UK do you cross from to calais??
If so the map & area's of both the UK Folkstone departure area and the Calais arrival/departure area are at the link below:

https://www.eurotunnel.com/uk/traveller-info/getting-to-eurotunnel/

farkwelly - ''Will anyone stop me at the border to show relevant papers or is it enough to send them 24hours prior to arrival as it states on the website?''

When you arrive back at Calais from Czeck & with the puppy, the last time I used tunnel you had to go to a specific area to get all papers checked & and then onto the shuttle train. At the UK end you just drive off & back to normal.

Do these 2 posts answer your question enough?
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Usually the passport & chip are checked by the country you are leaving. You do not HAVE to use the Channel Tunnel, but there are designated ports for arrivals & departures. The Channel Tunnel is popular because you can keep the dog with you all the time.

I think you are getting confused with TRACES procedure which comes into force only when more than 5 dogs/cats are being moved. This only applies to multiple pets(like rescues) & wouldn't apply to you or your puppy

BREXIT will NOT affect anything until after midnight on 29th March 2019 no matter what decisions/ discussions happen beforehand. It is very UNLIKELY to be any changes in the rules as they are INTERNATIONAL & not just EU rules.

Usually the passport & chip are checked by the country you are leaving.

Since when in any EU country, the EU is a free trade area, in the case of dogs or other small animals you just drive across borders in the same way we cross borders into & out of Wales & Scotland. Where do you get it from that EU countries have a 'pet passport'? if the dog is vaccinated its simply written onto an international vaccination certificate.
There are 40 odd countries make up EU can you please specify any other 2 of them which have a 'pet passport', other that UK? Also dog shows are held all over EU, they just get in their cars & go, no pet passport or checks at borders of the northern countries.

my IRISH dogs have European Pet Travel documents(all dogs entering the UK under the Pet Travel Scheme have to have one) AKA Pet Passport. Your puppy will have one in Czech & English language. All the health checks, vaccination etc information will be included in it

To get back to your questions, there are several places you can enter the country under the PETS scheme, if flying it's Heathrow, Gatwick, Manchester and Edinburgh.

Driving or on foot it's Southampton, Dover, Portsmouth, Plymouth, Poole, Hull, Newcastle and Harwich to name a few of the most popular routes.

As Tommee said, please ignore Euro, your paperwork will be checked at the port before you board the ferry/train back to the UK. Some ports are quite relaxed and will hand you a scanner to scan your own dog/dogs and then they check the paperwork. Some are more diligent and do it themselves and also check more thoroughly.

I had travelled with one particular dog twice on the Hook of Holland to Harwich route and then tried to cross a few months later on eurotunnel. The lady there noticed his passport wasn't actually signed by the vet! We were stuck there for hours while my vet faxed over proof they had administered the rabies vaccine to this dog and then we had to take that and his passport to a vet in Calais to have it countersigned.

Tommee also makes an excellent point about checking the chip,  I personally know two dogs, in my numerically small breed, whose chips have failed and they have been unable to cross into the UK. One was a friend I was travelling with, and the chip had been checked just before we left the UK, then 2 days later it had failed. The bitch had to be left behind with friends for three weeks to be rechipped and revaccinated.

Also check that the pup is microchipped before the rabies vaccine is administered, so chipped say when they are given their first regular vaccine at 8 or 10 weeks, then second vaccine and rabies vaccine at 12 weeks. 22 days after that you may cross into the UK, have pup treated for tapeworm and passport stamped 24 - 120 hours before travelling. I would suggest getting it done 4 days before travelling so pups tummy settles down before the journey.

farkywelly.............I'm  re-emphasizeing your need to fully understand the national winter driving laws of each country your traveling through if your driving in winter. Germany is one of them you need to get it 100% right, they enforce without mercy.
The most difficult of their winter snow tyres driving laws is on roads affected you will need to also fit snow chains to fit your car, some other countries might or might not have that same law. I don't recommend you tell the German police ''Your just nitpicking Officer''
Take into account that if you get stopped in Germany for not complying with their laws you will not be able to drive further until you have corrected the problem, if you do your breaking the same law again. Fitting snow chains is a nightmare, see RAC info on that at link below:

RAC Fitting Snow Chains
https://www.rac.co.uk/breakdown-cover/how-to-fit-snow-chains

Please keep this thread on topic. Petty bickering is not helpful and spoils an interesting topic. You have the option to ignore people so please use it.

Thank you very much for everyone. I am aware of winter tyres as well, many thanks. I will still have a few months before he arrives, so have plenty of time sorting everything out. Many thanks for everyone's help!

I will still have a few months before he arrives,

Sounds about the same time as me 'cept I'm going into Germany, enjoy your pup, such a short life and this will be your first journey through it.............it's already been a a 'bit eventful'

Dogs are required to have a Pet Passport for crossing any international EU BORDERS,  THAT some  COUNTNRIES DO NO CHECKS DOES NOT ALTER THIS.

Dogs are required to have a Pet Passport for crossing any international EU BORDERS

I don't know if you have not 'thought' through the wording of your post but the term ''Pet Passport'' can be very, very misleading to someone who has no experience of the subject (importing a dog), especially if because of lack of experience it makes someone a little nervous as well.

It could/would complicate matters further if they ask their own vet in their own country that to get into UK they need a ''pet passport'' for entry into UK so he/she needs to issue them with one, the vet in turn is completely clueless as to what they are talking about because their vet can only issue their own official documentation.

''Pet passport'' is UK name only.

DEFRA

Overview

You can enter or return to the UK with your pet cat, dog or ferret if it:

has been microchipped

has a pet passport or third-country official veterinary certificate

has been vaccinated against rabies - it will also need a blood test if you’re travelling from an ‘unlisted country’

Dogs must also usually have a tapeworm treatment.

https://www.gov.uk/take-pet-abroad

EU country official documentation, ''International Certificate Of Vaccination''
         https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s1aGyc9m8Gk

The breeder should be working with you to ensure everything is in order. Puppy will need a pet passport, microchip first, then at 12 weeks rabies vaccinations. Then 21 days later can travel. Puppy will need worming with an approved (By DEFRA) wormer between 120 - 24 hrs prior to travel. If the puppy is registered in your name and the passport too, and you collect it or you are traveling back within 5 days of the puppy's travel dates then it can travel through a variety of ports or airports including the tunnel. If the passport is not in your name then it will be classed as importing and a different set of rules apply.  The Animal & Plant Health Agency will be involved if you are importing a puppy from overseas, especially if you are not actually collecting. And they do check up to make sure that everything was done properly. I know for a fact that they are visiting every puppy brought in from Romania at the moment as so many vets over there are forging passports. Follow the rules properly and make sure your breeder knows how to do thier part. The worst case scenario is a puppy taken from you until things are sorted out. I have just brought a puppy in from the continent and its quite a minefield making sure everything is done legally.

Actually the Pet Passport is an EU document, (Blue with stars around it) the Certificate is used for other countries outside EU.

> Actually the Pet Passport is an EU document, (Blue with stars around it) the Certificate is used for other countries outside EU.

Agreed, my dutch boy's passport looks a lot like the ones I got here for my other dogs

There is another rule/form to fill other than anything mentioned so far, it's a declaration for the ''non-commercial' movement of animals form.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/pet-travel-declaration-for-the-non-commercial-movement-of-animals
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This is a commercial movement though. If you are buying from a breeder and the puppy is registered in its own country it's highly likely to be in the breeder's name still. Unless the breeder has transferred ownership to you and had the passport made out in your name the puppy is being imported. It's being sold to someone within the UK from overseas.  This form is not relevant in this case. If you have a pet you took abroad for a visit or maybe one you purchased while living abroad and are now moving back to the UK a pet passport from the continent is all you need. If you are acting as a courier to bring an animal into the country for someone then this form maybe relevant. However if importing a pet from a breeder overseas then its being imported as a commercial movement. Once you know the mode of transport of this puppy and who will accompany it or how it will be transported then you need to find out from DEFRA what is needed. If you collect yourself then a passport is probably all you need. Having said that you should inform the Animal and Health Agency as well. They will want to ensure the correct protocol has been followed for importing a live animal into the UK. If you bring the puppy in with a courier they should have all the information you need. I assume you are buying from a well known respected breeder and they should know the rules. If not then please make sure you do it by the book and ask DEFRA for help. They are there to help. Too many puppies are brought into the country illegally.

This is a commercial movement though. If you are buying from a breeder and the puppy is registered in its own country it's highly likely to be in the breeder's name still. Unless the breeder has transferred ownership to you and had the passport made out in your name the puppy is being imported. It's being sold to someone within the UK from overseas.

You've written that well but I am not sure I understand your meaning >specifically< in the way I go about things with people I have contact with over there. In my case money changes hands first as a deposit (once pups are born), after that I always deal in cash on the day. Now, this is where there might be some confusion.
I always stay a day or so with what is effectively & in law, my 'property', I might (or might not) even travel to another country to see someone whilst I am there, so I come back in with nothing more than my property bought in EU, the puppy is only registered with the breed registration club & thats not compulsory,no one has to have them registered but in any case the breed registration clubs are private commercial concerns, nothing to do with any government........

Would the passport be in your name also ? The passport would be done by the breeder/owner at 12 weeks or so. The puppy would not belong to you untill paid for in full on the day you collect i assume ? Then you would need it in your name to bring the puppy into the UK. Correct me if I am wrong.

Dogs imported under TRACES which covers rescue puppies/adult being transported in groups of more than 5 (unless travelling for activities/competitions & with their owners)) are visited within 24 hours of arrival in UK. For this reason good rescues place the dogs in kennels for 48 hours allowing the dogs to be all examined & paperwork /chips checked together.

The"dodgy"rescues use transport that bring in dogs with enough "handlers"to fall under the 5 dogs per person.

Somewhat off subject of the original post , but interesting all the same.

Dogs from Ireland(as opposed to Northern Ireland which is part of the UK)need passport & rabies(no tapeworm treatment as Ireland like the UK is free of the particular species) but don't required the post entry check by DEFRA vets

Would the passport be in your name also ? The passport would be done by the breeder/owner at 12 weeks or so.

I don't know the answer to that at this moment because, after going through this post, I can see I am too out of date in my current thinking. I am going to talk to the breeder today but 'my understanding' (as opposed to fact) >at this moment< is that in non export outside EU situations they simply give the same international cert I pasted above somewhere.

The puppy would not belong to you untill paid for in full on the day you collect i assume?

Yes thats correct.

Then you would need it in your name to bring the puppy into the UK. Correct me if I am wrong.

Yes but thats where or what I find confusing combined with the probability that by the time I got to port (Calais) I would have >owned< the dog for a week or so (maybe more), so, from that although I am bringing something back it would be my property.

Actually I think where >my thinking has diverted< is that I am thinking about VAT alone & not entry requirements of all & any items brought into UK regardless of whether they are 'new' items or not............yes, thats where my thinking went off track, do you understand this post?

If you know and trust your breeder then you can pay for your puppy before 1st vaccinations and the passport can be made out in your name.

I paid for my puppy when I chose him at 6 weeks old, all his vaccinations, not just rabies, are in his passport which had my name and address on it as owner.

All my european friends have passports for all their dogs, these passports are used to record all boosters and health checks. When or if they want to come to the UK all they need to do is have the tapeworm pill administered and recorded.

Have just had a look at my Swedish import's passport, again looks very similar to the document issued in the UK. It is in the name of her breeder but she brought her over to the UK for me so I presume that's why everything was straight forward when she came into the UK. Although, as an aside, the authorities didn't actually see my puppy, the breeder went into their office, was handed the scanner and she went back out to her car, scanned the chip and then took the scanner back in to show the number matched the passport....she could have had 5, 10 more puppies in her car and they would have been none the wiser..

> she could have had 5, 10 more puppies in her car and they would have been none the wiser..

I've often thought this, we usually have around 5 dogs in the car or motorhome and just scan them ourselves one by one and hand the scanner over to the person in the booth, there could easily be extra dogs in there, nobody checks!

The year that my friends bitch's chipped stopped working when we got to Hook for the ferry home we considered just smuggling her in, we had 5 other dogs in the motorhome to scan, we only considered it for a second though... but I do wonder if others are not as ethical or worried about the consequences?

chipped stopped working when we got to Hook

So what happened as regards re-entry? & did she have an ear tattoo ID to establish a second form of ID?

Tattoos are not acceptable as I.D. She had to stay with friends in The Hague, be rechipped, revaccinated and wait 3 weeks before she could come home. Her chip was checked just 3 days previously and was working.

The same thing happened to another silken windhound I know, his owners are dutch but they were coming over to a show in the UK, his chip worked one day but not the next and (like the other dog) all scanners were tried including the one that recognised the chip the day before.

It has made me more nervous about travelling to european shows, because I would hate to leave any of my dogs for 3+ weeks. The only failsafe is to have a 2nd chip inserted in a different place and recorded on the passport as a 2nd chip before you travel. To do this the 1st chip must still be working of course.

have a 2nd chip inserted in a different place and recorded on the passport as a 2nd chip before you travel

Providing that would be acceptable to 'The powers Than Be' sounds a good idea

>It has made me more nervous about travelling to european shows, because I would hate to leave any of my dogs for 3+ weeks.

This would be stressful especially if a person has no friends in Europe that would mean leaving the dog in some random kennels. But I haven't heard about chip failing to read before, and we travel very regularly there and back. Perhaps if it happens it's not too regular an occurrence? Luckily we have very good friends over there with excellent conditions for the dogs so that is a sort of failsafe for us....

My boy has an Avid chip which has moved to his left shoulder area, and only reads out on about 30% of attempts. He is nearly 10  and doesn't travel abroad. My vet says he is reluctant to re-chip unless it fails completely.

> Providing that would be acceptable to 'The powers Than Be' sounds a good idea

Yes it is, I have a letter from Defra confirming it.

> Perhaps if it happens it's not too regular an occurrence?

I have a numerically small breed, less than 100 in the UK and NL combined and it's happened to 2 of the dogs I know. One chipped in the NL 9 years ago and 1 unrelated dog in the UK about 4 years ago, so no chance of it being the same chip batch. Something more than 2% fail rate I would say.

> Luckily we have very good friends over there with excellent conditions for the dogs so that is a sort of failsafe for us.

Yes me too

The breeder should be working with you to ensure everything is in order. Puppy will need a pet passport, microchip first, then at 12 weeks rabies vaccinations.

The problem is the 12 weeks old vaccination, I know I have now run into problems with that at the other end, (Germany).
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What sort of Problem ?

Chaumsong
I paid for my puppy when I chose him at 6 weeks old, all his vaccinations, not just rabies, are in his passport which had my name and address on it as owner.

Are you talking about a pup in Europe? if so at what age did he have the rabbies done & which country? Reason for question: I >think< I am going to have probs getting a puppy (not born yet but planned for Jan) in from Germany because of the 12 weeks old rabies jab not being approved by the breeders vet.

I have no idea of the rules in Germany but the manufacturers of the vaccine state 12 weeks. I suppose it's the vets decision to determine the age they will do this for you. My puppy came from Poland and was vaccinated at 13 weeks. I know in France they will do it at 12 weeks.

> Are you talking about a pup in Europe?

Yes

> if so at what age did he have the rabbies done & which country?

3 calendar months old as per nobivac guidelines at the time, they've now changed it to 12 weeks. He was born in and had his vaccinations in the Netherlands.

> in from Germany because of the 12 weeks old rabies jab not being approved by the breeders vet.

A friend imported a bitch from Germany, it was 4 years ago but she received the same rabies vaccination as my boy at 3 months old

> Are you talking about a pup in Europe?

Yes

Thanks very much for all that info, I will pass it on, you've been a big help.

The breeder I am dealing with has never had one come to UK before, I will see what she says after she puts it to her vet, it is un-fortunately a breed badly affected by the increase in DCM & many no longer breed for fear of even one of their dogs being affected by it, many over there think the breed will die out as a result, all the 24 hour Holter test is shows it not present at that time, by the same evening DCM might be showing.

Well thats sorted, she did not want to keep a pup for that length of time, as well as it being time consuming for her.

The other way to do it is to collect pup at 8 weeks and then find someone willing to board and socialise untill passport is complete. If you have friends on the continent this works very well.