Hello,

I’m hoping to buy a puppy in the UK and bring her to Ireland. I’ve been constantly reading up on DEFRA (UK) and DAFM (Irish) govt pages, it’s a minefield, but if I’m reading correctly, and assuming UK is at level 1 status, then the puppy would need to be microchipped then subsequently vaccinated against rabies at 12 weeks old, what I can’t work out is how soon after the vacc the puppy can travel. Does anyone know? Thanks

At the moment between EU countrirs its 21 days, so pups can't be under 15 weeks to travel.

You also need to be careful with Rabies vaccs as some are licensed for vaccinating from 3 Calender months amd not 12 weeks.

What we don't know is whether the Brexit deal will preserve tje status quo, if not then it might mean 12 weeks vaccs, month later blood test, and then a number of months before travel as with other non EU and listed countries.

As yet no-one really knows for sure, as we don't have a.Brexit deal.

Currently a dog can travel to an EU country after 21 days from its rabies vaccination (so it will be a minimum of 15 weeks old). If there's no deal for Brexit and we become an unlisted country, from January 1st it will need a blood test 30 days after the rabies vaccination and then, if the titre result is acceptable, wait till 3 months from the date of the blood test before it can travel, with a health certificate, meaning it will be 6 months old.

https://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/moving_country/moving_to_ireland/coming_to_live_in_ireland/bringing_pets_to_ireland.html#

It doesn't seem too complicated to me.   Your UK vet should know too and even your new puppy's breeder might know.

I'd have to look see whether rabies applies when traveling from the UK.   Checking via Google, it appears not.

Your puppy probably would be best qualifying for a Pet Passport however.

>I'd have to look see whether rabies applies when traveling from the UK.   Checking via Google, it appears not.

Yes it does, and has done since 2012. It was one of the EU's more ridiculous rulings, that a rabies vaccination was required for travel between two rabies-free countries.

You can get around the rabies if you drive from the south of Ireland up into Northern Ireland and then take the boat across from there to UK mainland. This is not strictly speaking legal but no one's going to stop you at the land border between the south and the north.

Makes a big difference if you want to get a pup at 8wks instead of 15wks.

https://www.agriculture.gov.ie/media/migration/animalhealthwelfare/diseasecontrols/rabies/RabiesFactsheet220916.pdf

I didn't write this as I meant which was I didn't think Ireland had rabies - which at present, it doesn't.  This wasn't, from me, about rules and regs. in Ireland.  I still believe it would be worth getting a Pet Passport done, for this puppy, even if it means some delay.

You would need to lie to the breeder regarding the puppy if you were to do this. Something I would advise against.

Because of the smuggling of dogs the Garda & PSNI are carrying out far more checks on vehicles travelling between the two countries & at ports. Add this to increased security due to Covid19 restrictions & I would hate for the OP to have their puppy confiscated & face court action.

Don't forget Irish vehicles have different vehicle registration plates to NI vehicles.

Why would you need to lie to the breeder? You could just tell the breeder how you're getting the puppy home. If they don't like it and want to suggest an alternative, fair enough. Not sure why lying is necessary.

Have you actually driven across the border between NI and the republic? I have many times. You may well not even realise you are crossing the border. There are no 'border checks', it would create a politically volatile situation because border checks are associated with the troubles and the past - and that's part of the reason there is so much upset over Brexit at the moment.

Have you travelled across to UK from Ireland via NI & back again recently?

The situation has changed immensely & to publicly advise some to commit a crime is very foolish to say the least.

Have you not noticed the increased number of criminals being caught by joint Garda/PSNI operations involving illegally trafficked dogs?

FYI there are crossborder checks between Ireland & NI currently being carried out as well as increased checks at ports, especially on Irish registered vehicles landing in NI.

Travel requirements for bringing a puppy from the UK in 2021.
Personally I would be doing the Pet Passport, following the rules on rabies jab - required or not, and ensuring the Puppy was covered legally for all possibilities of change after Brexit.  There is no room for 'cutting corners'.  Not following the rules would be compromising everyone's position especially the little Puppy's. OIMO
.

Quite agree, encouraging law breaking is hardly ethical

I've lived in Ireland for a while and crossed the border almost daily. As do many other people, on a daily basis. If you think they're all Pet Passporting their dogs to pop up the road and visit their neighbours or family, you can think again

I'm not 'encouraging' anything, I'm just reporting on what is possible and frankly done by many. You can see that as encouraging if you like, I prefer to see it as letting people know what the situation is so they can make their own informed opinion and decision about what to do.

But you are not travelling to UK via a NI port driving an Irish registered vehicle are you.

Sorry but you are encouraging the OP to break the law by suggesting they fail to correctly passport their puppy

onetwothreefour; I'm not 'encouraging' anything

Sorry but you have just advised OP the best way to go through border control here in the UK and Ireland undetected.
Passports for horses are obligatory and should be for Dogs/Puppies.  Rabies & Dog Trafficking is a huge issue so in my
book prevention is better than cure.

I'm not encouraging anyone to do anything. I'm giving information.

I even said:

> This is not strictly speaking legal

The information remains the same, no matter if you get your knickers in a twist about it Ann... it's perfectly possible to do and loads of people do it.

Plenty of people drive over 70mph on the motorway and if stopped by Police can face fines, points or loss of Licence.

If stopped for ilegal importation of a pup, pup would need to go into quarantine (not a risk I would allow for a pup I bred) until Passport compliant, and owner face a fine.

That is all true, I've never said otherwise. But the chances of being stopped for illegal importation of a pup when driving across the invisible border are close to zero. Just like people drive between European countries all the time on the continent with 8wk old pups, when the LAW says they are supposed to be Pet Passported there as well.

Heck, I think I even asked my own question about whether anyone was stopped at the borders when travelling from one country to another on the mainland Europe many months back - and the response was overwhelmingly no, no one checks.

No one decided to attack those people for advising me to break the law

onetwothreefour:> No one decided to attack those people for advising me to break the law

Sorry again onetwothreefour but if someone was trying to 'cut corners' in other areas you have commented on you would be the first to correct, condemn, make your very forthright feelings felt ... IMO on this occassion, you have promoted illegal activity offering alternative ways of dodging the system. In other words, a probability calculation of being caught rather than black and white legal guidence.

onetwothreefour:  Who on earth advised you to break the law and in what circumstances? Can't imagine what benefit that would be to anyone?

Have you travelled from/to a NI port driving an Irish registered vehicle recently?

The security has been stepped up at all ports in NI/Ireland especially those carrying animals it is at the ports that people get caught. You have to disclose any animal when travelling from UK to either NI or Ireland & the give away is the Irish plates on the vehicle & not to declare any animal to the ferry company/border control is an offence.

How many people do you know who have broken the law in this way since April this year??

Sorry you are wrong there have been several cases of people being caught with incorrect documentation for pets at European borders, especially one German border post, were animals have been impounded in till the correct documentation was produced

Yawn.

I really don't know what's going on. I feel like I'm having one conversation and you're existing in another.

All you say is true about the risk of what happens if you get stopped.

All I say is true about the risk of actually getting stopped.

The other person can now make up their mind, being a person with their own brain who can think about the relevant risks and make their own decision. There is nothing to debate or argue about.

End of conversation.

Hi Everyone,

Thank you for all of you comments and advice. I’ve thought about all the options and I’m going to wait to see what status the UK gets, I think they plan to announce it on December 1st.

If it’s level 1 I think there’ll be little change and I’ll go ahead and ensure puppy has the rabies vacc and a passport, tho it looks like passports may not be valid for travel after Jan 1st, the advise is to have one to document the rabies vacc