Holidays in Javea

Bringing Your Pet Into Spain

 

These days, it goes without saying that more and more pets are seen at airports checking in.  How times have changed.  However, at the moment the cost of your pet to travel by air will cost considerably more than you. 

 

This is some information for your guidance
If you plan to take a pet (animal de compañia or mascota) to Spain, it’s important to check the latest regulations. Make sure that you have the correct papers, not only for Spain, but for all the countries you will pass through to reach Spain.

  

There are certain rules which must be abided by.

  

Firstly it would be wise to  you make sure where you are staying in Spain that pets are allowed, most hotels are not likely to allow pets-so check first!.

  

You must have an International Vaccination Health Certificate or Pet Passport showing that your pet can be imported into Spain without quarantine. This will show that they are inoculated and free from the diseases listed by Spanish Authorities. The health certificate must be issued no more than 15 days prior to bringing your pet into the country.

  

The International Vaccination Health certificate must state:

That your pet shows no signs of disease and has been examined by a vet before leaving the country.
The indentification and origin of your pet Microchip or tattoo number and date of insertion

Identification of the owner or person responsible for the pet

That your pet has been vaccinated against rabies.

  

Animals must be accompanied by either owners or a representative and must have written certification that the pet has been under the owners’ supervision for at least 3 months before entering Spain.

  

If you are entering from Spain under the Pet Travel Scheme you will need an Export Certificate issued by the MAFF and a Good Health Certificate issued by within 5 days of departure by a vet.

  

You can enrol your pet in the PETS scheme and they will be given a new PETS certificate each time they have their yearly rabies booster to comply with Spanish Law, regardless of them having a 24 month vaccine in the UK.

  

On your return with your pet back to the UK you must provide proof that it has been treated for tapeworm and ticks, with an official certificate issued by a vet between 24 and 48 hours prior to entering or checking in for travel. Six months must have passed since the pet was blood tested successfully, the date of the test will be on the certificate issued by the vet.

There is also an Export Health Certificate and again your pet must  be microchipped and be vaccinated against rabies. After this has been done, you must then apply to DEFRA for an application form which you fill in with your pet’s details and the name and address of a Licensed Veterinary Inspector to whom the form will be sent to once processed. You can then make an appointment, once you know your travel date for the vet to check your pet for any infectious disease, a check on the vaccination record and chip number.

Once the certificate has been signed stamped and dated, it is valid for 10 days for you to bring your pet to Spain. Pets coming to Spain under this scheme can be blood tested and join the PETS travel scheme once they are in Spain.

More information on the PETS scheme and Export Health Certificate along with contact details can be found at http://www.defra.gov.uk.

  

Once all the above has been successfully carried out your pet is now ready for his/her holiday and can now be brought into Spain from a number of UK airports.

It is possible to fly on the same plane as your pet with Thomson Flights, Monarch Scheduled, Mytravel Lite, and British Airways into Alicante but you should check with both live cargo and passenger departments before booking. The carrier you provide must ensure that the pet has enough room to stand up and turn around in and that fresh water is available during the flight. Failure to comply with these points will result in your pet being refused travel.

 

If you are flying to Spain, you also should check with your air carrier before planning when and how to bring your pet to Spain. Some carriers will not transport pets in the luggage compartment during the summer due to the risk of harm to the pet from the heat.

   

Note 1: All animals will be identified with either a tattoo or a microchip compatible with standards ISO-11784 or ISO-11785. If the animals are identified with a non-compatible microchip, the importer must supply the appropriate reading equipment.

Note 2: The veterinary certificate will be valid for 4 months or until the vaccine’s expiration date, whichever is first. Animals without the certificate will be denied entry into Spain. For animals from the United States and Canada traveling to Spain, parts V, VI, and VII of the certificate do

Note 3: If you’re from the USA or Canada, the Spanish government has recently simplified the procedure for bringing your pets into the country. Follow these instructions from the Spanish Embassy. I would assume that for other non-EU countries, importing your pets is the same or at least very similar, but confirm with your nearest Spanish consulate.

 Note: 4 The entry of dogs, cats, or ferrets under three months of age is not allowed.

Note 5: In Spain the ownership of certain types of dogs is subject to strict requirements regarding registration and safety.

Below are some useful contacts.

There are a number of companies that will advise and take care of the flight documentation if you book your pets holiday through them they t work in conjunction with the airlines.

British Airways Passenger Reservations and Enquiries
Tel: 0870 8509850Ladyhaye, Lingfield, Surrey
Tel: 01342 832161
Web: http://www.ladyhaye.co.ukChilworth Pet Exports, Southampton
Tel: 0283 80766876
Web: http://www.petexports.comMonarch Scheduled, Cargo
Tel: 01753 686852
Email: rob@gsaworld.comMytravel Lite Cargo
Tel: 0161 2326685
Email: cargo@mytravel.co.ukWhitelea Skydogs, Matlock Derbyshire
Tel: 01629 735555
Web: http://www.skydogs.co.uk  

A useful website for diseases to watch out for in Spain: http://www.aahvet.com.

 

For more in depth information on this topic, again we highly recommend:

Living and Working in Spain: A Survival Guide