Importation of animals into France

Pet cats, dogs and ferrets - Moving to France on a permanent basis

Since 1st October 2004, the conditions for staying permanently in France with your pet which can be a dog, cat or ferret (mammals carnivorous) or going to transport your animal through France without returning to UK have changed to be harmonised between EU member states.

To enter France you have to meet these new requirements :

1. Identification : clearly readable tattoo or microchip under the skin (this is an electronic identification system). 2. Valid vaccination against rabies (first vaccinations and boosters).

1. and 2. are specified in the passport.

3. An EU pet Passport attesting valid rabies vaccination delivered by a Government-approved vet (in the UK, a Local Veterinary Inspector). The passport also provides for certifications of others vaccinations done in the past but valid rabies vaccination will be the sole requirement for pets from EU Member States to enter into France. Since 28 May 2004, pets who are under three months old and not vaccinated against rabies are not allowed to enter into France

Please see the French Ministry for Agriculture website for further information : http://www.agriculture.gouv.fr

You can find a registered veterinary surgeon in the UK if you consult the website : http://www.yell.com

More generally, treatments for tapeworms and ticks are not compulsory but they are advisable.

When taking your pet overseas we would recommend you bring an updated vaccination record of the pet and that your animal is treated against diseases that are widespread in Europe such as:

-  Heartworm (Dirofilaria)
-  Leishmaniasis
-  Babesiosis
-  Ehrlichiosis
-  Tapeworm
-  Distemper
-  Hepatitis, etc.

Please talk to your veterinary surgeon about these.

Regarding the journey, please contact the appropriate transport companies to check if you are allowed to travel with your pet.

Pets cats, dogs and ferrets - Going to France on a temporary basis

Since 1st October 2004, the conditions for the movement of pet animals within the EU have been harmonised . Cats dogs and ferrets have to be accompanied by a passport to move between EU member states.

Please note : you are allowed to travel with your pet within the EU with the new passport. If you have a Pet Travel Scheme (PETS) certificate this can be used for dogs and cats to enter the United Kingdom (UK) until its “Valid until” date.

If you want to travel from the United Kingdom to France with your pet and then return with it to the UK, you have to meet the following requirements. Please note that the microchipping, vaccination and blood test must be carried out in this order.

1/ the identification of your animal: microchip under the skin only as the British authorities do not accept identification by tattoo..

2/ a valid vaccination against rabies (first vaccination and boosters). Animals must be at least 3 months old before being vaccinated.

3/ for dogs and cats a successful blood test(to make sure that the vaccine has given sufficient protection against rabies) done by an EU-approved laboratory. There has to be at least 6 months between the date the blood sample was taken that gave a satisfactory test result and the arrival of the pet in the United Kingdom. The blood test and 6 months wait do not apply to ferrets.

4/ an EU pet passport issued by a Government-approved vet (in France, a vet who has the “mandat sanitaire”). Identification, a valid rabies vaccination and passport will be the sole requirement for entry into Member States other than the United Kingdom, Malta, Ireland and Sweden which also require a satisfactory blood test. It is possible for this to be done after travelling to France but the 6 months wait explained at point 3 will still apply.

5/ treatment against parasites (ticks and tapeworms) between 24 and 48 hours before your pet is checked-in to travel on its journey into the UK. The details of the treatment must be recorded on an official certificate of treatment or in the pet passport if you have one..

6/ Your pet must also enter the UK using an approved transport company and route. You can find the information regarding routes and transport companies that may be used on the Defra website. All these requirements are also compulsory for guide and hearing dogs.

Check whether your dog is considered to be dangerous in France as some breeds allowed in the UK are not in France.

Please read the information below on dangerous dogs.

Please check that you have the necessary documents you need before boarding. Pets that come from qualifying non-EU countries can also enter the UK without quarantine. Please contact the Defra Pets Helpline on 0870 241 1710 for further information.

A.If your dog belongs to a breed recognized as dangerous dog, you cannot import this kind of dog in France (cat. 1). These breeds are:

-  any dog of the type known as the Staffordshire terrier without a pedigree.
-  any dog of the type known as the American Staffordshire terrier without a pedigree. (These types of dogs can be named « Pitbulls »
-  any dog of the type known as the Mastiff. (These types of dogs can be named « boerbulls »)
-  any dog of the type known as the Tosa without a pedigree.

B.Other breeds classified as guard dogs (cat. 2) with a pedigree can be imported into France:

-  Staffordshire terrier
-  American Staffordshire terrier
-  Rottweiler
-  Rottweiler and any dog of the type known as the Rottweiler without a pedigree.
-  Tosa

It is advisable to have a certificate that your dog has a pedigree.

I.You have to meet the following requirements to import a guard dog to France :

-  The dog has to be identified (tattooing or microchipping, etc).
-  You have to register the dog in the town council where you will stay.
-  The vaccination against rabies is compulsory.
-  Owners have to maintain insurance against their dogs injuring third parties.
-  The dog has to be on a lead and muzzled when in public place

II.There are some conditions attached to possessing this type of dog, the owners must:

-  Be over 18 years of age
-  Not be under guardianship
-  Not be convicted of an offence or in custody.

Otherwise, you need a document explaining your police/criminal record and how this relates to the French legislation. If you have any enquiries about legislation, please contact the Home Office.

-  Not already have been forbidden to possess a dog.

If a person arriving in this country produces paperwork that purports to prove that the dog is not a prohibited type it is necessary for the authorities to be cautious.

Paperwork accompanying the dog should be detailed and comprehensive.

Owners should be aware that the dog displays the defining characteristics that are represented in the prohibited types the dog could be seized. It is therefore necessary to be very cautious when you want to bring your dog from overseas.

If there is any doubt as to whether the dog in question could be considered to be of the prohibited type, tne advise is NOT to bring it into this country.

Pet cats, dogs and ferrets - Transport of Veterinary Medicine to France

Transport of veterinary drugs for personal use to United Kingdom from France:

If you buy veterinary drugs for your pets in the U.K., there is no problem importing them to France if you are accompanied by pet(s) that are having medical treatment. You need the prescription which proves that a vet prescribed drugs for your animal and that you have bought it legally. You have to travel with all the necessary papers (prescription) which justify the purchase of veterinary drugs. Keeping of receipts of veterinary drugs is advisable.

Purchase of veterinary drugs (non-existent in France) in the United Kingdom to import from France:

People who want to order veterinary drugs in the U.K. to import them to France, need to have authorization from the French National Agency for Veterinary Medicine.

Contact :

Agence Nationale du Médicament Vétérinaire
Mme Laurentie
Tel : 00 33 2 99 94 78 78
JAVENE
B.P. 90 203
35 302 Fougeres - cedex

Pet bird, reptile, amphibian, insect, invertebrate, fish rodents and lagomorphs (rabbit, guinea-pigs, hamster, mouse, rat, etc)

If you are going to stay permanently in France with your pet which can be a rat, mouse, rabbit, guinea-pig, hamster...(rodents and lagomorphs) or if you are going to transport your animal through France without returning to the UK:

You will need to obtain certificates issued by a Local Veterinary Inspector (a private veterinary surgeon who is allowed to issue certificates for the import/export of pets) to travel with your animal:

I. A certificate of Good Health (In both languages) to testify that your pet has no signs of disease, above all any signs of a contagious disease of the species.For example regarding rabbits: myxomatosis etc. This certificate should be issued between 1 and 5 days before the entry of the animal into France.

You can find a registered veterinary surgeon if you consult the website : http://www.yell.com

II. The owner of the animal has to declared that: "He/She is the owner of the animal that he/she is accompanying and he/she will not sell it on."

Regarding the journey, please contact the appropriate transport companies to check if your are allowed to travel with your pet.

You have to check if your animal belongs to an endangered species. See specific requirements.

For further information about the CITES, please consult the following website: http://cites.org

http://www.unep.wcmc.org: on the website you can use the index of species to find out if your animal belongs to the CITES species.

If you want to return to the UK with your pet after your stay in France:

You must contact the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs or the Departement of Agriculture and Rural Development of Northern Ireland for an Import Licence. You can obtain more information on quarantine procedures from:

Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
1A Page Street
London, England SW1 4PQ
Tel: +44 (0) 207 904 6222
Fax: +44 (0) 207 904 6834
Website: www.defra.gov.uk

For further information, you can also contact UK Embassy in France:
Ambassade de Grande-Bretagne
35 bd du Faubourg Saint-Honoré
75 383 Paris Cedex 08
Tel: 00 33 1 44 51 32 81
Website: http://www.amb-grandebretagne.fr

- The French Ministry of Agriculture

Ministère de l’agriculture et de la Pêche Bureau de l’identification et du contrôle des mouvements des animaux 251 rue de Vaugirard 75 015 PARIS Téléphone : 0033 1 49 55 84 72 Fax : 0033 1 49 55 81 97 Website : http://www.agriculture.gouv.fr