If you travel from England, Scotland or Wales to Europe with a cat, the headline is genuinely good news: the UK government expects a future UK–EU sanitary and phytosanitary agreement to let owners obtain a multiuse pet passport for EU travel instead of buying a new Animal Health Certificate for every trip. But “expected” is doing important work. As at 11 November 2026, negotiations are still under way, the intended start is mid-2027, and the detailed passport process has not been published.
Do not travel on the headline. A new UK–EU pet passport is not currently available. If your cat leaves Great Britain for the EU before official guidance changes, plan under the current Animal Health Certificate rules.
The short answer: what is agreed, and what is not?
The proposed agreement is an SPS agreement—a deal about sanitary and phytosanitary rules governing animals, plants, food and related products. For ordinary pet owners, the practical promise is simpler: reusable pet travel documentation should return.
| Question | Position in November 2026 | Expected under the SPS agreement |
|---|---|---|
| Document for GB → EU | Current A new AHC for each separate trip | Expected A multiuse pet passport valid for EU travel |
| Start date | The current rules continue | Government intention: mid-2027, subject to negotiations |
| Validity and renewal | AHC: 10 days to enter the EU; then up to 6 months for onward EU travel and re-entry to GB, while rabies cover remains valid | Not confirmed Detailed passport validity, fees and renewal process |
| Microchip and rabies | Required | No official basis to assume they will disappear |
| Routes and carrier rules | Still apply where required | No promise that all restrictions will disappear |
| Northern Ireland | Separate arrangements; NI residents can use EU pet passports for EU travel | NI is included in the wider SPS framework, but GB and NI guidance remain distinct |
Why it matters: even when the chip and rabies vaccination remain valid, a Great Britain resident currently needs another AHC before each new EU trip. A reusable passport should reduce repeat vet paperwork and cost for holidays, second-home stays and family visits.
The rules that apply today from Great Britain to the EU
Here, Great Britain means England, Scotland and Wales. For an EU trip in November 2026:
- Microchip first. The cat must be microchipped before, or at the same time as, the rabies vaccination. If vaccination happened first, it must be repeated after the chip.
- Rabies vaccination. The vet needs evidence that the cat is at least 12 weeks old. After a first vaccination—or final injection in a primary course—the wait is at least 21 full days and can be longer for the particular vaccine.
- Animal Health Certificate. Take the cat, chip evidence and vaccination history to an Official Veterinarian. Enter the EU within 10 days of issue; day 1 is the issue date.
- Travellers’ point of entry. Be ready to show the original AHC and the chip and rabies evidence.
- Country and carrier checks. France, Spain and the transport operator can have operational requirements beyond the baseline paperwork.
How long is an AHC valid?
It is valid for 10 days for entry into the EU. After entry, it can be used for up to six months for onward EU travel and up to six months for re-entry to Great Britain, provided rabies cover stays valid. It is not reusable for a second departure from Great Britain.
What does an AHC cost?
There is no government-set price. Practices and specialist certificate services set their own fees, so obtain a written quote from an Official Veterinarian. As a planning allowance, owners commonly encounter certificate quotes around £100–£250, with higher totals possible when the appointment includes a microchip, vaccination, extra animals, corrections or urgent work. The legal requirement is the certificate, not a fixed fee.
Budget for the whole chain. Add any chip or vaccination work, the operator’s pet charge and—if a specialist moves the cat—handling, clearance and certification costs.
Compare CatAbroad’s United Kingdom guide, France guide, Spain guide and EU paperwork guide. Use the cat travel planner as a planning aid, then confirm current official guidance.
What changed on 22 April 2026?
These changes are already in force and are separate from the proposed 2027 agreement:
- GB residents should no longer use an EU pet passport to enter the EU. EU passports may now be issued only to people whose main home is in the EU. A holiday home or seasonal stay is not enough. Official guidance directs GB residents to an AHC.
- AHCs last longer after entry. They remain single-use for departure from Great Britain, but onward EU travel and re-entry to Great Britain increased from four to six months, while rabies cover remains valid.
- Someone else can accompany the cat within strict conditions. The cat must travel within five days before or after the owner, to the same destination, with written permission and proof of the owner’s journey.
- The five-pet vehicle limit changed. Non-commercial EU entry is limited to five pets per private vehicle rather than per person. The limit remains five pets for people travelling on foot; event exceptions have conditions.
A GB resident can still use a valid EU pet passport for the return into Great Britain. The problem is outbound EU entry from Great Britain. Do not treat acceptance in one direction as acceptance in the other.
Moving with your cat, using another person, or commercial transport
The paperwork follows the legal character of the movement, not whether you call it a holiday or relocation. A permanent move can remain non-commercial; a paid transporter can sometimes accompany a non-commercial pet. Ownership, timing and who travels are decisive.
| Situation | Likely regime | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| You travel with your cat | Non-commercial | Use the current AHC route if ownership is not changing and the other conditions are met. |
| Friend, family or transporter accompanies the cat | Can remain non-commercial | Authorise them in writing; you and the cat go to the same destination within five days; they carry the declaration, AHC and proof of your journey. |
| Cat travels more than five days before or after you | Commercial rules | Expect an export health certificate, an approved EU Border Control Post and advance notification through an EU import agent. |
| Cat is sold, rehomed or ownership transfers | Commercial rules | The ordinary pet-travel route is not correct, even for one cat. |
| More than five pets in one private vehicle | Commercial unless an event exception applies | Competition, show, sporting-event or training exceptions require evidence. |
A pet transport company does not automatically make the movement commercial. If it accompanies your cat as your authorised person and the five-day, same-destination, no-transfer conditions are met, the movement can remain non-commercial. Otherwise ask who handles the EHC, EU import agent, TRACES pre-notification and Border Control Post.
Example: moving a cat from Britain to Spain
You drive with your cat
Imagine you leave Bristol for a new home in Málaga. Your cat remains yours and travels in the car. A permanent relocation does not by itself make this commercial.
- Confirm the chip predates the current rabies vaccination and that rabies cover will remain valid.
- Book an AHC so you can enter France within 10 days of issue.
- Carry originals and use the appropriate pet check at the Channel crossing and authorised travellers’ point of entry.
- Once admitted in France, drive onward to Spain using the same AHC; no new certificate is needed at the France–Spain border for the same trip.
- Keep the AHC: it can support onward EU travel and return to Great Britain for up to six months from EU entry, while rabies cover remains valid.
Our UK-to-Spain flying-versus-ferry guide and UK–Europe ferry guide cover the transport choices the certificate does not answer.
A transporter takes the cat
You fly to Málaga on 15 May and an authorised transporter delivers your cat to the same destination on 18 May. That is within five days, so it can remain non-commercial if the other conditions are met. Sign the official English-and-Spanish declaration and give the transporter the original AHC plus proof of your 15 May journey. Delivery on 23 May falls outside the five-day route: contact APHA and follow commercial export rules.
Example: returning from Spain or France to Great Britain
For a return within six months of EU entry, the GB-issued AHC can be used if rabies cover remains valid. You can also use a valid EU or Northern Ireland pet passport, or a Great Britain pet passport issued before 1 January 2021, if it meets the requirements.
- Check the chip and rabies details are correct and current.
- Use an approved route and operator where Great Britain rules require one.
- Carry originals, not photocopies.
- Complete the no-sale/no-transfer declaration.
- Remember: tapeworm treatment is a dog rule, not a cat rule.
After more than six months, if you cannot use an accepted valid passport, the outbound AHC has expired for return and you need a Great Britain pet health certificate. Check GOV.UK return guidance before booking.
Northern Ireland is not the same as Great Britain
A Northern Ireland resident can use an EU pet passport for EU travel. For a pet moving from Great Britain to Northern Ireland, current guidance generally uses the free Northern Ireland Pet Travel Document: the pet must be microchipped, and a PTD lasts while you own it. NI residents do not need a PTD for travel to and from Great Britain, although the pet must be microchipped.
These GB–NI arrangements are not a shortcut for taking a GB-resident cat onward into the EU. Check each leg separately using GOV.UK Northern Ireland guidance and DAERA.
Travelling before the agreement takes effect
- Do not delay microchipping or rabies vaccination while waiting for a passport announcement.
- Do not make a non-refundable booking that depends on the new passport being available.
- Obtain a current AHC for each separate GB-to-EU trip.
- Check the destination and transport operator shortly before departure.
- Re-check official guidance near the expected mid-2027 transition; the exact date and treatment of existing AHCs are not confirmed.
Build the route before you book
Use CatAbroad’s planner to organise the chip, rabies, certificate, carrier and return steps. Treat it as a working checklist, then confirm against current official guidance.
Open the Cat Travel PlannerPractical checklist
- Confirm residence. England, Scotland and Wales or Northern Ireland?
- Classify the movement. Is ownership staying the same, who accompanies the cat, and are you both travelling to the same destination within five days?
- Read dates in order. The chip must precede or match the vaccination date.
- Count the wait. Allow at least 21 full days after a first rabies vaccination, or longer if required for the vaccine.
- Book an Official Veterinarian. Ask for the total fee and records needed.
- Enter within 10 days of AHC issue. Day 1 is the issue date.
- Check the first EU entry point. Use an authorised travellers’ point and follow carrier check-in.
- Carry originals. Keep the AHC, vaccination history, declaration and journey evidence together.
- Protect the return. Keep rabies cover continuous and the document valid.
- Refresh before departure. Rules can change, especially around mid-2027.
Frequently asked questions
Can I get the new UK–EU pet passport now?
No. In November 2026 the agreement is still being negotiated. GB residents should use an AHC for each trip unless official guidance changes.
When will reusable pet passports return?
The intended date is mid-2027, subject to negotiations. The exact start date, application process, price, validity and transition rules are not confirmed.
Can I use my old EU pet passport?
Do not rely on it for entry from Great Britain to the EU if you are a GB resident. Official guidance directs GB residents to an AHC. A valid EU passport can still be accepted for return to Great Britain.
Can I reuse an AHC for another trip?
No. You need a fresh AHC for each separate GB-to-EU trip. The same AHC can cover onward EU travel and re-entry to GB for up to six months after EU entry, while rabies cover remains valid.
Is moving permanently to Spain automatically commercial?
No. It can remain non-commercial when ownership is not changing and the cat travels with you, or with your authorised person within five days, while the other conditions are met.
Does using a professional transporter make it commercial?
Not automatically. An authorised transporter can accompany a non-commercial pet if the same-destination and five-day rules are met. Otherwise follow commercial export rules.
Do cats need tapeworm treatment for Great Britain?
No. That is a dog rule. Cats still need the correct chip, rabies vaccination, accepted document and route.
Will the SPS agreement remove all restrictions?
No such promise has been made. The passport should reduce repeat certification, but identification, rabies, welfare, carrier, route and border rules may still apply.
Official sources checked
Rules and status checked 11 November 2026 against: Defra’s SPS agreement guidance; GOV.UK outbound guidance; the 21 April 2026 announcement; owner-authorisation guidance; commercial export guidance; and GOV.UK return guidance. Costs are planning estimates rather than statutory fees; obtain a current quote from an Official Veterinarian.