Easter is approaching and summer is just around the corner. Therefore, it is likely that you are already planning a vacation and want your pet to accompany you on that adventure. Traveling with a pet can be a wonderful experience for both of you, cognitively enriching for the animal and strengthening your bond, collecting memories together.
However, there are a number of factors that you should take into account. We are not only talking about the conditions for taking your pet in the means of transport you want, or choosing a pet friendly accommodation. Just as people need identification documents such as ID and passport to be able to travel, pets also need their own passport.
The pet passport has the official name of Passport for Companion Animals and is necessary to travel with your pet to any country in the European Union. It is mandatory for dogs, cats and ferrets. The passport is used to identify you and your pet, as well as the veterinarian who issued the document. In addition, it contains the control of the animal's vaccinations.
Thus, in the passport the following information of the owner of the animal is collected: name and surname, postal address, town and country, telephone number, ID and signature. As for the animal, the passport reflects its name, species and breed, sex, date of birth, as well as color.
It must also contain the identification of the animal, either with the alphanumeric code of the microchip or a tattoo. Likewise, it specifies the date of placement of the microchip or tattoo and the location of these. Since it is mandatory for the animal to be vaccinated against rabies to travel to any EU country, the manufacturer of the vaccine, the date of vaccination and its validity must be reflected in the passport.
Finally, the passport contains other data related to its issuance –such as the date and contact details of the veterinarian–, as well as more information about the animal's vaccinations. For example, to travel to some countries such as the United Kingdom, Ireland, Finland, Sweden and Malta, the pet must be protected against the echinococcus parasite.
To obtain the Pet Passport you must go to the vet. They request the document from the country's authorities, who distribute the passports to the veterinarians. The passport will contain all the pertinent data and, once issued, it is valid for the entire life of the pet. That is, it is not necessary to renew it. You only have to keep the health certificate updated where the vaccinations and other considerations about the health of your pet are reflected.
