Moving pets and belongings from the UK

The dog needs a microchip, a rabies jab and the right certificate, in that order. The sofa needs a customs form. Get the order wrong on either and you start again.

The short version

Dogs, cats and ferrets leaving Great Britain for the EU need a microchip, a rabies vaccination and an animal health certificate (AHC) from an official vet [1][2].
The microchip must go in before or at the same time as the rabies jab, and the AHC can't be issued until 21 full days after a first rabies vaccination [1][2].
If you live in England, Scotland or Wales, you can't use a pet passport to enter the EU, even an EU-issued one [1].
Non-EU countries usually need an export health certificate (EHC) and have their own rules on top [4].
Moving to the EU, your used household goods can usually come in free of customs duty under transfer of residence relief, if you meet the conditions [5].

Pets to the EU: the order that works

The rules below are for dogs, cats and ferrets travelling from Great Britain to an EU country. Rabbits, birds and other animals have separate rules, so check with the destination country.

Microchip. Your pet must be microchipped before, or at the same time as, its rabies vaccination. If the jab comes first, it has to be done again [1]. Most UK dogs are already chipped, but get your vet to scan it and check the number matches the records.
Rabies vaccination. Your pet must be at least 12 weeks old. After a first vaccination (or the last dose of the first course), you wait at least 21 full days before travel. If boosters have been kept up with no gap, there's no wait [1].
Tapeworm treatment for dogs, where needed. Finland, Ireland, Malta, Norway and Northern Ireland want dogs treated between 24 hours and 5 days (120 hours) before arrival, recorded by a vet [3].
Animal health certificate. An official vet signs it. You'll need proof of the microchip date and the vaccination history [2]. You also sign a declaration that you're not moving the pet to sell or rehome it [1].
Travel within 10 days. The AHC is valid for entry into the EU for 10 days after it's issued. After that it covers onward travel within the EU for up to 6 months [1][2].

Step	Rule	Source
Microchip	Before or with the rabies jab	[1]
Rabies jab	From 12 weeks old; 21 full days' wait after the first one	[1]
Tapeworm (dogs)	24 hours to 5 days before arrival, some countries only	[3]
AHC	Signed by an official vet; valid 10 days for entry to the EU	[2]
Onward and return	Same AHC for onward EU travel and re-entry to GB for 6 months	[1]

One AHC can cover up to 5 pets. More than 5 in a private vehicle counts as commercial unless you're going to a show or competition [1][2]. If someone else is taking the pet for you, they must travel within 5 days of your own journey, and you sign a declaration naming them [1].

Once you live there

The AHC is a certificate for a journey, not a lifelong document. Once you live in an EU country, a local vet there can usually issue an EU pet passport, which makes later trips much simpler. Keep the rabies boosters on time: if cover lapses, the paperwork starts again from scratch.

Pets to the rest of the world

Outside the EU, you usually need an export health certificate (EHC), sent to an official vet you nominate. From England, Scotland or Wales you also need an export application form (EXA) [4]. Each destination has its own EHC and its own rules: blood tests, import permits, approved airlines and sometimes a spell in quarantine on arrival. Australia and New Zealand are the famously strict ones, and some places need months of preparation, so start as soon as the move looks likely.

Most long-haul airlines fly larger pets as cargo, through approved pet shippers, rather than in the cabin. Ask your vet and the airline early, and book the pet's flight before your own if you can.

Bringing them home again

Coming back to Great Britain has its own rules, which depend on where you're coming from [6]. Keep the rabies vaccinations up to date while you're away and the return trip is far easier.

Belongings: container, part-load or suitcases?

Option	Suits	Things to know
Full container	A family moving a whole house for years	Weeks or months at sea for long-haul; the removals firm usually handles customs
Part-load or groupage	A flat's worth of furniture	Cheaper than a full container, but slower and less flexible on dates
A van to Europe	Moves to France, Spain or the Low Countries	Customs paperwork still applies since Brexit
Suitcases and excess baggage	Short contracts, minimalists	Buy the bulky stuff when you get there

Plenty of Brits ship far too much. Ask whether that oak wardrobe is worth the shipping, the duty paperwork and the stairs in a third-floor flat in Lisbon. UK plugs and some appliances may not suit the new place anyway. The sentimental things, the good knives, the books and a jar of Marmite for emergencies tend to earn their place.

Get three written quotes from removals firms that are members of a recognised trade body, check what insurance covers (and what it doesn't, like items you packed yourself), and keep an itemised inventory. Customs in most countries will want one.

Customs: transfer of residence relief

Since Brexit, a move from the UK to an EU country is an import from a non-EU country. Your household goods can usually come in free of duty and import VAT under relief for transfer of normal residence, if you meet the conditions. Germany's customs service sets them out like this, and they're broadly the same across the EU [5]:

you've lived outside the EU for at least 12 months;
you're setting up your normal residence in that country;
the goods are yours and you've used them for at least 6 months;
you import them within 12 months of moving, in one shipment or several;
you don't lend, hire out, sell or give them away for 12 months after clearance.

Alcohol, tobacco, commercial means of transport and most trade equipment don't count [5]. Each country has its own form and wants proof that you've moved, such as a residence permit, a lease or a work contract. A car brought in this way still needs registering locally, and may carry other taxes.

Outside the EU, most countries offer something similar for returning residents and new arrivals, but the rules on time, used goods and banned items vary a lot. Australia and New Zealand are strict about soil, wood and food. Clean the garden tools and the walking boots before they're packed.

Before the van comes

Book the vet appointments backwards from your travel date: microchip, rabies, wait, AHC.
Take the pet's records, the AHC and a recent photo in your hand luggage.
Write the inventory as you pack, not afterwards.
Keep receipts for expensive items to show you've had them long enough.
Tell your UK insurer the date the house contents leave, and arrange cover for the move itself.

Then breathe. Once the van has gone, you'll be living on a camping chair and takeaway for a week, like everyone else.

Moving pets and belongings abroad: the dog, the sofa and the customs form