travel to france

Question
can you tell me the list of things i need to take my two very small dogs to
France?  they have their rabies vaccines and i have the paperwork from their
vet showing this.  do i need to get a rabies vaccine even though they're
covered till next year?  what other documents do i need to enter France with
no trouble?

thanks so much.
Janis

Answer
HI, Janis,
Well, France is one of the easier countries to emigrate with your dogs.  Being part of the PET Passport program means you can have all documentation on hand.

Here is info from Wikipedia re: the PET Passport program:
The Pet Travel Scheme ("PETS") is a system which allows animals to travel easily between member countries without undergoing quarantine. A Pet Passport is a document that officially records information related to a specific animal, as part of that procedure. The effect is to drastically speed up and simplify travel with and transport of animals between member countries, compared to previous procedures, if the regulations are followed. Pets can only travel through Animal Reception Centres that are currently licenced with DEFRA.

One example is the Anglo European company, based at Robin Hood Airport, Doncaster Sheffield.

PETS was originally introduced for the benefit of animals entering or returning to the United Kingdom from other European Union countries, since historically the UK had very strong controls to safeguard against rabies including a compulsory 6 month quarantine period on imports of many animals. On October 1, 2001, several European Union countries introduced the PETS scheme, under which animals from any member country may freely travel (with the correct procedure) to any other member country on approved carriers. Over time the scheme has rolled out to other countries such as the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

Details of procedure

Every country has different requirements, both for export and import of animals, although some features are common to all.
[edit] Common features

All countries:

       * Subcutaneous (below the skin) microchip implant that meets the International Society of Pharmacovigilance (SoP) specification.
       * Certified rabies vaccination, with some kind of prior period of time or evidence the vaccination is working (commonly blood serology tests to confirm the vaccination has "taken" and a delay of some months to confirm the animal is rabies free initially)

Some countries:

       * Animal treated for ticks, fleas and tapeworms between 24 and 48 hours before boarding the outbound transport. The time limit is usually enforced strictly (ie no less than 24 hours and no more than 48 hours before check-in)
       * Vet's letter or certificate confirming fitness to travel and/or no obvious signs of disease.
       * Government certification that the vet's export documentation and certificates are in order for travel.
       * Sometimes certain carriers or import/export points only, will allow animals.

In some countries the formal passport is needed. Others will accept documentation in any form, so long as it is clearly evidential of the procedure being followed. Usually the animal and its papers are checked thoroughly both on boarding or export, and again upon arrival.

The Pet passport alone can be used to enter some countries if it records all relevant information (e.g. the UK), but it will not suffice to enter many countries. For instance Guatemala, in common with almost every country operating such a scheme, demands that all imported pets have a rabies vaccination, but will not accept the Pet Passport as proof of said vaccination. They need to see the proof of the rabies in the animal's vaccination records.
[edit] Travel from outside Europe to a European country

Tick and tapeworm treatment is needed between 24 and 48 hours prior to departure.
End of Wikipedia info

Here is some info specific to France:
IDENTIFICATION:
Your pet should be identified with a microchip that meets ISO standards 11784/11785. This is a 15 digit ISO compliant microchip that operates at 134.2 kHz. If your pet does not have the ISO microchip then the owner must provide their own scanner. Here you can get more information on pet microchips. To purchase a 15 digit ISO microchip, for more information on microchip scanners.

VETERINARY CERTIFICATE - PET PASSPORT:
Your pet must be accompanied by the bi-lingual certificate of the country you are entering as prescribed by rule EU 998. This pet passport must show that the pet has been vaccinated against rabies and certain other diseases by a licensed veterinarian at least 30 days prior to travel.  (EUROPEAN UNION FORM 998 VETERINARY CERTIFICATE

All of the Countries of the EU have adopted the new veterinary certificate that meets EU rule 998 This form differs from the International Veterinary Certificate issued by Veterinarians in the United States.)

NOTE: You will find information on obtaining the official EU form 998 veterinary certificate and the instructions for taking your pet into France at the end of this document.

And here is one website (of many)  where you can find the proper forms for your dog's immigration:
http://www.pettravelstore.com/store-pet-immigration-forms1.html  The forms are inexpensive, and I have found no place where the forms are downloadable with no fee (even from the French Embassy website).

Hope this helps.  Good Luck.



RESTRICTIONS: Unvaccinated pets (dogs and cats only) under 3 months old may enter an EU Country, but there are additional regulations that must be met. Certain aggressive breeds of dogs are prohibited from entry.