This petition urges the UK government to take action on the EU-imposed pet travel rule changes that came into effect on 22nd April 2026, with almost no notice. 

We are seeking one (or both) of the below options as resolution:

1. Adapt the Animal Health Certificate (AHC) process to make it easier and cheaper for UK residents to obtain. Specifically, allow the AHC to be valid for multiple trips into the EU; extend its validity for the life of the rabies vaccine noted within it, and impose a cap on the maximum cost a veterinary practice can charge to obtain an AHC.
2. Accelerate the re-introduction of GB pet passports before 2027, ensuring this is price capped to a reasonable maximum cost so as not to further prohibit pet owners. 

You can sign the UK Government version of this petition here. The UK Government is required to respond once it reaches 10,000 signatures. 

The detrimental impacts of the new pet travel rules are enormous:

• Time frames: the AHC must be produced no more than 10 days before travel. Meanwhile, the rabies vaccine must be issued by a UK vet at least 21 days prior to travel. Such strict timings quickly become confusing and complex, especially for those who already have valid health documentation anyway in the form of a pet passport. 
• Widespread, unnecessary and avoidable stress and anxiety: this change in law came with less than 48 hours’ notice (the gov.uk website was updated to reflect it on Monday 20th April 2026, to take effect from Wednesday 22nd April 2026) with no prior communications. This means that those who have trips booked around this period have no time to get the necessary vaccinations required for travel (which they would have had in their pet passports). The lack of a suitable transition period has caused undue stress nationwide. 
• Public panic: there are concerns now that those already in the EU, who traveled legally with a valid pet passport, will not be able to receive the required tapeworm treatment to re-enter the UK, despite the pet passports still being a valid document to travel to the UK. 
• Impact on EU tourism: this regulation change has come from the EU. According to DEFRA, between January and October 2024, there were roughly 280,000 trips made under the pet travel scheme. Given the logistical nightmare and huge cost constraints UK owners now face, this will have massive implications on EU tourism as people are more and more restricted from travelling with their dog. While less applicable to the UK directly, this seems an obvious negotiation point with the EU. 
• Huge cost implications: the UK is already facing a cost of living crisis. The AHC costs £100-£300 per trip. The rabies vaccine is roughly £90 per shot. Both of these are significant yet entirely avoidable expenses that have suddenly become a requirement for travel and once again becomes prohibitive.
• Veterinary mental health: according to RCVS, the veterinary industry is already suffering a catastrophic mental health crisis, with vets being “3-4 times more likely to die by suicide” than the general population. Professionals are already under immense scrutiny for high costs, which are not necessarily imposed by veterinary professionals themselves. Requiring an AHC for travel at the cost it is currently (£100-£300) is merely going to add to the pressure on our veterinary services. 
• Accessibility to general veterinary care: there is no doubt that vets’ workloads will increase dramatically with owners now having to request AHCs rather than their pet passport. On average, it takes vets 3 hours to prepare just one AHC before even seeing the patient/owner. It is deeply concerning that vets’ time for genuinely sick patients will be drastically reduced. This impacts not only those who are travelling, but also other pets who are not going abroad but cannot be seen by a vet. 

This regulation change is not for the health and protection of biodiversity, pet and human populations. It is purely a means to put strict, prohibitive measures on UK residents and the UK Government has thus far not taken sufficient action to protect its residents from the above impacts. We urge the UK Government to desperately seek resolve in one or more of the proposed solutions outlined above. Please join us. 

You can sign the UK Government version of this petition here. The UK Government is required to respond once it reaches 10,000 signatures.