Post-Brexit pet travel scheme comes into effect

A new scheme aimed at simplifying post-Brexit pet travel between Great Britain and Northern Ireland has come into effect.

After Brexit, Northern Ireland remained part of the EU's animal health zone while Great Britain was outside.

That has meant pets being taken from Great Britain to Northern Ireland have required rabies vaccinations and a new travel certificate for each trip.

The new Pet Travel Document (PTD) will be valid for the pet's lifetime and the requirement for rabies vaccination has been dropped.

A spokesperson for the UK's Department of Environment said pet owners and assistance dog users who are travelling from Great Britain to Northern Ireland "can now apply for a free pet travel document that's quick and easy to get online, and will last the pet's lifetime".

"This is in stark contrast to the old system, which required pet owners to obtain expensive health treatments and cumbersome journey certificates from a vet every time they travelled," they added.

The main conditions of the PTD scheme are that the pet must be microchipped and the owner must sign a form saying the animal will not be brought into the Republic of Ireland.

The scheme covers dogs, cats and ferrets.

There are separate arrangements for other animals.

The arrangements only apply to pet owners living in Great Britain.

Northern Ireland residents returning home from Great Britain do not require the travel document but their pet must be microchipped.

The PTD is part of the Windsor Framework, Northern Ireland's revised Brexit deal, which amended the original NI Protocol agreement.

The scheme has been criticised by the Traditional Unionist Voice (TUV) MP Jim Allister who said its impact has been overstated as the original requirements were not being fully enforced.

Speaking in a House of Commons debate last year, he said: "I take issue with the minister saying that this is an improvement.

"The original propositions of the protocol were never implemented.

"The grace periods remain the current position, which is that no pet passports, no documentation and no requirement to be part of a pet scheme is needed to bring your pet from Great Britain to the other part of the United Kingdom.

"What these regulations do is impose a pet passport scheme."

Guide Dogs NI said it was pleased with the progress and clarity surrounding pet travel.

It advised those travelling from Great Britain to Northern Ireland with a guide dog should plan in advance, as the process to issue one takes up to five working days.

The Search and Rescue Dog Association Ireland North (SARDA IN) expressed strong support for the scheme.

It said the policy simplifies travel for its highly-trained search and rescue dogs.

The UK and EU are working on an agrifood deal that will reduce the impact of the "Irish Sea border', but it is understood that it will not remove the need for the PTD.