How Much Are Animal Health Certificates In The UK
Planning a trip from the UK to the EU with your pet? You will need an Animal Health Certificate (AHC), a document that replaced the old UK pet passport following Brexit. While essential, the cost of obtaining an AHC often varies dramatically across the UK, typically depending on whether you use a general practice vet or a specialist AHC provider like Vet Home Certs, who work hard to make pet travel easier, cheaper, and more convenient with AHCs from as little as £79 (with collection point and repeat discounts).
What is an Animal Health Certificate (AHC)?
An AHC is an official veterinary document required for dogs, cats, and ferrets traveling from the UK to the EU (including Northern Ireland) for non-commercial reasons.
This document confirms your pet’s rabies vaccination status and verifies they meet the necessary health requirements for travel. Key requirements before an AHC can be issued include:
- Your pet must be microchipped.
- They must have a valid rabies vaccination.
- The rabies vaccination must have been administered at least 21 days before the AHC is issued (unless it is a booster shot, provided evidence of the previous vaccination is available).
Once issued by the Official Veterinarian (OV), you have 10 days (with the date of issue counting as day 1) to depart for the EU. The AHC is then valid for travel within the EU for a period of four months. However, AHCs are single-use; if you return to the UK, you will need a new AHC to re-enter the EU on a subsequent trip.
Why does the price of an AHC vary so much?
If you have shopped around for an AHC, you may have noticed significant price differences. There’s a good reason for that, the cost typically depends on a few key things such as the specific professional requirements, time demands, and administration complexities involved in issuing the AHC.
1. The requirement for an Official Veterinarian (OV)
The AHC can only be issued by an Official Veterinarian (OV). OVs are veterinary surgeons who have completed additional training and registration.
Many traditional veterinary practices either lack OVs entirely or only have one or two available across multiple locations. This limited access to qualified staff, combined with high demand for AHCs post Brexit, drives up the cost, as practices adjust their pricing to cover this specialised service.
2. Time and complexity of the paperwork
The AHC is a detailed, time intensive document typically spanning 8 to 11 pages. The process of preparing the AHC involves the OV striking out and stamping sections depending on the travel circumstances to ensure the document is valid for the pet’s travel.
In general practice, OVs often have busy clinical duties, meaning they must set aside dedicated time away from regular clinical work specifically for AHC completion, which is factored into the final price.
3. Professional indemnity and risk management
Preparing AHCs involves a high level of administrative detail, and errors can be costly, potentially resulting in a pet being refused entry into the EU. To mitigate this risk, all vets maintain professional indemnity insurance, and the cost of this insurance is reflected in the price charged for the certificate.
Vet Home Certs addresses this issue by specialising solely in AHCs, using specialised software streamlining the process, and having an admin team on hand to assist with pre-checks and queries, which reduces the administrative burden and associated costs.
- Last minute requests and extra admin can increase costs
Planning ahead can save you money. Most vet practices need several weeks’ notice to issue an AHC, and urgent requests often come with added fees. For instance, at Vet Home Certs, an AHC arranged within 7 days costs £199, compared to our standard £99 price.
If your pet is travelling without you, for example with a carrier company or an authorised person, extra admin and verification are required. This may also carry a small fee (we charge £10), and it’s important to let us know in advance.
Ways to reduce the cost of your AHC
There are several effective strategies to ensure you secure the best possible price for your Animal Health Certificate.
1. Shop around for specialist providers like Vet Home Certs
Before going through your regular vet, it’s worth comparing prices with specialist AHC providers and other vet practices. Companies like Vet Home Certs focus solely on issuing Animal Health Certificates, allowing for quicker turnaround times and more competitive pricing.
Thanks to our streamlined process and lower overheads, we can offer AHCs at a lower starting price. Our Standard AHC is £99, and we offer prices starting from just £79 (with repeat and collection point discounts). A cost effective alternative to many regular vet practices.
2. Combine multiple pets on one AHC
If you are travelling with more than one animal, you can achieve substantial savings by including them on a single certificate. A single AHC can cover up to five pets (dogs, cats, or ferrets) provided they are all owned by the same person and travelling for non-commercial purposes.
Many general vet practices do not offer discounts for additional pets. However, Vet Home Certs charges only £30 for each additional pet added to a Standard or Urgent AHC. If you are a repeat customer, additional pets are only £25 each.
3. Utilise collection points and repeat discounts with Vet Home Certs
Vet Home Certs offers a few easy ways to make your AHC more affordable and convenient:
- Collection Point Discounts: Some of our designated collection points (available in locations across the UK) offer a £5–£10 discount when you meet one of the Official Veterinarians there. This option is ideal if your address isn’t within our home visit areas or if you’re passing through a location we cover.
- Repeat Customer Savings: We offer a discount for returning clients. Our Repeat AHC price starts at just £89. To qualify, you must use the same vet within the Vet Home Certs network, and the owner, pet details, first EU country, and the valid rabies vaccination must remain the same as the previously issued AHC.
4. Plan ahead to save on costs
The easiest way to avoid extra costs is to request your AHC appointment well in advance. We recommend requesting your AHC appointment at least 3 weeks before your expected travel date.
As long as all details and payment are received more than 7 days before your appointment, you’ll qualify for the lower £99 Standard AHC price.
Why can’t the AHC be posted to save costs?
Although posting the AHC might seem like a convenient option, it’s not legally allowed. By law, an Official Veterinarian must scan your pet’s microchip in person and witness the owner (or authorised person) sign the declaration of non-commercial movement before the certificate can be issued.
That means the AHC must be completed during a face-to-face appointment, either at your home or at one of our designated collection points.
Ready to request your AHC with Vet Home Certs?
Our team of experienced Official Veterinarians specialises in efficiently providing your Animal Health Certificate, removing the complexity and high charges often associated with general vet practices.
If you are ready to secure your pet’s travel documentation and lock in our cost effective pricing, request your appointment today!
Click here to request an appointment and start your seamless travel plans:
