How to Get an Animal Health Certificate (AHC) in Leatherhead, Surrey
Pet owners in Leatherhead and across Surrey planning travel to the EU will need an Animal Health Certificate (AHC). This blog explains how to arrange your AHC in Leatherhead, covering collection options, pricing, transport hubs, and a step-by-step process. By having your AHC ready before travel, you can avoid delays and stress at ports or borders.
Meet the Local Vet: Claudia de la Paz
Claudia graduated in Spain in 2010 and moved to the UK in 2024. She works in a local practice and as a locum vet in clinics across Surrey. Claudia mainly treats small animals but has a passion for all species, and she volunteers at a local wildlife veterinary hospital. With a calm, stress-free approach, Claudia makes the process of issuing Animal Health Certificates straightforward for pet owners in Leatherhead.
Collection Point Option in Leatherhead, Surrey
In Leatherhead, Vet Home Certs operates through a collection point service. Home visits are not currently available in this area.
At your appointment, the vet will:
- Scan and verify your pet’s microchip.
- Witness the owner (or authorised person, if arranged) signing the declaration page of the AHC.
- Review the certificate with you and answer last-minute questions.
Leatherhead Collection Point
Location: https://w3w.co/submit.occurs.fluid (Near Tanner House, Challenge Court, Leatherhead, KT22 7GS).
Using the What3Words link ensures you arrive at the exact handover spot without confusion. Use the navigation tab to find direction services such as Google Maps.
Pricing Information
Vet Home Certs offers clear and competitive pricing for Animal Health Certificates in Leatherhead:
- Repeat AHC: £89
For returning clients with unchanged details and valid rabies vaccination. Must be confirmed more than 10 days in advance of the appointment date. Additional pets £25 each. - Standard AHC: £99
Available when an appointment is confirmed more than 7 days before your appointment date. Additional pets £30 each. - Urgent AHC: £199
Quick turnaround for short notice requests, applicable when all information and payment is received within 7 days of an appointment date. Additional pets £30 each.
For full details, visit: https://vethomecerts.co.uk/prices/. Up to 5 pets per certificate.
Step-by-Step Guide: How to Get an AHC Appointment in Leatherhead
- Check your area: Confirm the location of the Leatherhead collection point using the map on the Areas Covered page.
- Complete Stage 1 form: Submit your request via Vet Home Certs, selecting the Leatherhead collection point.
- Complete Stage 2 form: Sent immediately by email. Check spam/junk if it doesn’t arrive.
- Vet review: The vet reviews your information and arranges the appointment. The appointment is confirmed when payment is received.
- Appointment day: Attend the Leatherhead collection point with your pet(s). The vet performs final checks, and you leave with your AHC ready for travel.
Transport Links & Travel Hubs Near Leatherhead
With your Animal Health Certificate issued in advance, you can head straight to your chosen port on the day of departure. Journey times below are approximate from Leatherhead and may vary depending on traffic conditions.
Nearest Ferry Ports
- Portsmouth International Port: Ferries to Caen, Le Havre, Santander and Bilbao. About 1 hour from Leatherhead.
- Newhaven Port: DFDS sailings to Dieppe. Roughly 1 hour 10 minutes by car.
- Dover Ferry Port: Routes to Calais and Dunkirk. Around 1 hour 30 minutes away.
- Poole Ferry Port: Services to Cherbourg. Approximately 2 hours drive.
Eurotunnel
- Folkestone Eurotunnel Le Shuttle: Drive-on train to Calais. About 1 hour 20 minutes from Leatherhead.
Airports
- London Gatwick Airport (LGW): Around 30 minutes away, with many EU routes allowing pet travel.
- London Heathrow Airport (LHR): Approximately 45 minutes by car, offering extensive international connections for pet travel.
Important Considerations for Pet Travel
- Northern Ireland travel: For trips only to Northern Ireland, apply for a Northern Ireland Pet Travel Document. For EU travel, an AHC is still required.
- Dogs and worming treatment: Dogs going to Ireland, Norway, Finland, Malta or Northern Ireland must have worming treatment administered and recorded in the AHC by a vet between 24-120 hours before arrival in those countries.
- Returning to the UK? Review the official APHA Travel Checklist. Additionally, dogs must be wormed between 24-120 hours before re-entry into the UK. The treatment must be licensed and effective against tapeworm (Echinococcus multilocularis).
- Appointment attendance: All pets listed on the AHC must attend so the vet can scan their microchips. We recommend that the owner comes to the appointment with the pet, as questions and signatures can then be dealt with directly. An authorised person travelling with the pet may attend and sign instead when arranged in advance.
- The in-person appointment also allows the vet to inspect your pet and confirm that no signs of infectious disease are apparent.
- Travelling with an authorised person: An authorised person can accompany your pet when the owner is travelling separately; arrange this with us beforehand. You must show the vet proof that the owner’s journey takes place no more than five days before or after the pet travels. The required authorisation template is available to download in Stage 2, in the language of the first country your pet will enter. If the authorised person attends instead of the owner, they must bring the letter signed by the owner. If the owner attends, the vet will bring the letter for the owner to sign. Let us know who will attend and sign the AHC: this can be the owner or the authorised person who will accompany the pet.
Ready to Travel? Request Your Animal Health Certificate in Leatherhead Today
Travelling with your pet from Leatherhead can be straightforward with the right documents in place. We recommend submitting your request 3 to 6 weeks before travel.
Request your Animal Health Certificate appointment in Leatherhead today with Vet Home Certs