bringing them to spain
You can bring your dog or cat to Spain under the PETS travel scheme or with an Export Health Certificate.
To qualify for a PETS certificate your pet must be: Be fitted with a microchip Vaccinated against rabies Blood tested Issued with an official PETS certificate. Once a pet has joined the scheme they are given a new PETS certificate each time they have their rabies booster which in Spain is yearly, regardless of them having the 24 month vaccine in the UK. You can then take your pet back to the UK providing it is treated for tapeworm and ticks, and an official certificate issued by a vet between 24 and 48 hours prior to entering or checking in for travel.
Six months must have passed since the pet was blood tested successfully, the date of the test will be on the certificate issued by the vet. To qualify for an Export Health Certificate your pet must again be fitted with a microchip and vaccinated against rabies. You must then apply to DEFRA for an application form which you fill in with your pet’s details and the name and address of a Licensed Veterinary Inspector to whom the form will be sent to once processed.
Once you know your travel date you can make an appointment with the vet to check your pet for any infectious disease, along with checking its vaccination record and chip number. Once the certificate has been signed stamped and dated, it is valid for 10 days for you to bring your pet to Spain. Pets coming to Spain under this scheme can be blood tested and join the PETS travel scheme once they are in Spain.
More information on the PETS scheme and Export Health Certificate along with contact details can be found at http://www.defra.gov.uk
Pets can now be bought into Spain from a number of UK airports and it is possible to fly on the same plane as your pet with some airlines into Alicante; you should check with both live cargo and passenger departments before booking either though. You must ensure that the pet has enough room to stand up and turn around in its carrier and that fresh water is available during the flight. Failure to comply with these points will result in your pet being refused travel.