Bringing your pet dog, cat or ferret to Great Britain

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Tapeworm treatment for dogs

A vet must treat your dog for tapeworm every time you want to bring it to Great Britain (England, Wales and Scotland). They must record it in either the:

The treatment must have been given no less than 24 hours and no more than 120 hours (5 days) before you enter Great Britain. Your dog can be refused entry or put into quarantine if you do not follow this rule.

You do not need to treat your dog for tapeworm if you’re coming directly to Great Britain from Finland, Ireland, Northern Ireland, Malta or Norway.

The treatment must:

  • be approved for use in the country it’s being given in
  • contain praziquantel or an equivalent proven to be effective against the Echinococcus multilocularis tapeworm

Short trips

If you’re leaving Great Britain for a short trip, your dog must be treated by a vet before you go. You must wait for 24 hours before re-entering Great Britain and return within 120 hours or you’ll need to get another treatment abroad.

You should treat your dog again within 28 days of returning to Great Britain.

Information your vet needs to record

Check the vet has put the following details in the ‘Echinococcus treatment’ section of your dog’s pet passport or health certificate:

  • the name and manufacturer of the product
  • the date and time they treated your dog
  • their stamp and signature
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Part of Bring your pet to Great Britain: step by step

  1. Step 1 Check if you can bring your pet

    1. Check if you can bring your pet
    2. Find out how you're allowed to travel to Great Britain
    3. Check different rules for guide and assistance dogs

  2. Step 2 Get your pet microchipped

    1. Check the rules for microchips

  3. Step 3 Get your pet vaccinated against rabies

    1. Check the rules about rabies vaccinations

    You must wait for a set period of time after vaccination before you can travel.

    Depending on the country you're travelling from, you might also need to get a blood test.

  4. and Get tapeworm treatment

    If you have a dog, you may also need to get tapeworm treatment before you travel.

    1. You are currently viewing: Check the rules about tapeworm treatment

  5. Step 4 Get a pet travel document

    1. Check which travel document you need