Policy paper

Northern Ireland pet travel scheme: how the scheme will work

Published 6 November 2024

The Windsor Framework provides a new way to travel with pet dogs (or assistance dogs), cats and ferrets from Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales) to Northern Ireland.

From 4 June 2025^{[footnote 1]}, if you live in Great Britain, you can benefit from the new Northern Ireland pet travel scheme. The scheme enables you to travel from Great Britain to Northern Ireland with a simple lifelong pet travel document. This lasts for the lifetime of the pet and is free of charge. You will just need to make sure your pet or assistance dog is microchipped before you travel.

Current arrangements for travel with pet dogs (or assistance dogs), cats and ferrets from Great Britain to Northern Ireland are detailed on the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) website.

If you live in Northern Ireland, you do not need any documentation to travel to and from Great Britain with your pet or assistance dog. You do not need to apply for a pet travel document under the Northern Ireland pet travel scheme. You will just need to make sure your pet or assistance dog is microchipped before you travel.

If you are travelling beyond Northern Ireland into Ireland or another EU country with your pet or assistance dog, you will need to continue to follow the existing EU health and documentary requirements.

Travelling from Great Britain to Northern Ireland

Great Britain residents

From 4 June 2025^{[footnote 1]}, if you live in Great Britain and are travelling to Northern Ireland with your pet or assistance dog, you will need to have a pet travel document. You will be able to apply to the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) for your pet travel document once the registration opens in April 2025. It costs no money to apply. Once your pet travel document has been issued by APHA, you can travel with your pet or assistance dog from Great Britain to Northern Ireland as long as you:

• make sure that your pet’s details (microchip number and owner) are up to date on the pet travel document before you travel
• bring a digital or printed copy of your pet travel document. This includes a declaration that you will not travel onwards to Ireland or another EU country with your pet or assistance dog

Each pet or assistance dog will need its own pet travel document. This is valid for the lifetime of the pet or assistance dog. If you change your details, such as your address, you will need to apply for a new pet travel document.

You should apply for a pet travel document as far in advance of your journey as possible. Once we have received your application, pet travel documents will usually be issued within 5 working days. We process applications during our usual business hours (Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm).

You cannot travel to Northern Ireland under the scheme if you are moving animals for a commercial reason (such as moving puppies to sell or rehoming or travelling with more than 5 pets per owner). A movement is considered to be commercial if you are travelling with more than 5 pets.

The following DAERA guidance provides more information about commercial movements: Guidance on bringing commercial transports of Dogs, Cats and Ferrets to NI from GB.

However, you are allowed to use the scheme and travel with more than 5 pets if you are attending or training for a competition, exhibition or sporting event in Northern Ireland and returning to Great Britain afterwards. You will need to show written proof of registration for the event, or with an association organising such events, when you travel. Each of your pets will need to have their own pet travel document and be over 6 months old.

Northern Ireland residents

If you live in Northern Ireland and are returning there after a stay in Great Britain with your pet or assistance dog, you do not need to apply for a pet travel document. Nor do you need any other documentation to travel home. You will just need to make sure your pet or assistance dog is microchipped before you travel.

Travelling from Northern Ireland to Great Britain

You do not need any documentation when travelling back from Northern Ireland to Great Britain. Northern Ireland residents do not need to apply for a pet travel document under the Northern Ireland pet travel scheme. You will just need to make sure your pet or assistance dog is microchipped.

Applying for a pet travel document

Applications for the Northern Ireland pet travel scheme will open in April 2025.

To apply online, you will need to:

• be aged 16 or over
• be a resident of Great Britain (England, Wales, Scotland)
• be the owner (or obtain written permission from the owner to travel with their pet). In most cases, the owner will be the registered keeper
• have or apply for a Government Gateway account, unless you are using the assisted digital services
• make sure your pet is microchipped and that their chip information is up to date (for example, your address is correct on the relevant database)
• provide your pet’s microchip number and know the date when the microchip was fitted or last scanned – you can ask your vet for this information if you do not know it
• sign a declaration as part of the pet travel document confirming that you will not travel with your pet into Ireland or another EU country using this scheme

Additional assistance on your application will be provided in April 2025. In the meantime, please refer to the help and support section.

Travelling with pets for commercial purposes

Please refer to DAERA’s guidance if you want to move animals to Northern Ireland for commercial reasons, such as change of ownership. Charity rehoming is considered a change of ownership, even if there is no financial gain or exchange of money. A movement is also considered to be commercial if you are travelling with more than 5 pets per owner.

If you are attending a competition, exhibition or sporting event in Northern Ireland and returning to Great Britain afterwards with more than 5 pet animals, this is considered a non-commercial movement and is permitted under the Northern Ireland pet travel scheme. You will need to show written proof of registration for the event, or with an association organising such events, when you travel. Each of your pets will need to have their own pet travel document and be over 6 months old.

Travelling from Great Britain to Ireland, another EU country or part 1 listed country under 577/2013

If you live in Great Britain or Northern Ireland and you are travelling into Ireland or another EU or part 1 listed country, you will still need to follow the relevant requirements. These requirements also apply if you are travelling through Ireland on your way to Northern Ireland or Great Britain.

For these journeys, you must follow EU health requirements such as rabies vaccinations for all pets and tapeworm treatment for dogs. You will also need to have an EU Animal Health Certificate (AHC) or a valid EU pet passport.

The pet travel document is not valid for this type of travel.

Help and support

You can contact Northern Ireland’s Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) if you have questions about travelling with animals into Northern Ireland.

DAERA Trade Imports Team
Email: Daeratradeimports@daera-ni.gov.uk
Telephone: 0289 0524 588

1. Subject to all legislative and other requirements being in place. ↩ ↩²