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Pet travel route

Taking a dog or cat from Finland → Northern Ireland (UK)

What the official rules ask for on this route, for a family pet travelling with its owner. Enter your travel date and your pet’s details to turn it into a dated checklist.

Make my dated plan Reverse: Northern Ireland (UK) → Finland

How early to start

3 weeks

if your pet has no microchip or rabies vaccination yet (the least time the official waiting periods allow)

No fixed wait

if it is already microchipped and vaccinated

Counted only from the officially fixed waiting periods. Vet, lab and paperwork appointment times are on top, so start earlier.

Which rules apply to you

Finland is in the group “EU country or Norway (travel within the EU, with the EU pet passport)” in Bringing a dog, cat or ferret into Northern Ireland’s published list.See every group

Headlines for Northern Ireland (UK)

  • Rabies blood test for some origins
  • Import permit for some pets
  • Tapeworm treatment for some pets
  • Designated entry point for some trips

What your dog or cat needs

We haven’t verified the leaving side for Finland yet: its official veterinary authority usually has to issue or endorse the health certificate.

  1. Identification

    Microchip

    Your pet must be microchipped (or, for travel under the EU rules, tattooed before 3 July 2011 with a legible number). Under the EU rules the chip is implanted or read before the rabies vaccination. If the chip isn't ISO standard, bring your own reader.

    Details and the official words

    “Prior to the rabies vaccination, the pet animal (dog, cat, or ferret) must be marked by the implantation of a microchip.”

    “You must bring your own microchip reader when you travel if your pet’s microchip does not meet ISO standards.”

    “Your pet must be microchipped. They do not need rabies vaccinations or tapeworm treatment if you have a PTD.”

  2. Vaccination

    Rabies vaccination

    An authorised vet vaccinates your pet against rabies when it is at least 12 weeks old, after the microchip. Wait at least 21 days after the first vaccination before travelling (30 if the vaccine's datasheet says so); a booster given before the previous vaccination expires needs no wait.

    Details and the official words

    “the pet must be at least 12 weeks old at the date the vaccine is administered,”

    “This must be at least 21 days after the primary vaccination is given.”

    “(This wait does not apply to an annual or 3 yearly booster vaccination, provided the booster is administered before the original vaccination expires),”

  3. Paperwork

    EU pet passport

    From an EU country (or Norway), your pet travels with its EU pet passport, showing the microchip, the rabies vaccination and, for a dog, the tapeworm treatment.

    Details and the official words

    “a valid EU issued pet passport or a :-”

    “documenting the alpha-numeric code displayed by the microchip or the tattoo, the details of the vaccination against rabies, and where applicable, the details of the treatment against tapeworm Echinococcus multilocularis”

Only in some cases

  1. Notice · only in some cases

    Flying in: tell DAERA in advance

    Only if you arrive by air: email DAERA (daeratradeimports@daera-ni.gov.uk) before you travel: at least 10 working days ahead from Great Britain, at least 10 days ahead from elsewhere.

    Details and the official words

    “You must tell the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) at least 10 working days before you travel.”

    “If you will be arriving into Northern Ireland via air, you must contact daeratradeimports@daera-ni.gov.uk at least 10 days in advance of your intended date of travel to pre-notify your arrival.”

Good to know

  • An EU pet passport can only be issued to owners whose main residence is in the EU, and you may be asked for proof of residency.
  • The wait after a first rabies vaccination is at least 21 days, but if the vaccine's datasheet says immunity only starts on day 30, you wait 30 days. Your vet records the date the vaccination is valid from.

Common questions

Does my dog or cat need a rabies blood test to go from Finland to Northern Ireland (UK)?

No. The official rules we have verified for this route don't ask for a rabies blood test.

Do I need an import permit to bring my dog or cat into Northern Ireland (UK)?

No. The official rules we have verified for this route don't ask for an import permit.

Will my dog or cat be quarantined in Northern Ireland (UK)?

Not on the routes we have verified: the official rules list no quarantine for a pet that meets the requirements.

Does my dog or cat need a microchip?

Yes: Your pet must be microchipped (or, for travel under the EU rules, tattooed before 3 July 2011 with a legible number).