When you travel to France, either to live or a long vacation, you may decide to bring your pet/s. Before you leave the UK, a pet must first be micro chipped (that can be read by European scanners) and vaccinated against rabies. A family may bring up to five pets into France, and each animal must have its own EU Pet Passport. This document will state that a valid rabies vaccination was given by a veterinary surgeon for each pet that is traveling to France. An animal must be over three months old to enter French territory. Your local vet should be able to provide you with all necessary info and paperwork.
If the rabies vaccination was the animals first vaccine then you will need to wait for 21 days before entering the country. If your pet needs an updated rabies vaccine, at least 30 days must pass between the vaccination and the day of departure. France is very strict about this.
Normal vaccinations and treatment for ticks, worms and other parasites are not compulsory for entry into France but are highly recommended as your pet will not have had chance to build up any immunity to new parasites and diseases that it would not normally have come into contact with in the UK. Diseases such as tick born Babesiosis, heartworm and Leishmaniasis (spread by sand flies) are relatively common in some parts of France so it is best to seek advice from your veterinary surgeon before traveling.
Dogs are very welcome in France; in fact some staff at restaurants will give your dog better service than yourselves! Judging by the amount of dog poo there is on the streets, the French are far less particular in cleaning up after their dog, which is contrary to the way they adore their pets by dressing them much like their owners in dinky little jackets, and even sunglasses!
