britwhore

Question - I've been told that the vet stamp (USDA accredited vet who does the 3rd country certificate) has to stamp the form in another colour than the printing.....

Can anyone tell me if they've had their forms stamped in black? Every vet I've spoken to in LA who is USDA accredited uses a black stamp. But the DEFRA office I spoke to was quite certain it had to be a different colour.

I checked the forms I had stamped the last time I went to the UK and they were red and blue - but that vet is in NY.....so not really a local one!

TheNewYorker

I've looked into this recently, as we'd like to move our cat back to the UK.

Check out Virgin Airline's website. They have a very detailed list of what you need to do. If your pet doesn't already have a passport, you will need to get one.

One interesting fact I found is that you don't actually need to fly on the same flight as your pet on Virgin. They have a couple of flights from NY to Heathrow where you can do that if you so choose.

MoshiMoshi

An EU pet passport isn't required for entering the UK. I don't think it's even possible to get one in the US. It's a good thing to get once you're back in the UK, though.

True, but due to recent legislation changes, you do apparently need to fly within a specified number of days as your pet.

MoshiMoshi

Is this the bit at the end of the Annex II form, and/or the rabies certificates? Our rabies certs got stamped in red, and the Annex II in a very dark blue. Then the USDA office stamp itself was a sort of raised seal.

I don't remember worrying about stamp colour, but I did hear that the form should be signed in a different colour to the typeface; I suppose to show it's not a copy. Maybe they've extended this.

Sorry -- not much help. But if DEFRA say so, I'd go with that. Perhaps BYO inkpad for the vet, even though they'll think you're insane?

TheNewYorker

[QUOTE=MoshiMoshi;11564902]An EU pet passport isn't required for entering the UK. I don't think it's even possible to get one in the US. It's a good thing to get once you're back in the UK, though.


Thanks for the clarification. It turns out that our cat already had an EU passport as she originally came from the UK. If you don't have a pet passport, you can get a "fit to fly" letter from the vet, according to the Virgin flight.

Flying with Pets | Travelling with Pets | Virgin Atlantic

MoshiMoshi

Sorry to be so pedantic, but I'm still logged in from my last entry, so:

If you don't have a pet passport, you need the fit-to-fly certificate (in whatever format the airline requires), plus a lot of other important documentation (3rd country health cert, Annex II, accredited microchip and rabies docs, customs form) both for leaving the US and entering the UK.

If you do have a pet passport, you may still need a separate fit-to-fly certificate (depending on your airline; some want a specific document, and won't accept just the travel page of the passport), and will probably need the 3rd country health cert and Annex II as well, as discussed upthread, even assuming all rabies vaccs are up to date and documented in the passport. IMO the passport is great when traveling in the EU, but doesn't seem to save you much effort when coming US-UK.

HartleyHare

You are making me nervous! Both APHIS/USDA (NJ office) and British Airways have informed me that if I have a valid Pet Passport AND our dog's rabies vaccination is current (expires 2016) then there is no requirement for a 3rd Country Health Certificate. Additionally, APHIS/USDA have stated that they do not need to either see nor endorse my Pet Passport.

British Airways have confirmed that in addition to the Pet Passport, I will require a fit to fly certificate - they don't accept the details in the PP, it must be a certificate. BTW, this is for a flight from Newark to Heathrow.

I still need to get the tapeworm and the details entered into the appropriate section of the passport.

However, as I do still have a nagging concern that when I arrive at the BA cargo area that they will be unfamiliar with the Pet Passport and will ask for the certificate; I'm going to call (or visit) them to double check.

HartleyHare

Britwhore - From the APHIS website, I noticed this information in relation to the colour of the stamp:

(f) The original of the certificate shall be issued by an official veterinarian of the territory or third country of dispatch or by an authorised veterinarian and
subsequently endorsed by the competent authority of the territory or third country of dispatch. The competent authority of the territory or third country of dispatch shall ensure that rules and principles of certification equivalent to those laid down in Directive 96/93/EC are followed.

The colour of the signature shall be different from that of the printing. This requirement also applies to stamps other than those embossed or watermarked.

Don't know if that helps at all.

MoshiMoshi

Sorry -- I didn't mean to make you nervous! As you said, you've done due diligence and APHIS/USDA, BA and DEFRA have all told you that you won't need the 3rd country cert for each of their requirements.

I do agree that you'd want to double-check all info given, and keep records -- like you said, it would be so stressful to get to the cargo check-in and have someone being obstuctive because you don't have the docs they're used to seeing. I wonder how often they actually deal with EU pet passports on the US side? Logically, the passport should be fine. (Although I don't understand why the 3rd country cert needs a USDA office stamp, if the passport apparently doesn't?) Anyway, I hope it all goes well.

HartleyHare

Thanks MoshiMoshi. Yeah - I agree with the fact that the BA cargo staff might not be familiar with the Pet Passport and that I'll encounter issues. I have emails from the APHIS/USDA vet giving me the all clear to use the Pet Passport along with emails form BA in the UK confirming the same.

I have contacted BA Cargo and have been given a number to call for their Newark office. I'm only around 45 mins away, so could even drive down there and show them the Pet Passport if needs be.

With regards to the stamping of the Health Certificate - the Health Certificate appears to replicate the information contained in the PP and the USDA officials simply check that it's all correct and then stamp the form. My PP has already been officially stamped by our vet in the UK (in relation to rabies and microchip). I will only need a stamp in the PP for the tapeworm treatment, which our local vet can do (he is USDA accredited).

It would be clearer if USDA updated their website for the European export requirements to include instructions for the PP, although I guess that the information is geared towards USA residents who probably won't have a PP.

I'll update the thread once I've spoken to BA cargo here in Newark.

Cambridgeman

Maybe someone on this thread can help me with a question. Currently have two dogs here in USA want to bring them to UK with me. Went to UK site and it mentioned I needed a 3rd country certificate... I called my local vet, who called the State Vet, they have no idea what that is(third country certificate). Does this have another name? Or am I asking the wrong people.

HartleyHare

Go to this website: USDA APHIS | Home
and look up "animal exports". There is a whole section for exporting a pet from the USA.

From what I understand, you need to find a USDA accredited vet to examine your dogs, give any required vaccinations and perform any necessary blood tests. This vet will complete the 3rd Country Health Certificate. The Health Certificate and any supporting documents then need to be sent to the State USDA office to be stamped.

This all needs to happen within a specific time frame. Also check out the DEFRA sticky above as that contains some current information regarding the process too.

There will probably be additional paperwork (Fit to Fly Certificate) required by the airline - check with them exactly what they require.

MoshiMoshi

What state are you in? I can understand the local vet not knowing about the 3rd country certificate, but it's really weird that the USDA State Vet isn't familiar. It's the same paperwork for any pet flying into the EU, so you'd think they'd come across it fairly often. Certainly didn't raise any eyebrows at the California USDA.

Basically, you can print out the forms yourself, and work with your local vet to get them filled out correctly, and then take the paperwork to the USDA State Vet to be endorsed (within a certain number of days of travel).

Or you can shop around for another local vet who's done the process before, if that makes you more comfortable. Either way, the final step is taking it to the USDA office to be endorsed. (The USDA won't need to see your pets, just the forms.)

The paperwork is finicky but doable. The most important thing is that your vet understands that it's important to get the details right; the documents aren't just a formality, and will be rigorously checked both before and on arrival.

HartleyHare

Me again! Just a warning for anyone planning on flying back by BA.

After spending the past week or so in contact with BA and getting all my ducks (dogs!) in a row, I was at the point today when I was ready to book our flights and our dog's flight back to the UK in May.

It was at this point that BA informed me that I could book our (human) flights now, but I can not book our dog's flight until 14 days before our intended departure! So basically, there would no guarantee that our dog would be on the same flight which is really not much use to us at all.

I am now contacting Virgin as I know that when we came to the USA I booked all the flights weeks in advance.

MoshiMoshi

BA had the same policy when we flew with them, too. I know how you feel, but if you call them right away on the 14th day pre-travel, then it's unlikely that the animal spaces will have gone. But, yes: not ideal.