Does anyone how long the pets passport is valid for once all the necessary paperwork etc is in order? I know about the six month rule, but couldn't see on the Defra website how long the documents are actually valid for once it's all complete; or do you need to travel the minute it's all in order. Would appreciate any feedback...

You don't have to travel as soon as the six-month wait is over. That is just the earliest date you can travel without having to put your pet into quarantine for the balance of the six months. The main thing is to make sure the rabies vaccinations are up-to-date, otherwise you have to start the process from scratch (vaccination, blood test....six month wait). The vet told me that if I miss the booster date by one day, I'll have to start everything again.
I'm surprised this information isn't given on the DEFRA website seeing as there is so much blurb on there.
You can always give them a call, just to put your mind at rest.

Great thanks for this.. that has put my mind at rest; at least we can have some flexibility and don't have to get the timing perfect...

Check out the factsheet it tells you all you need to know ...

http://www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/quar.../factsheet.htm

Dont forget about the flea & tick treatment that has to be done before your pet travels

I am in Canada and involved in PETS at the moment - so this is from my experience so far.

Once the six month wait period is up (from blood draw date) and your personal vet has completed and signed off Parts I-V of the Third Country Vet Certificate, you then need to get the certificate 'endorsed' by 'a veterinarian authorised by the 'competant authority' in the country you are currently resident in ie. USDA (correct me someone if I am wrong?) in the States and here in Canada it is CFIA. You either visit the USDA/CFIA local office or send your papers to them and they charge a fee. There should be a local office near to you which you can find by looking up their website online. It is best to check with them first because they require 'supporting docs' to accompany the Third Country Vet Certificate(ie. vet records, vaccination records, microchip registration etc)

From the date the certificate is endorsed by the government authority, it is then valid for travel for FOUR months. That's why they suggest not getting it endorsed until you know when you will travel so it doesn't run out. As mentioned your rabies shot should also not run out before you intend to travel.

I contacted DEFRA to confirm what an 'official vet' and a 'vet authorised by the competant authority' meant exactly (the certificate is confusing and has no guidelines) and also to confirm at which point the four month period started - their answer is what I have stated above.

If in any doubt, contact both DEFRA in the UK and then the government body in your own country. The difficulty with the process is that DEFRA are not completely up to speed with what bodies like USDA/CFIA require and there are no written guidelines for each individual country involved in the scheme. After much consternation I realised that this was why there is always so much written about this on forums etc. It would just take someone at DEFRA to write some guidelines for EACH country and then keep them updated. As this isn't the case you need to confirm ALL DETAILS with both the UK (DEFRA) and your own country (USDA/CFIA for USA/Canada) and don't be afraid to double check everything!

I should have mentioned that I'm bringing my cat from another EU country, so after the six month wait is up things are slightly more straightforward for me as I don't need the third-country vet certificate. But it looks like 'AudreyRose23' has given some very sound advice if you're bringing your pet in from outside the EU.

Thanks so much.. I'm glad that there is some flexibility and that you're not expected to go as soon as it's all together. We need to apply for a settlement visa for my husband and not sure how long that is going to take either; so this makes me feel a lot better...

I have a Pets passport for our dog that was last updated with a 3 year Rabies vaccination just before leaving Ireland for the US. The dog has since had another shot in the US but the US vets don't update the Pets Passport as they have they're own paperwork. The Pets Passport is valid until March 2010, so my question is if the dog can return to the UK from the US with the Pets Passport or if this is now invalid and that all the usual paperwork for any pet coming from the US should be obtained.