I am totally peed off ref Pet Passports!!!!

[Minxy]

We are about 14km south of Oliva in Eastern Spain and arranged to get a pet passport for our Bella at El Gat Blau vets (it's where we took Romy over 2 years ago when she was poorly and vet was great). Yesterday we made an appointment for 6.00 pm tonight after confirming she could do it and that Bella had already had her rabies jab and been chipped. Unfortunately when we got there after waiting 5 minutes the vet said she had an emergency with a cat which she had to stitch up so we went back at 6.30 pm ... then the 'fun' started!

We showed her the AHC, explained the stuff on it, confirmed that we wanted a pet passport with the rabies and chip info transferring from the AHC, er ... nope ... can't do that! As she hadn't administered the rabies jab she wouldn't be able to stick in the official Spanish stamp to confirm that it had been done - the sticker is unique to each rabies vac and separate from the usual vac label (which isn't needed as they can write this in instead). She was insistent that we could use the AHC rabies vac info as proof for Bella for future trips in conjunction with the PP, but didn't seem to understand that the AHC would expire after 4 months from date of issue - the page with the info on is no 11 of 12 so there's no doubt it is an integral part of the AHC so even thought it stated the rabies jab was in date until 2025, the document itself would be invalid and not accepted. She said she could do another rabies vac for Bella which she could put in the passport but ONLY for 1 year so that was no good to us. To say we're miffed is an understatement, we only went back to Oliva for the vet, although we did get a bit of shopping whilst there but didn't need to do so, it just passed a bit of time, so it turned out to be a total waste of time and we are no further on.

What's annoying is that there was a UK couple asking us about how to get a PP and we suggested they contact a vet in the local village so cycled in and enquired about it. He'd rung his wife about it who in his absence relayed the info to us and said the vet wouldn't give a 3 year vac as the existing 3 year one was still valid for over a year, but they wanted a 3 year one as they wouldn't be abroad before the previous one expired; when the husband returned he explained it to us and it turned out she had got the wrong end of the stick as the vet wanted to give a 3 year vac regardless. As we didn't need a vac for Bella and had other plans anyway we left that morning so I gave them my phone number in order to text me with what happened at the vet's later that day so I could put it on here for those who might want to go there. Turns out that the PP cost €16 and €21 for a 3 year rabies jab, no consultation fee so blooming annoyed as had we known we'd have done the same for Bella.

We'll try some other vets tomorrow but it seems like they make it up as they go along, a bit like French ones, some do this, others that, and yet more something else!

 

[AndyPK]

Part of the fun when travelling abroad with dogs, eh Minxy …….?

 

[Googlebot]

We have just accepted it’s going to cost a fortune for the AHC every time.

Doesn‘t look like it’s high on the agenda for sorting anytime soon.

Even wrote to my MP to highlight the issue, for a change they actually replied telling me how great it was going to be. What would be great is if they concentrated on sorting a trivial issue of bureaucracy when pets travel into the EU with their owners.

On the plus side, it will only cost £200 a time for 2 dogs instead of the £500 my local vet wanted.

 

[Minxy]

If anyone has recently got a Spanish PP could they let me know how many columns it has on the rabies page please, I think there are 2 types, and older one with 3 columns in which to enter the vac product info, dates, and the signature & stamp of the vet whereas the new ones have 4 columns, the 4th being for the official stamp/sticker.

I'm still not convinced that the 4th column/sticker is required but obviously I don't want to take any risks with getting a PP that won't be valid.

 

[Spriddler]

We'll try some other vets tomorrow but it seems like they make it up as they go along, a bit like French ones, some do this, others that, and yet more something else!

We had an issue with the forms in France in June. I'm pretty sure many of the vets aren't familiar yet with the post-Brexit paperwork. We had to go back the next day as on later inspection I spotted that the vet hadn't completed the form correctly. She did apologise, saying it was all new to her.

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[Reallyretired]

When/if we finally get away, our first port of call will be a vet, probably in Belgium to get the pooches passports regardless of whether it's on our way or not.

 

[Rogerwyn]

We had a pp for our dog in October while in Spain even though she had her 3y rabies jab in the summer at a Uk vet for Ahc he would/could not transfer it to the passport so she had another 3y jab to make the passport valid.

 

[bobandjanie]

Absolutely nothing new about the vet being unable to transfer the Rabies vaccination. It would be an illegal thing to do. Plus, a UK administered rabies vaccination is not valid in an EU pet passport.
Also it was standard that a Rabies vaccine administered in Spain is only valid for a year. However there is the odd vet (including the one we use in Javea) that will stamp the passport with a three year jab. And that is legal, whatever the dates say, that is when it is valid until.
As for them being wrong about the AHC, not unusual, it's nothing to do with them.
Basically, you should know the rules, and get a passport done the right way. Being prepared to get a booster done at the time of getting a passport.
Yes, some vets might have transferred details, for some people at some point. Yes the odd person may still manage to get a French pet passport (they have iCad a 'residency' rules) but it's just much easier to do things the right way. Far less worrying too when you are at pet passport control.
Good luck with finding the right vet to do the job. In Javea its Animalets I can recommit it might not be as cheap as the one your friends went to. At La Zenia there is also a popular one. Janie

 

[Minxy]

Basically, you should know the rules, and get a passport done the right way. Being prepared to get a booster done at the time of getting a passport.

It's not that easy to find out what the exact rules are though ... some Spanish vets appear to transfer stuff, others won't and insist on a rabies jab but as we've found out today, some will only give a 1 year one, others a 3 year one ... if the vet today was able to do a 3 year one that would have sorted it but she couldn't.

At La Zenia there is also a popular one

I'd already messaged them prior to our visit to the vet but had no response, will probably try ringing tomorrow.


Please tell me oh wise one how the h*ll do I find out without going totally in the process!

 

[The Happy Hooker]

Hi Mel, unfortunately the vet is correct, she cannot transfer the rabies data into an EU passport. What we did last year was to get a Spanish passport, Tilly then had another rabies booster in Portugal about 4 - 5 weeks before we went home. We were reassured that it was OK for her to have the booster only 6 months after the uk one & the Portuguese vet gave a 3 year booster. Hope this helps, Lorraine.

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[Mousy]

We used pets world at la zenia and got a 3 year vaccine in March. we booked online. Good luck. Big car park nearby too.

 

[Ditcha]

We used pets world at la zenia and got a 3 year vaccine in March. we booked online. Good luck. Big car park nearby too.

Same here and at 12€ for the passport and 18€ for the 3yrs jab excellent value we also registered their microchips on the Spanish RIVIA system at 15€.

 

[maz]

Absolutely nothing new about the vet being unable to transfer the Rabies vaccination. It would be an illegal thing to do. Plus, a UK administered rabies vaccination is not valid in an EU pet passport.

If it is 'illegal' in Spain for a vet to transfer rabies vaccination details into a Pet Passport there must be a Spanish law to this effect. It is certainly not 'illegal' EU-wide. When we were still members of the EU and therefore allowed to issue EU Pet Passports, the official guidance for their completion was as follows:

Some EU countries (notably Germany) seem to insist on another rabies vaccination being administered before a Pet Passport is issued. I have no idea whether there is an actual German law which stipulates this or not.

IMO, it is generally just easier to get a rabies booster done at the time the Pet Passport is issued. However, if a vet is willing to transfer over existing rabies vaccination details then it needs to be done properly, ie stamped and signed by the vet issuing the Pet Passport.

 

[MichaelT]

We got Reggie a PP in the Basque region and had to have a 2nd rabies jab as they would not transfer the one on the AHC which was 3 years so we have to go back again before it expires in August. They made a mistake on dates that were picked up by ET on return so we used AHC to get home. After 2 attempts they did send a replacement but it has no vaccine sticker only the batch written in, we sent this to BF who said it would be OK for travel but we will find out later this year.

We will try to get a 3 year jab as it seems some countries do it such as Belgium when we travel later this year.

 

[Minxy]

Absolutely nothing new about the vet being unable to transfer the Rabies vaccination. It would be an illegal thing to do. Plus, a UK administered rabies vaccination is not valid in an EU pet passport

Hi Mel, unfortunately the vet is correct, she cannot transfer the rabies data into an EU passport.

If it is 'illegal' in Spain for a vet to transfer rabies vaccination details into a Pet Passport there must be a Spanish law to this effect.

Just to further clarify things, she was willing to transfer the vac info, sign & stamp it, but couldn't put the official sticker in which would come with a new Spanish jab.

Our Portuguese PPs don't have the sticker and we're accepted by Eurotunnel without any problem so this is the quandary, ie do we actually need to have the little sticker or not?

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[Minxy]

However, if a vet is willing to transfer over existing rabies vaccination details then it needs to be done properly, ie stamped and signed by the vet issuing the Pet Passport.

On the 'how to complete a PP' blurb kindly provided by you in another thread there is only a requirement for the signature & stamp of the vet with no mention of a sticker even where it makes reference to old and new style PPs. We are just unsure if this is sufficient or not as we can't find anything about the sticker requirement.

 

[MichaelT]

On the 'how to complete a PP' blurb kindly provided by you in another thread there is only a requirement for the signature & stamp of the vet with no mention of a sticker even where it makes reference to old and new style PPs. We are just unsure if this is sufficient or not as we can't find anything about the sticker requirement.

See my post 14 with regards to sticker, BF say they will accept just the batch # written in.

 

[Offagain]

I‘ve read that the 1 and 3 year rabies vaccinations are the same but in Spain the closer the vet is to Morocco (where they have lots of rabies) the more likely they are to only validate it for 1 year rather than 3.

 

[Minxy]

See my post 14 with regards to sticker, BF say they will accept just the batch # written in.

Thanks, that's my thinking too but I'm wary as we won't likely be abroad again for a while. If the UK vac, written in the PP, signed & stamped by the Spanish vet, isn't accepted, or if we instead had a 1 year jab entered, it would expire before we travelled and we'd have to do an AHC again.

 

[rb62]

On the 'how to complete a PP' blurb kindly provided by you in another thread there is only a requirement for the signature & stamp of the vet with no mention of a sticker even where it makes reference to old and new style PPs. We are just unsure if this is sufficient or not as we can't find anything about the sticker requirement.

No wonder your in a quandary as that makes no sense at all,as you know from your Portuguese passport you can have the info transferred,stamped and signed
It would then be possible to have a booster but why no sticker for that I've no idea

So no you do not need a sticker on a transfer,just the vaccine used and the date given,stamped and signed,used ours twice now

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[Minxy]

I‘ve read that the 1 and 3 year rabies vaccinations are the same but in Spain the closer the vet is to Morocco (where they have lots of rabies) the more likely they are to only validate it for 1 year rather than 3.

Yes, I believe that's sometimes the case but if La Zenia can do a three year one which is further south it doesn't make sense. It's a minefield.

 

[Coastal Cruiser.]

Plus, a UK administered rabies vaccination is not valid in an EU pet passport.

Been over and back 5-6 times now with our pups who have a Belgium passport that the vet transferred the UK rabies jab over.
Nothing said at any time about it by pet control.

 

[bobandjanie]

Minxy you answered it yourself about the rules. You do know that some vets will fiddle about with the passports, but they are vets who maybe don't realise what an important document it is. The rules are that you go to a vet, they do the paperwork and the jabs, fill it in.....
Re the 4th column I have not got Izzy's passport with me but the one for the dog I am sitting they have added that extra sticker to the vet stamp area. Which they did not in previous years. Also the expiry date, it's not a year, it's 3.

maz in Spain traditionally you need a law to DO something. A bit like the old 'toad' rules. Legal in the UK because there was no law against them. In Spain illegal because there was no law for them.
Really anything post UK leaving the EU is irrelevant re completing the EU pet passports, because the UK can only look not touch (re rabies anyway).

I get sidetracked looking at people's experience on rules on things because I forget that some people will have struck lucky and 'got away' with something, maybe they don't even know they did. Then they are very happy to give that info out as fact when all it does is muddy the waters.

Janie

 

[Minxy]

No wonder your in a quandary as that makes no sense at all,as you know from your Portuguese passport you can have the info transferred,stamped and signed.It would then be possible to have a booster but why no sticker for that I've no idea

So no you do not need a sticker on a transfer,just the vaccine used and the date given,used ours twice now

View attachment 701042

The Spanish PP has a fourth column specifically for the sticker so if that is left blank I'm concerned that the rabies vac is classed as invalid ... I'm assuming that the PP they use is either specifically for Spain or a new version that not everyone is using yet. I've got a headache!

 

[chaser]

On the 'how to complete a PP' blurb kindly provided by you in another thread there is only a requirement for the signature & stamp of the vet with no mention of a sticker even where it makes reference to old and new style PPs. We are just unsure if this is sufficient or not as we can't find anything about the sticker requirement.

You all know my opinion of dogs, but one thing that I would be worried about , is it ok to keep giving these dogs vaccination they don't need.

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[bobandjanie]

Been over and back 5-6 times now with our pups who have a Belgium passport that the vet transferred the UK rabies jab over.
Nothing said at any time about it by pet control.

Yes, but they should not have done it. This is the issue with people's experiences rather than the actual rules being followed. Also you don't say when you changed the passport. If it was pre the UK leaving it makes a difference.
Yesterday on a thread (not here) about people importing cars from UK to Spain there were so many posts saying about people's experiences in 2017 etc Janie

 

[bobandjanie]

chaser I agree, but they have to have the rabies to travel. However if I was going to Spain for three months I would leave the extra booster as long as possible.
If I had come across with a fairly new vaccination and AHC I would even pay for two trips using AHCs to give as close to a year as possible between jabs.
But I am the person who has never had 'annual' boosters and rabies jab done at the same time. IMHO it's all too much. Janie

 

[maz]

On the 'how to complete a PP' blurb kindly provided by you in another thread there is only a requirement for the signature & stamp of the vet with no mention of a sticker even where it makes reference to old and new style PPs. We are just unsure if this is sufficient or not as we can't find anything about the sticker requirement.

Doubt if any additional sticker will be of any interest to Border Control. They have clear guidance on what to check and it treats all EU Pet Passports the same. This just sounds like some internal Spanish requirement.

 

[Ditcha]

Minxy a copy of ours.

 

[rb62]

Yes, but they should not have done it. This is the issue with people's experiences rather than the actual rules being followed. Also you don't say when you changed the passport. If it was pre the UK leaving it makes a difference.
Yesterday on a thread (not here) about people importing cars from UK to Spain there were so many posts saying about people's experiences in 2017 etc Janie

Yes they can do it,no mention of EU vet,any registered vetinary surgeon.

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