Of all the moments in our first month on the road, none mattered more than a day trip to Ballymena. Not for sightseeing, but for paperwork. Scylla, our black Labrador, came home with her EU pet passport.
The post-Brexit tangle
Since Brexit, UK pets can no longer travel into the EU on a simple passport, unless one existed for your pet prior to Brexit. Instead, you need an Animal Health Certificate (AHC) from a vet here in Britain. Each certificate covers a single trip, valid for just 10 days from issue to entry, and up to 4 months for onward travel. Expensive, fiddly, and a headache if you’re planning more than one trip.
Why a European passport matters
An EU-issued passport restores simplicity: a single, reusable document recognised across the EU. For us, that means crossing into France in November without repeat vet visits or paperwork roulette. The difference is freedom — less admin, more journey.
Northern Ireland and the new transit rules
The catch? You can’t get an EU pet passport in mainland Britain. But since June 2025, Northern Ireland vets have been authorised to issue a Pet Travel Document that allows pets from GB to enter NI for treatment, including passports. That’s why we made the ferry run to Ballymena from Cairnryan — a focused day trip, with a happy outcome.
What It means for us
With Scylla’s passport in hand, the European leg of our journey is unlocked. There are still limits: it doesn’t cover every country, and outside the EU the rules change again. But it’s a huge step forward.
We still have to maintain the currency of her rabies inoculations. The vaccine needs to be renewed every three years according to UK and Ireland guidance, whereas, in mainland Europe they require an annual vaccination. We will need to organise this, in whatever country we are in at that time. We’ll also have to have redo the Titre test.
Looking towards Morocco
Morocco is on our horizon. Here, rabies is still a risk, so Scylla will need proof her vaccine has worked. That’s where the rabies titre test comes in. In simple terms: a vet takes a blood sample 21–25 days after her jab, sends it to an approved lab, and checks the antibody level. The magic number is 0.5 IU/ml or higher. Pass that, and she’s cleared for entry not just to Morocco, but other countries with stricter rabies controls. Fail, and it’s back to square one.
More than paperwork
A small blue booklet may not look like much, but it’s changed the course of our Third Life. From November, we can head south across France and Spain, and from there — with Scylla cleared — even into Morocco. The passport isn’t just a document; it’s an enabler of freedom.
