Moving permanently to France

[pompeysi]

Hi I wondered if anyone can help. We are soon to be moving to France with a few pets! We know they need rabies vacination and microchip, do they also need up-to-date vaccinations in anything else? Also is there a limit to number of domestic animals you can take into France as we have 5 dogs and 3 cats!!!

If anyone could offer some advice I'd really appreciate it, thanks....

[cooperlola]

You can bring 3 domestic pets with you.  To bring more you need (in theory) an import certificate.  I say in theory because I went to the trouble of getting one and nobody looked at it - we just sailed through the tunnel!  I'll see if I can dig the papers out, as the appropriate address is on them.

[pompeysi]

Excellent, thanks for the reply, we are worried about taking our 8 pets and so far haven't found the information on the internet.

Can I ask how others travelled to France from england, we have looked at various speed ferrys, longer ferrys and eurotunnel but still have not really decided and any experience people have would be greatly received.

[cooperlola]

Right, the document I have is called an "Introduction de carnivores domestique".  The address and contact details on the top are : Ministere de l'Agriculture, Bureau de protection animale, Direction Generale de l'Alimentation, 251 rue de Vaugirard, 75732, PARIS CEDEX 15. Tel 01 49 55 84 70, Fax 01 49 55 81 97

My own tip would be tunnel every time as you do not have to leave your animals alone for one moment.  On ships, they must be left alone in the car on the car deck (if they are feeling kind you may be allowed to pop down to check on them but don't bank on it.)

EDIT This answers a little more about your original question.  The document also states the date on which they travelled and says that they must have been examined by a vet a maximum of 5 days before travelling.  Also, that the vet' must sign a document attesting to the fact that "Their identities have been established by means of micro-chip or tatoo; that they do not show any clinical signs of illness; that they have not left the UK for at least six months prior to travelling."

For the last two bits, your vet should sign and date stamp the "Clinical Examination" page on the pets' passports. (Mine wrote "the animal resided in the UK for the last six years" by the date stamp.

[Catalpa]

The following comment is based on what I've read on various forums. I've read it so many times over the past few years that I believe it to be correct but I can't point anyone to definitive proof. So, for what it's worth...[:)]

The maximum number of animals thing is apparently because, in the eyes of French Officialdom, more than 3 animals is probably a commercial concern - ie, a breeder. The "3 animals per person" is circumvented if necessary by allocating 3 animals per person travelling. So you own 3, your OH owns 3 etc. You could have the vet make the paperwork made out and split apparent ownership in this way. I've never seen anyone report travelling with too many animals as a bureaucratic problem they've encountered... just logistical... I've seen stories of 11 animals being transported... in one car. [:-))])

I'll back up Cooperlola's opinion about the tunnel. Totally stress-free travelling for you... and probably for the animals too.

Edit:

I've just re-read and seen you have 8 animals. Hmm. How many of you are travelling in the car?? Cooper's import licence is a good idea. Whatever... good luck. [:D]

[Eslier]

Your pets will need, in this order:

1) microchip

2) rabies jab

3) an EU Pets Passport

Assuming you're not intending to transport them all in one go then, if you spread it over three trips, you won't need to worry about the maximum of three rule as no one will know or care.

If you aren't intending to return to the UK then you don't need to have the blood test done after the rabies jab (although you might need to make this clear to your UK vet).  It is a very good idea to have it done anyway but you can sort this out after you arrive in France if that is easiest. You never know when curcumstances might mean you need to return to the UK so it is better safe than sorry by having the blood test done. You can return to the UK six months after the date of the succesful  blood test. Each blood test will cost you around 70€ in France or probably more in the UK.

[cooperlola]

I should add that the paperwork was free so to my mind worth it - even though as Eslier says the chances are you won't be questioned if you bring them in dribs and drabs - but that might not be practical?

[Mimi]

Hi

When we moved here permanently in 2003 with two elderly cats we required an export certificate provided by DEFRA (free I think) and duly signed by the vet to say that the cats had been rabies vaccinated, micro-chipped and were fit enough to travel.  As we were not intending to bring them back to the UK we did not need a Pet Passport.  I don't know if the rules have changed since.  We travelled with a certain major airline to Montpellier and the whole experience was a total nightmare.  I had bought a pet carrier big enough for the cats to be together during the flight and had checked the airline's website for the dimensions etc.  Everything was OK until we got to check-in where someone behind the desk decided that even though the carrier was big enough for 2 cats together (and confirmed on their website), they could not travel together because "they looked too uncomfortable"!  We had to absolutely travel on that flight otherwise it would have been back to square one with the export certificates etc.  Luckily my sister arrived, with ten minutes to spare, with another pet carrier.  The airline supervisor expected me to separate the cats in the middle of the check-in area!   I had to insist we use her office, if one of the cats had escaped doesn't bear thinking about.  The was more hassle regarding our luggage but I won't go into that. Anyway, we finally got away and when we arrived at Montpellier we asked at the information desk where we should collect the animals and were waved towards the luggage carousel.  There, going round and round were my poor pussycats just like pieces of baggage.  We had to laugh and happily they were none the worse for the experience.  Sorry for going on but the point to my story is that not one person in France asked to see the cats' papers.  Good Luck. 

Mimi

[Catalpa]

[quote user="Eslier"]

If you aren't intending to return to the UK then you don't need to have the blood test done after the rabies jab (although you might need to make this clear to your UK vet).  It is a very good idea to have it done anyway but you can sort this out after you arrive in France if that is easiest. You never know when curcumstances might mean you need to return to the UK so it is better safe than sorry by having the blood test done. You can return to the UK six months after the date of the succesful  blood test.

[/quote]

Eslier is right. If you spend any time on the various French forums, you will see a lot of very sad posts along the lines of "We were never going to return to the UK so we didn't keep our dog / cat / ferrets rabies jabs up to date / didn't bother to get the blood test done. Now we have to go back, will someone please give a home to my adored pet/s because we can't take them with us?" Getting the blood tests done and keeping the rabies jabs up-to-date - which isn't expensive when you have all the boosters done at the same time - is worth it because it gives you options if you have a sudden, even temporary, change in your plans.

Two other things then:

Remember to get your UK microchips registered on the French microchip database so that if an animal gets lost, there's a chance you can be reunited. I think instructions on how to do that are in a "sticky" at the top of the Pets section.

Also bear in mind that to keep the rabies jab up-to-date you must have it done before the due date. In other words, if you have your animals jabbed on 1 June, make sure they are presented at the vet by the end of May or you may have to re-start the whole process (rabies jab, blood test, 6 months wait) again. Which is expensive. [:P]

[pompeysi]

Thanks very much for the replies everyone, it really is great finding a forum such as this. Thanks very much for digging out that paperwork cooperlola.

There will be 2 cars going over, with 2 people in each, to bring all the animals accross. So if it is 3 pets per person then it would be quite possible to have 4 animals in each car and it sounds like we wouldn't have a problem. However maybe we will take cooper's advice and get this paperwork just to be safe.

From the replies, we've decided to definately use the eurotunnel, sounds like the least stressful way for the animals!

Got a trip to the local vets in the morning with all 5 golden retrievers booked in to have their jabs!!!

[Framboise]

Sounds like a farce worthy of "Allo 'allo" just to transport your cats.   Monsieur Jobsworth is alive and well in Montpelier!

For me, well I am wondering about what will happen when we leave because I have two lizards that I really want to take when we depart these shores.   I've had them years and don't really want to leave them here with the kids because they know only me - oh and the kids are useless!   Anyway, I don't somehow think M. Jobsworth will want to go rummaging about in their carriers very much, even though Oscar and Becks are actually softies!

[Mimi]

Hi Moya

Unfortunately, Monsieur Jobsworth or rather Ms Jobsworth was at Gatwick. Had no problem with the french at Montpellier.  Best of luck with the lizards!

Mimi

[manormaid]

Mimi, I was interested to read about your travel arrangements with your cats. We are currently planning a permanent move to France as soon as we can sell our house. We have only one, highly strung, cat; he already has his pet passport and we are researching the least stressful way to transport him to our new home. As he yells non-stop in a car, driving 200 miles to the tunnel and then another 500 miles at the other end, would probably end in a hoarse cat and deaf owners. The ferry is a no-go anyway, as we wouldn't leave him alone. We had thought that chartering a private aircraft from

our local airport would be the best (if not the cheapest) way, but after your experience,

perhaps not! Has anyone any suggestions, please?

[Catalpa]

Manormaid: transporting cats was discussed recently in this thread which might have one or two ideas for you to try.

http://www.completefrance.com/cs/forums/936420/ShowPost.aspx

[pompeysi]

Been to the vets today and got all 5 golden retrievers rabies jabbed and microchipped. All 5 were as good as gold and the journey to the vets increased my confidence in our ability to transfer all 8 animals including the 5 dogs to France.

The vet mentioned one of her clients who had recently moved to France was a professional dog breeder. She took 22 dogs with her!! Puts our little inconvenience into perspective. The 3 cats are booked in for thursday :)

[Gardian]

[quote user="manormaid"]Mimi, I was interested to read about your travel arrangements with your cats. We are currently planning a permanent move to France as soon as we can sell our house. We have only one, highly strung, cat; he already has his pet passport and we are researching the least stressful way to transport him to our new home. As he yells non-stop in a car, driving 200 miles to the tunnel and then another 500 miles at the other end, would probably end in a hoarse cat and deaf owners. The ferry is a no-go anyway, as we wouldn't leave him alone. We had thought that chartering a private aircraft from our local airport would be the best (if not the cheapest) way, but after your experience, perhaps not! Has anyone any suggestions, please?
[/quote]

We used Par Air of Colchester www.parair.co.uk who might well be of interest to you given your Norfolk location.

Picked up from our home prior to the 'pack-up', accommodated for a week, taken to the airport, and duly turned up the other end safe and sound (but grumpy!). Not cheap, but professionally done.

Our two cats were elderly old things - they're still elderly, just more so! 

[Nettie]

Admittedly we have only ever come to France with 3 dogs but I think we've probably now brought the dogs to France about 12 times and have never, ever been checked on the French side.  We always travel by Eurotunnel and at the French side you drive off the train and are then on the autoroute, no one there to check anything anyway. The numbers may have been increased recently but even going by the old regulations it was 3 dogs per person not per family so in effect if you have 4 people in a family you could in effect bring in 12 animals.

[nutsaboutnewfs]

We have just been through all of this stuff as we have 4 dogs. After hours of calls to DEFRA and customs, and the vets!!!!! It transpires thst it is 3 animals PER PERSON.  This was confirmed by all of the above people after bloomin hours of "discussion with colleagues".  Was amazed that nobody communicates with anybody in these agencies! But it is definately PER PERSON. hope this helps.......

[Paul Bradford]

Hi, not sure if you've left yet, but a suggestion for the cats. It has been mentioned that a dark area is good for helping keep a cat calm, but it might get too hot in the sun. I covered my cat's cage almost completely with a white sheet to help reflect the sun. Also it helped keep him calm as he couldn't see where he was going. I used one of those spill proof water bowls for a drink and just kept some dry food in a bowl, with treats to give him at stops which he seemed to like. Its also worth having that kaolin type cat litter in a tray, or something that will soak up well. A deoderiser might come in useful. If you think that it might be hot, some of those cool box freezer blocks under their bedding might be an idea. I froze some old plastic lemonade bottles filled with water and kept them in a cool box. When they defrosted, which took ages, we had cold water to drink.

Don't forget to let your ferry/tunnel operator know about the animals. I was required to check in for the ferry much earlier than normal. I was given a special label to hang from the mirror and directed to a special lane. After all that we sailed through with no-one asking to see the pet passport at either end!

Hope all goes well

Regards

Paul

[Adrian S]

Hi, read thread with interest I am moving out to France in September hopfully taking 3 dogs, 10 cats. Would appreciate knowing how you have done  it.

 

[Adrian S]

Hi ,

as I have a similar problem moving with 10 cats & 3 dogs I contacted the French Customs Attache

Kingsgate House,

5th Floor,

115, High Holborn,

London

WC1V 6JJ

Tel: 020 7235 7080

Fax: 020 7235 8598

I spoke to the resident vet and she stated that she has checked with the French Ministry of Agriculture and the resirtiction on the number of pets you can take has been lifted. It was lifted about 2 years ago.

Hope this helps

[wallifer]

We travelled over with Eurotunnel and 4 Great Danes, nobody on the English side showed the slightest interest in whether they had passports.