moving to france with pets - quarantine reqd???

[anteater]

hi all,

just wondering if anyone can tell me about the french requirements involving quarantine of pets when moving to france permanently??  we are thinking about moving there from new zealand late next year and we have a 4 year old german shepherd and two 2 year old cats which we could never leave behind, but the thought of them being in quarantine for who knows how long worries me (as in being stressful for them).  i have looked on some websites but cannot find the exact info i need. any input would be welcomed - thanks, anita

[Bones]

Hi anteater,

I didn't know that you still needed to quarantine your pets? Is this because you are outside the European Union? We moved here from the UK last year and just required a Pet Passport.

My girlfriend is French and she doesn't know whether you'd need to quarantine your pets (useless reply this, eh?!) but thinks that your consulate should be contacted for confirmation.

When we were enquiring about the Pet Passport we had to be really on the ball because the law changes so fast and even the appropriate agency couldn't give us a definitive answer.

Ah well, good luck and I hope it all works out for you.

Regards

Bones and co.

PS. Don't come over skint and expecting a job: there are none!!

PPS. If you'd like an overgrown, clingy, dogue de bordeux let me know....

[bizzer]

HI ANita

if New Zealand is a rabies free country and my partner who is a KIwi says it is, then you should have no problem in bringing them straight into France but you probably will have to quaratine them if you took them back to NewZealand. They will need a rabies jab which, after one month, will be tested to see if your German Shepherd and cats have the anti bodies..

Best to check with the French consulate in NZ they will be more than helpful

Where in NZ are you (Simes my partner is from Cockle Bay in the North Island) and where are you moving too??

I have always joked with him that the Kiwis are taking over the world!!!!!!

Best of luck with everything

Barry

[anteater]

hi and thanks to both of you who replied - good to know about the quarantine!!  we are about to buy a holiday house in the limousin (crozant), although if we move there permanently i don't know whether we would stay there or not.  about coming over skint and looking for a job - we would want to be self employed, doing what though, we are not sure!!! not sure whether that part of the limousin is the best place to make a living, its lovely but very quiet. as for where we are in nz - we are about 40 mins north of auckland (i should know where cockle bay is - i will go look it up!). as your 'other halves' will have no doubt told you, nz is a great country, and not very populated, green etc.  so why do we want to live in france? -  i dont know, just know i love it there, and feel quite at home.  taking french lessons in nz but impossible when you don't hear the language all the time. anyway, thanks for your replies!! - anita

[Deimos]

I don’t know about France but the UK are happy for dogs from New Zealand to enter the UK (subject to the same constraints as apply to e.g. a dog from France entering the UK). I would guess you would thus probably be fine entering France but do double check with the authorities first (or maybe the airline might have more info ?)

http://www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/quarantine/pets/procedures/support-info/other.htm