Rex-it reset raises the woof

The government is seeking to rejoin the EU’s pet passport scheme as part of its Brexit reset talks, The Independent understands.

- JABED AHMED

Hundreds of thousands of British travellers took their pets on holiday to the EU every year before the UK left the pet passport scheme at the end of the Brexit transition period in January 2021.

Now, British travellers must microchip their pets, vaccinate them against rabies, and obtain an animal health certificate – which can cost up to £200.

The UK’s Brexit reset negotiators have pushed for British cats and dogs to regain freedom of movement within the bloc, as first reported by The Telegraph.

In order to obtain the agreement on sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) regulations and re-enter the pet passport programme, the government is expected to give in to EU demands for a longterm agreement on fish.

A government source told The Independent: “Nothing is agreed until everything is agreed.”