'EU Revoir' - Brexit pet travel ban?

Wednesday 10 October 2018

Guernsey's States Vet has warned that horses may not be able to travel directly from Guernsey to St Malo after Brexit as our nearest commercial French port doesn't have a Border Inspection Post, (BIP).

This risk is more likely in the event of a 'no-deal Brexit', meaning horse owners wanting to travel with their animals to France would have to go via the UK before entering France from an authorised port such as Calais - making the round trip to St Malo ten times longer than if there is a direct sailing.

It means horses travelling to Europe would have to enter via a border inspection post and it is understood that the French have no intention of creating a BIP in St Malo, where Guernsey has its main link to France and Europe.

Horse owners in the island who decided to travel would therefore have to increase their journey time and their expense taking their equine passengers on a trip of around 646 miles to Dover rather than just 70 miles to St Malo. 

Pictured: One possible route if the UK crashes out of the EU with a no deal Brexit.

States Veterinary Officer, David Chamberlain said: "Currently horses can travel to France on Condor Ferries through St Malo but if the UK and CI’s become third countries as a consequence of a no-deal Brexit this will no longer be possible.  This is because St Malo does not have a Border Inspection Post (BIP) that can inspect horses entering Europe from third countries.  France has indicated that it has no intention of increasing its number of BIP’s.  In outcome owners wanting to move horses to France will have to do so through a European BIP that accepts horses.  Fortunately such movements are less than 20 a year currently."

Whilst this scenario is worrying for horse movements, UK reports have said the issue may be wider and include other domestic animals like cats and dogs, especially if returning to UK territories from the EU.  British cats and dogs located in Europe on 29 March 2019 would not be recognised by the EU Pet Passport scheme and reports warn that a replacement to the EU’s Pet Passport would take months to negotiate, leaving animals unable to travel across borders.

However Mr Chamberlain does not think there will be an issue in Guernsey for domestic pets. He said: "Pet (dog, cats & ferret) movements from Guernsey to France entering through St Malo are less likely to be affected in a no-deal Brexit. It is anticipated that the UK and CI will either be able to issue their own pet passports which would maintain the status quo or they will be able to use ‘listed third country certificates’.  Listed third country certificates are likely to increase costs and delays for owners travelling with pets but they will be permitted to enter into France through a ‘travellers point of entry’ which St Malo is."

Pictured: St Malo port.