AHC PET VET

AHC PET VET: Animal Health Certificates for pets travelling from Newcastle upon Tyne

AHC PET VET is a veterinary service based in Newcastle upon Tyne, UK, focused on the paperwork required for pet travel. It issues Animal Health Certificates (AHCs) for cats, dogs and ferrets travelling from the UK to the EU, Switzerland and Norway, and also completes Export Health Certificates (EHCs) for many non-EU countries and OV66 ID checks for pet exports to Australia. The service is presented as a low-cost, online process that complies with official pet travel regulations.

How the AHC process works

The application starts online, with the owner providing basic information and an estimated travel date. The service then sends a pre-appointment checklist and books a time slot. The final step is a meeting with the vet and the pet, where the microchip is scanned and the travel certificate is issued. The site states that appointments typically take around 20 minutes and that the certificate can be issued on the day of travel, valid for up to 10 days before departure.

Because the pet must be seen in person, AHC PET VET meets clients at public car parks. The locations given are on the northern and eastern sides of Newcastle and the southern side of Gateshead, with a mutually agreed time and place. The service also mentions a range of convenient meeting points near airports, ports and main travel routes, and notes that it may travel further if multiple owners in an area need certification.

Requirements for an Animal Health Certificate

An AHC is required to take a dog, cat or ferret to the EU. The document is issued by an Official Veterinarian (OV). Each pet must be microchipped and have a valid rabies vaccine, given at least 21 days before travel, with the vaccination day counted as day zero. The OV checks and validates that these requirements are met and that the pet is fit to travel. The AHC can be issued within 10 days of travel and is valid for up to 6 months of onward travel in the EU and re-entry into the UK. Norway and Switzerland also accept AHCs.

The site notes that there are certain ports of entry available for pet travel into the EU and that owners need to check they are travelling through a correct port of entry. Before returning to the UK, dogs must receive a tapeworm treatment 24–120 hours before re-entry, administered by an EU veterinarian and recorded on the AHC. A tapeworm treatment is also required 24–120 hours before dogs travel to Norway, Finland, Malta and Ireland, recorded on the AHC by the UK veterinarian.

Official Veterinary Surgeon and certifications

Alyson Moor BVM&S MRCVS is the official veterinary surgeon (OV) for AHC PET VET. She is registered by the UK Government's Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) to complete pet export certificates and holds the OV66 registration to certify pet IDs for exports to Australia. The site states that she has over 25 years of experience working as an OV in small animal veterinary practice.

Other certificates and travel documentation

Beyond AHCs, the service completes Export Health Certificates (EHCs) for many non-EU countries and OV66 ID checks for pet exports to Australia. It also indicates that it may be able to examine a pet and complete paperwork for travel to the USA, while asking owners to check the specific US state department for pet entry requirements. For travel to Northern Ireland, the site explains that from 4 June 2025 only a Pet Travel Document (PTD) is needed for UK pet travel to Northern Ireland, not an AHC. PTDs last the lifetime of the pet and are applied for by signing in to GovGateway online and registering with DEFRA; the site states the process is free and can take up to 5 working days, although it notes a case where the PTD was returned within hours.

Frequently asked points

• An AHC is valid for 10 days to enter the EU and for up to 6 months to return to the UK, and can be used for onward travel in the EU during that time.
• An authorised person can travel with the pet as long as the owner is reunited with it within 5 days of travelling to the EU or Northern Ireland; authorisation must be given by the owner.
• Up to five pets can be certified on one AHC.
• An EU pet passport is only valid for pets whose owners have their primary residence in the EU, not the UK; the rules changed in April 2026. The old UK-issued pet passports are no longer valid and have been replaced by the AHC. UK vets cannot add rabies vaccines to an EU pet passport.

Prices and service scope

The site lists an AHC for one pet from £110, with additional pets on the same AHC at £35 per pet, up to a maximum of five pets on one AHC. For returning customers with the same pet, the AHC is £85, with additional pets on the same AHC at £35 per pet. Tapeworm dose and certification is £25–£40 per pet when travelling to Norway, Finland, Malta and Ireland or returning to the UK within 5 days of travel. Export Health Certificates (EHCs) to non-EU countries are priced on application (POA). The application process can be started free of charge.

The site refers readers to client reviews on Trustpilot and Google, and a blog entry dated February 2026 references client feedback from October 2025.