For sure, will update this page with our experience...I expect the checks will only be upon entering France (which seems to be on paper, good enough for the Swiss authorities).

As I see it, assuming a no-deal Brexit, your only problem is likely to be on the UK side of the tunnel on your return.

Here, the French customs are likely to be checking. But a Swiss car with your Ausweis handy will hopefully be no problem. Once you on the shuttle you are in Schengen and there should be no trouble the rest of the way...

Agreed, it will be the return if there is a problem.


Have you done the journey before? We do it several times a year normally (obviously not this year) and so far, you have to go to the special building on the right before crossing the booths, at the Tunnel. You have to take the dog in and they check the microchip, that it matches the passport. They then check all the jabs are up to date, and check that a VET has administered the worming treatment in the appropiate time-frame, and has signed that the dog is fit to travel. We have witnessed dogs being refused entry many times, on the flimsiest of things, and because the worming treatment was done too early or to late by a matter of an hour or two. They are real sticklers- anything not absolutely correct and they refuse entry.


Until now, there has never ever been checks on return from UK, to enter France.

We had a nightmare in Calais. Our vet left the chip implantation date blank in our dogs passport, despite everything else being ok, we were told the passport was invalid. Luckily we could got to a vet in Calais and get a new one produced with the info found in amicus. Pretty sure they are in a money making scheme with the local vet (Dog now French - Swiss dual national ;-) )

No checks at all on the return.... wonder if they have a pet centre ready to open in Folkestone in a few weeks or not

We witnessed a Polish family at the Vet's in Calais- in floods of tears. The Vet was unable to read the Polish microchip and therefore refused to sign papers. The family had been living in the UK for 2 years and had had to leave the dog with her mother- and had gone for the Summer hols to finally fetch him to join them in UK.


The Vet called us in and we offered to pay for new chip for the dog, in case the family could nto afford it and that was the problem. The vet said 'no can do'- I can't prove the dog is the dog in the passport. She had given them 2 options- either book into a Hôtel in Calais and ask mother or vet to send the Polish reader, and then she could check the number and change the chip and change it in passport. Or return home and get the chop changed for a compatible one, and come back. She said they could not take dog to refuge as they would have to refuse it or euthanize, as no valid chip.


By the time we came back to waiting room, the family was gone. We never knew what they did - and always fear they abandonned him. They were starting work and school the next day, in Manchester.


Also a very posh lady with 2 large retrievers- she had the vet check and worming treatment properly dated, signed and stamped by the vet- but in on a separate paper, as she had forgotten to take passports for the vet visit. She was refused entry- and went berserk- when we left she sat crying in the car. Honestly, they are VERY strict- everything has got to be just right in every way.

I think before our next visit, we will change the Danish passport for a Swiss one, so it matches our car plates and passports, just in case.

I spoke last week to an official at the department in the UK which deals with this as my daughter, husband and dog wish to visit on the 17th December.

Their trip is complicated as their dog had his rabies vaccination in the UK in his UK pet passport but now has a Swiss one that his vaccinations are in. The informed me that if they returned to Switzerland before 31 December everything is the same but if they had to delay their return they would run into trouble unless they had a certificate for the rabies. He advised them to get one at the swiss vets and actually they gave him a booster for his rabies. They took blood on Monday to be sent to Bern and they are awaiting the result. But he said when they enter the UK to just show the original jab - I do feel very anxious about the whole procedure. The problem is that the UK did not have listed status when I spoke to him.

TheKMAN- Can I ask you about the 5 day quarantine and testing please as reading up on this, it can only be done at specific locations - are you having this at the Eurotunnel?

Jackie. if you go this route, be sure to keep the original Danish passport in the same sleeve as the new Swiss one, just in case questions arise where you have to go back to original stamps. Unlikely to happen, but had a sticky situation once with a rescue transport.

Oh yes, of course, thanks.


We know from experience (see posts above) just how strict they are and that you can't 'argue' with them- anything not absolutely correct and the answer if NO- no pleading helping either. I shall be very nervous next time we go to UK for sure, despite going back and forth for many years with several dogs, and cats when we moved here.

I would think, as you're driving, to look at the entry requirements into France (or Belgium if you go that route). That is the crucial one. Going will not be a proble, but coming back???


Once in the EU the Swiss won't even know you've been to the UK when you cross the border - and nothing changes regarding CH / Schengen border crossings. It will seem to them just to be a normal border crossing back into Switzerland.


I've some friends in the Dutch and Belgian border police. They tell me they've been told that the French will be much more attentive - just to be b....y minded - to checking British passports etc than they will be. Maybe consider the Ostende /Zeebrugge route instead?

EU have listed the UK for pet travel (list 2) http://apha.defra.gov.uk/documents/o...-Note-3920.pdf

I believe this means, UK dogs need a health certificate, and EU/CH dogs can travel as they do now. No titre tests required!!

Hi everyone, I have been back in Zurich from my trip since Saturday evening and 'enjoying' quarantine as the snow falls outside.

To answer some of the questions asked:

1) Travelling into the UK/France with my dog was no issue whatsover given I had all the proper documentation and certificates. There were some people I noticed getting caught out due to missing dates in passports etc.

2) No issue with the French authorities in Folkstone whatsoever, just make srue you have a proper certified 'Fit to Fly' COVID sheet and have filled out your COVID declaration docs


3) In terms of personal quarantine when I got to my intended location (London), I booked a private test with an approved test centre about 2 miles away for my 5th day in the UK for a 'Test to Release' which cost about £150 with a 24-hour result guarantee (took about 5-hours to get the all clear)...so no you do not need to stay in Folkstone upon arrival if you have a place you can quarantine.

3) At the Swiss border there was no issue, though I was not stopped. Presumeably a ZH plated car crossing from France into Switzerland is the last one they are looking to stop...

I know circumstances have shifted greatly since I last posted, but if you need to make this trip by car with or without a dog then I would say there is little to worry about so long you have a reason to be in the UK (your passport), a reason to travel back to CH ( your permit) and are able to obey the quarantine restrictions.

Nice! This piece of information wasn't around a few weeks ago, I assume future trips will be much clearer.

Did you go by Tunnel? And to the dog/animal entry place before the gates?

Hi Jackie, yes I went via the Eurotunnel and went to the Pet checkpoints either side @ Calais & Folkstone. All very quick and easy, done in about 5 minutes on either side.

So they now have checks on the Folkestone side- these never existed before. Thanks.

So, is the Office in Folkestone run by the French, and the one in Calais, by the British?

Yes when you arrive and drive to the automated barrier, you will get an instruction to head to the pet terminal.

As you say, this never existed previously and is actually within the main terminal (i.e. where you normally find the duty free etc.)...I am sure they will build a stand alone building in the future as the current set up is a mess (no place to queue, dogs in the middle of the terminal etc.).

The staff in Calais were French, and the staff in the Folkstone were British - but they are administering based on the rules of the UK & EU respectively. The setup in Folkstone felt like a temporary fix and less 'official' than the standalone centre in Calais.