The European Guide Dog Federation (EGDF) provide an update on travel following BREXIT:
In September, our president David Adams, wrote to Lord Frost, the main negotiator with the European Union, and a number of other politicians, highlighting the discrimination and breach of both the United Nations Convention for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) and the Equality Act that replacing the Pet Passport with the Animal Health Certificate (AHC) has caused for blind and assistance dog owners.
This letter can be found here
Letter to Lord Frost
In October, we received a response to this from Lord Goldsmith as the Minister responsible for animal
welfare policy on behalf of the Department for the Environment, Farming and Rural Affairs( DEFRA). Lord Goldsmith did not refer to the discrimination against blind and assistance dog owners, but did advise as follows:
"It may be useful to know that if the pet or assistance dog has a current Pet Passport issued by an EU-approved authority (either in an EU Member State or NI), an AHC may not be necessary. Pet owners should check with the authorities in the destination EU country that an EU Pet Passport would be accepted for entry from Great Britain. You should take any supporting documents that show valid pet health treatments, including Pet Passports issued in GB prior to 1 January 2021. If pet or assistance dog owners have an EU Pet Passport, they should ensure that GB-based vets do not input rabies vaccination details into it as this may invalidate it."
It appears from the above, that Lord Goldsmith is recommending that UK guide and assistance dog owners should try to get a EU Pet Passport.
The full response can be found here:
Letter from Lord Goldsmith
In further developments - as members of the Assistance Dogs Europe ( ADEu) Public Access Committee, we supported a letter written to the British Veterinary Association (BVA) to ask for their support for an exemption to the AHC for guide and assistance dogs.
The new rules for travelling within Europe can be found here