Pet Travel Scheme FAQs

What happens when my pet arrives in the UK?

When the flight lands, the pets are collected from the flight as the passengers get off. Pets are then delivered to the Animal Reception Centre at Heathrow where they are looked after by trained animal handlers and each animal is released from their flight kennel into their own run. They are offered food (normally dry food) and water while they wait to be given the all clear by the vet. If the pet is particularly dirty they will be cleaned.

Animal Health, the authority here in the UK, check the pet’s microchip and compare it against the paperwork for the animal. Once they give the thumbs up, the paperwork is cleared through customs and then is free to be collected. The process from arrival to clearance can take up to 4-5 hours for pets arriving from outside the EU. Please note: Pets arriving from within the EU are not released from their flight kennels in order to keep your costs down, since they are normally ready for collection around 2 hours after the flight lands.

What does JCS do?

We are the customs clearance agents for a number of airline arrivals at Heathrow, such as British Airways, Qantas, Air Canada, Emirates and Northwest (to name but a few!). We are responsible for the collection of pet paperwork from the airline, delivery of the documents to Animal Health and presentation of the paperwork to HMR & Customs.

This process involves driving the paperwork around the airport and the use of our direct access to the customs computer database, which is the primary reason why clients are unable to arrange the customs clearance themselves. We have excellent relations with the staff at the Animal Reception Centre and Animal Health; and we are in the unique position of having an office located inside the Animal Reception Centre so that we can provide the best service.

We can also arrange delivery of your pet to your home once they have cleared through customs and stretched their legs at the Animal Reception Centre. Please contact our staff for a delivery quote.

How do I get to the Animal Reception Centre?

The Animal Reception Centre (also known as the ARC or the “Q” station) is located on Beacon Road on the South side of the airport. The postcode is TW6 3JF, and on the right of this page you can download a map. Terminals 1,2 and 3 are located in the central part of the airport, and the new Terminal 5 is on the west side- as a result they are quite a way away from the ARC. It’s around a 25 min drive from the Terminals 1, 2 and 3, and unfortunately there is no public transport, so you will need a car or a taxi. It is a 10 min drive from T5. Terminal 4 is about 5 minutes away from the ARC. It is possible to walk- if you walk out of the exit at Arrivals and go right, following the taxi ranks, you will see the ramp to the Departures area above. Underneath the bottom of the ramp to the left of the cab rank is a public footpath, leading to a pavement by a fence. If you follow this path you will eventually come to a roundabout where you will be able to see the ARC- it is a yellow brick building with a big yellow “Q” on top of it. You can cross the road (careful- airport drivers are unpredictable) to get to the ARC.

Nearby public transport:

The closest mainline train stations are Feltham and Staines, or the Heathrow Express to Terminal 4. The closest tube station is Terminal 4. If T4 is not open, then Hatton Cross is the next best- they are both on the Piccadilly Line. There are a number of bus services that will take you to T4 or to Heathrow Central. Details of all the public transport options can be found on the Heathrow Airport Website. There is free parking and there are comfy sofas in the ARC reception area, so if you have to wait at all you will be comfortable.

If you arrive by taxi, we recommend that you check to see how long it will be before your pet is ready for collection before you make the driver wait. Both the JCS livestock staff and the staff at the ARC have phone numbers for pet friendly cabs, so we can help you on your journey home if need be.

If you are driving to the ARC from outside of London, then you’ll need to get to Junction 14 of the M25, then follow signs to “Terminal 4 and Cargo”. You will need to go straight over 2 roundabouts, through 3 sets of traffic lights (please remember to stop at the red lights!!) and then you will come to a roundabout where you should turn right. You’ll come to another roundabout, and take the 4^th exit on this one (almost all the way back on yourself)- you’ll end up outside the ARC!

It’s a big yellow brick building with a large yellow letter “Q” on the top of it. There’s free parking available. If you are coming from London or the local area then you should aim to get to Terminal 4 from the A30 Great South West Road, head toward “Cargo” and then you will find yourself at the roundabout near the ARC- you’ll be able to see it and you’ll be able to find your way.

At any point if you need help with directions please give us a ring and we’ll “talk you in”.

“My cat never leaves the house. Does it still need to have the rabies vaccination and blood test?”

Yes

“I treat my pet regularly for ticks and tapeworms- must I treat my pet again prior to the flight to the UK?”

Yes

"Is a 3rd Country Health Certificate Necessary?"

Yes. All pets entering the UK from outside the EU must have a completed 3rd Country Health Certificate. The only exception is if your pet has a valid Pet Passport that complies with the Pet Travel Scheme.If a pet entering the UK does not have a Pet Passport or endorsed 3rd Country Health Certificate then a passport will need to be issued. This can result in delays (and extra costs) as a vet will need to be called out and proofs of the date of microchipping, appropriate valid rabies vaccination and blood test result will need to be supplied.

"Can my vet complete all of the 3rd Country Health Certificate"

No. At some stage an official vet will need to endorse the Health Certificate. This means that a practice stamp from the vet is not sufficient- there must be a second stamp- this is the endorsement by the "competent authority". There are examples of these stamps on the right hand side of this page. If a 3rd Country Health Certificate has not been endorsed then a Pet Passport will need to be issued. This can result in delays (and extra costs) as a vet will need to be called out and proofs of the date of microchipping, appropriate valid rabies vaccination and blood test result will need to be supplied.

"Is all of the Health Certificate completed at the same time?"

Not necessarily. Depending on the location of the place of endorsement, this can be done at different times. For instance, your vet can complete the majority of the certificate (all except the tick and tapeworm treatments) in one location, the certificate can then be endorsed, and a separate vet could complete the tick and tapeworm treatments (at the appropriate time). Please note- the procedure may differ between countries- for instance, some endorsements are done at the airport at check in. You should check with your vet/authorities. The main thing is that the certificate MUST be endorsed.

“What happens if my pet misses the flight for which it was treated with ticks and tapeworm due to technical problems with the flight?”

If this happens then your pet will need to stay in isolation at the airport, with no contact with any other animals. The airline or the shipping company responsible for this isolated boarding will need to write a letter to the effect, so that essentially the treatment will remain valid. If there are no facilities at the airport or you would rather your pet not stay at the airport then it will need re-treating for ticks and tapeworms. This should not be harmful to your pet.

JCS Livestock