Guernsey caught me out, because I assumed "UK rules" meant the UK's rules and nothing further. It doesn't. The Bailiwick takes Britain's framework as its baseline and then stacks its own requirements on top, so there are two sets of paperwork to read rather than one. Nala and I have done the Channel Islands twice now, and the second layer is where the surprises live.

Bringing a pet to Guernsey requires three documents in the right order: a microchip, a rabies vaccine within the destination's wait window, and a government-endorsed health certificate. The table below lays out exactly what's required, what's not, and where each rule comes from.

Who sets the rules here

Guernsey applies the rules of the United Kingdom as its baseline, and adds requirements of its own on top.

Official source
gov.gg
Relationship to the United Kingdom
inherits, plus local rules

How Guernsey handles your pet

Key points

  • Guernsey's rules depend entirely on where you are coming from
  • Travelling with a cat, dog or ferret between the Bailiwick and the UK (except Northern Ireland), Jersey, Alderney, Sark or the Isle of Man, there are no official requirements at all: no pet passport, no documentation, no vaccinations and no import notification
  • Everything recorded on this row is the stricter case, a pet arriving from the EU or further afield
  • Coming from abroad, the pet must have legally landed in the UK or a Crown Dependency before travelling on to the Bailiwick
  • The governing instruments are the Rabies Order, 2014 (which revoked the 2011 Order), the Import (Control) (Guernsey) Order, 2010 and General Import Licence 2024/01
  • A rabies blood test is needed only when the pet travels from a country the Order does not list as qualifying; the sample must be drawn at least 30 days after vaccination and at least 3 calendar months before arrival
  • Tapeworm treatment against Echinococcus multilocularis is required for arrivals from anywhere other than the United Kingdom, the Crown Dependencies, the Republic of Ireland, Malta, Norway or Finland
  • The minimum age to travel is 8 weeks, and a consignment may not exceed 5 animals
  • Pets can only arrive through St Peter Port Harbour or La Villaize Airport, on an approved carrier: Brittany Ferries or Channel Seaways for the harbour, and the Aigle or ASG hangars at the airport, which between them cover about sixty named air operators
  • The 27 restricted dog breeds, and any dog or cat hybrid, can still be imported, but only under a specific import licence applied for in advance
  • An animal that does not meet the conditions may be detained in quarantine for 4 months at the owner's expense

Each fact comes straight from the operator’s published policy. Tap the to read the exact wording; the opens the source page.

Health & documents

Microchip · Required Yesverified 2026-10-02
Microchip · StandardISO 11784 (HX or FDX-B), readable by an ISO 11785 compatible deviceverified 2026-10-02
Microchip · Must be done before vaccination Yesverified 2026-10-02
Rabies titer test (FAVN) · Required Yesverified 2026-10-02
Rabies titer test (FAVN) · Minimum level iu ml0.5verified 2026-10-02
Rabies titer test (FAVN) · Approved laboratory required Yesverified 2026-10-02
Rabies titer test (FAVN) · Waiting period after test days90 daysverified 2026-10-02
Rabies titer test (FAVN) · Test must follow vaccination days30 daysverified 2026-10-02
Import permit · Required Noverified 2026-10-02
Flea treatment · Required Noverified 2026-10-02
Heartworm test · Required Noverified 2026-10-02
Tick treatment · Required Noverified 2026-10-02
Health certificate · Issueran authorised veterinary surgeon in the country or territory of originverified 2026-10-02
Health certificate · Required Yesverified 2026-10-02
Health certificate · Endorsed byveterinary surgeon authorised by the relevant competent authority of the country or territory of originverified 2026-10-02
Health certificate · Validity days120 daysverified 2026-10-02
Health certificate · Government endorsed Yesverified 2026-10-02
Rabies vaccination · Required Yesverified 2026-10-02
Rabies vaccination · Booster required Yesverified 2026-10-02
Rabies vaccination · Waiting period after vaccination21 daysverified 2026-10-02
Rabies vaccination · Min age at vaccination12 weeksverified 2026-10-02
Tapeworm treatment · Drugpraziquantelverified 2026-10-02
Tapeworm treatment · Required Yesverified 2026-10-02
Tapeworm treatment · Window max hours before arrival120verified 2026-10-02
Tapeworm treatment · Window min hours before arrival24verified 2026-10-02
Screwworm treatment · Required Noverified 2026-10-02
Internal parasite treatment · Required Noverified 2026-10-02

Other rules

Pets accepted Acceptedverified 2026-10-02

Timing chain

Day -90 microchip implant · Day -21 rabies vaccine deadline · Day -120 health certificate issued · Day 0 arrive at customs

Conditional requirements

These rules apply only to some travellers — where the pet is departing from, where it has been, or who is travelling with it. Most people can ignore them, but if one applies to you it can change what you need, or mean denied entry if you skip it.

Pet travelling with its owner to Guernsey from the UK or the Crown Dependencies

  • Microchip: States of Guernsey: "Pet cats, dogs and ferrets travelling with their owners from the UK (including Northern Ireland)/Crown Dependencies to the Bailiwick do not require a pet passport or any other documentation" and "There are no official requirements for pet cats, dogs or ferrets travelling with their owners between the Bailiwick and: the UK ... the Crown Dependencies". The Republic of Ireland is NOT named. Arrivals from anywhere else must first have legally landed in the UK or a Crown Dependency, so they keep the strict base.
  • Rabies titer (blood) test: States of Guernsey: "Pet cats, dogs and ferrets travelling with their owners from the UK (including Northern Ireland)/Crown Dependencies to the Bailiwick do not require a pet passport or any other documentation" and "There are no official requirements for pet cats, dogs or ferrets travelling with their owners between the Bailiwick and: the UK ... the Crown Dependencies". The Republic of Ireland is NOT named. Arrivals from anywhere else must first have legally landed in the UK or a Crown Dependency, so they keep the strict base.
  • Health certificate: States of Guernsey: "Pet cats, dogs and ferrets travelling with their owners from the UK (including Northern Ireland)/Crown Dependencies to the Bailiwick do not require a pet passport or any other documentation" and "There are no official requirements for pet cats, dogs or ferrets travelling with their owners between the Bailiwick and: the UK ... the Crown Dependencies". The Republic of Ireland is NOT named. Arrivals from anywhere else must first have legally landed in the UK or a Crown Dependency, so they keep the strict base.
  • Rabies vaccine: States of Guernsey: "Pet cats, dogs and ferrets travelling with their owners from the UK (including Northern Ireland)/Crown Dependencies to the Bailiwick do not require a pet passport or any other documentation" and "There are no official requirements for pet cats, dogs or ferrets travelling with their owners between the Bailiwick and: the UK ... the Crown Dependencies". The Republic of Ireland is NOT named. Arrivals from anywhere else must first have legally landed in the UK or a Crown Dependency, so they keep the strict base.
  • Tapeworm treatment: States of Guernsey: "Pet cats, dogs and ferrets travelling with their owners from the UK (including Northern Ireland)/Crown Dependencies to the Bailiwick do not require a pet passport or any other documentation" and "There are no official requirements for pet cats, dogs or ferrets travelling with their owners between the Bailiwick and: the UK ... the Crown Dependencies". The Republic of Ireland is NOT named. Arrivals from anywhere else must first have legally landed in the UK or a Crown Dependency, so they keep the strict base.

Breed restrictions

Restricted breeds: Akbash Dog, American Bulldog, American Bully (including XL Bully types), American Staffordshire Bull Terrier, Anatolian Shepherd Dog, Ban Dog (or Bandog) Type, Boerbull Mastiff, Cane Corso, Caucasian Shepherd Dog, Central Asian Shepherd Dog, Czechoslovakian Wolfdog, Dogo Argentino, Fila Brasileiro, Japanese tosa, Kangal Shepherd, Moscow Guard Dog, Neapolitan Mastiff, Perro de Presa Canario, Perro de Presa Mallorquin, Pit Bull Terrier Type, Šarplaninac, South Russian Ovcharka, Spanish Mastiff a.k.a. Mastín Español, Tornjak, Tosa Inu, Yugoslavian Shepherd Dog, Wolf Hybrid F1-4 verified 2026-10-02

Ports of entry (2)

  • St Peter Port Harbour
  • La Villaize Airport

verified 2026-10-02

Guernsey requires the rabies vaccination to be given after the microchip is implanted. A dose administered before the chip went in does not satisfy the Bailiwick and has to be repeated once the chip is in place. Confirm the implantation date sits before the vaccination date on the certificate, because those two dates are read in sequence.
Guernsey does not refuse restricted breeds outright — it requires a licence for them. The rule covers the named breeds and their cross breeds alike, so a dog recorded as a cross still falls inside it. Apply for that licence before booking travel. The import cannot proceed on the strength of the health certificate alone.
An animal health certificate for Guernsey is valid for 120 days. A valid pet passport from a "part 1" listed country is accepted instead and is not bound by that window. Establish which of the two documents the origin country entitles the dog to before paying a vet to issue a certificate, because the 120 days must cover the return leg as well.
Guernsey is two rulebooks wearing one name, and the second one is short — a licence for restricted breeds, a 120-day certificate, and the chip before the rabies shot. Both the certificate and the microchip rules narrow depending on where the dog travels from, so the strictest case is not necessarily yours. Build a personalized plan for your own route and we'll tell you which layer applies.
Get YOUR personalized plan for Guernsey →