Travelling with pets onboard Celtic Link Ferries

**ALL PET BOOKINGS MUST BE MADE OVER THE PHONE**

IRELAND: 00 353 (0)53 9162688
FRANCE: 00 33 (0)233 43 23 87

Pet Passport Travel

Celtic Link Ferries (IRL) Ltd is a participant in the Government controlled Pet Travel Scheme. This scheme allows movement of dogs, cats and ferrets within the EU member states without quarantine restrictions. Pets must travel with their owners in a motorised vehicle. Foot passengers are not allowed to bring animals with them – an exception will be made for officially registered guide dogs.

Cats, Dogs and Ferrets travelling on the Norman Voyager on the Ireland / France route can be booked by phone. Under absolutely no circumstances can a pet travel if a customer presents him/her self at port with a pet after making an online booking. Acceptance of bookings for pets is subject to the pet satisfying all current government legislation regarding the Pets Travel Scheme.

All Dogs, Cats and Ferrets travelling under this scheme need a Pet Passport. It is up to the owner of the pet to ensure that their pet is compliant. If the pet is not compliant, they will be refused travel.

Passengers are given the choice of putting pets in kennels or leaving them in their vehicle while travelling.

Government regulations

Under current Government Regulations all pets require to:

Have an official recognised EU Pet Passport
The animal is identified by means of a microchip
The animal has been vaccinated against rabies
The animal has been successfully blood-tested for antibodies at least six months before entry into Ireland
The animal has been correctly treated for tick and tapeworm.

Evidence that an animal complies with the last four conditions above will be contained in the EU Pet Passport, a document standardised throughout the EU.

No other animal type, other than Dog, Cat or Ferret, is eligible to travel under the Government controlled Pet Travel Scheme.

To be able to travel into Ireland with your pet you must be in a position to answer 'yes' to all of the questions in the following Check List:

Check-List

IMPORT RULE	YES/NO
Are you travelling directly from an eligible country?
Are you using an approved carrier?
Is your pet over six months old and will it be accompanied?
Has your pet been micro-chipped?
Does the micro-chip comply with ISO standard 11784 or Annex A to ISO standard 11785? If not, do you have a scanner to bring with you?
Has your pet, following micro-chipping, been vaccinated in an eligible country against rabies?
Has your pet been successfully blood-tested?
Have you an EU pet passport or the correct Veterinary Certificate fully and clearly completed at sections I, II, III, IV and V?
Has at least six months expired since a successful blood-test?
Has your pet spent this six months in an eligible country?
Has/will your pet be treated by a veterinarian against tick and tapeworm (echinococcus) between 24 and 48 hours before ferry check-in?
Has/will your passport/certificate be fully and clearly completed at sections VI and VII with the details of the tick and tapeworm (echinococcus) treatment?

Celtic Link Regulations

Celtic Link Ferries (IRL) Ltd has absolute discretion to accept or refuse any passenger, their vehicle, their pets or their luggage on board.

We will not accept bookings
On the day of departure
For pets not holding a valid Pet Passport
For pets other than Cats, Dogs and Ferrets
For unaccompanied pets
For those travelling by foot including coach passengers (with the exception of officially registered guide dogs)
For those travelling by motorcycle or bicycle.

If a return booking is made Ireland to France, a return booking must be made for the pet. If a pet is not returning it will be necessary to provide evidence of this or the pet and passenger may be refused travel.

Passengers travelling with pets must check in at least 2 hours before the scheduled departure time, otherwise travel will be refused.

Access to pets on board is at the discretion of the crew. Arrangements to visit a pet can be made at the reception desk on deck 5. Visits are dependant on the availability of a crew member to escort the passenger and on weather conditions.

If a dog is required to be muzzled by Irish / French legislation and is not muzzled, the dog and its owner will be refused travel.

While travelling with a pet with Celtic Link Ferries you have a choice of leaving your pet in two places while the ship sales:

Your own vehicle;
Allocated kennels on board.

Pets are not allowed into any of the living quarters on the vessel i.e. reception, cabins etc. at any time.

Procedure to obtain a kennel on board for your pet

Drive your vehicle to the deck in which you are directed;
Leave your pet in your vehicle and go to the reception stating that you have a pet and that you need a kennel. Kennels are located in two places:
a. Car deck (on deck 5);
b. On deck 4;
A steward will take you to the kennel.

In the interest of equity to all those on board, people that have pets on board are only allowed to visit their animals at pre-assigned times. These times can found on board at reception. At these times you will have the time to cater to your pets needs i.e. to be walked etc.

If you wish to leave your pet in the vehicle, simply leave the pet there while sailing. Simply request to visit your pet in your vehicle at reception and you will be entitled to visit your pet at the allocated times.