When you book an Animal Health Certificate (AHC) with Compass Pet Travel, we'll ask you to arrange for your usual veterinary practice to send us your pet's clinical history (veterinary records) before your appointment.
Reviewing these records forms an important part of the Animal Health Certificate certification process.
Why We Request Your Pet's Clinical History Before Issuing an Animal Health Certificate
When you book an Animal Health Certificate (AHC) with Compass Pet Travel, we'll ask you to arrange for your usual veterinary practice to send us your pet's clinical history (veterinary records) before your appointment.
Requesting veterinary records is common practice amongst many Official Veterinarians (OVs) and forms an important part of the certification process.
What is a clinical history?
A clinical history is a copy of your pet's veterinary records held by your registered veterinary practice.
These records may include:
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Rabies vaccination records.
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Microchip implantation and verification records.
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Vaccine manufacturer (brand) and batch number.
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Previous consultations.
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Current or previous medications.
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Relevant illnesses or surgery.
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Other veterinary records.
For most pets travelling to the EU, the information we require relates primarily to identification and rabies vaccination.
Why do Official Veterinarians request clinical histories?
Before signing an Animal Health Certificate, an Official Veterinarian must be satisfied that the information being certified is correct.
Reviewing your pet's veterinary records allows us to verify information including:
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Your pet's microchip number.
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That the microchip was verified by scanning before, or at the time of, the rabies vaccination, as required under the EU pet travel rules.
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The date the rabies vaccination was administered.
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The rabies vaccine manufacturer (brand).
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The rabies vaccine batch number.
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The recorded duration of immunity, where applicable.
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Any information requiring clarification before the certificate is issued.
Reviewing these records in advance helps identify any discrepancies before your appointment and reduces the likelihood of delays on the day.
Why isn't a vaccination card always sufficient?
A vaccination card, rabies certificate or previous pet passport often contains much of the information required for an Animal Health Certificate.
However, these documents do not always include every detail needed to support certification. In particular, we may need to verify that:
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The correct microchip number has been recorded.
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The microchip was verified by scanning before, or at the time of, the rabies vaccination.
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The vaccine manufacturer (brand) and batch number have been recorded.
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The vaccination record is complete and internally consistent.
A vaccination card is an important part of the evidence we review, but it is a standalone document. Your pet's clinical history is held securely by your registered veterinary practice and provides an independent, auditable record of your pet's care.
Most discrepancies arise from simple administrative errors, such as incomplete records or missing information. However, vaccination cards can also occasionally be altered or completed fraudulently. Reviewing the clinical history allows the Official Veterinarian to cross-check the information provided against the veterinary practice's records before certifying it on an Animal Health Certificate.
Is a clinical history legally required?
There is no legislation stating that an Official Veterinarian must obtain a clinical history before issuing every Animal Health Certificate.
However, Official Veterinarians are legally responsible for the information they certify. The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) Code of Professional Conduct also requires veterinary surgeons to make professional decisions based on appropriate evidence.
For this reason, many Official Veterinarians choose to review veterinary records before issuing an Animal Health Certificate.
What do I need to do?
After booking your appointment, please contact your usual veterinary practice and ask them to email your pet's clinical history to:
Receiving these records before your appointment allows them to be reviewed in advance and helps ensure your Animal Health Certificate appointment runs as planned.
Compass Pet Travel
At Compass Pet Travel, reviewing your pet's clinical history forms part of our certification process and helps us ensure that the information entered onto your Animal Health Certificate is supported by your veterinary records before the certificate is signed.
This approach helps us issue Animal Health Certificates accurately, minimise the risk of unexpected problems at your appointment, and ensure your documentation meets the requirements for EU pet travel.