Exporting a pet from UK to Bahrain

You need to find a vet to issue your pet passport. You don't have to use your normal vet and prices differ a lot so shop around.

To get your pet passport your animal needs to have all his vaccinations up to date plus the rabies injection. The injections have to be MORE than 30 days old but less than 6 months old. The course of injections can take a month to 2 months to complete (especially for cats) so prepare well in advance.

You have to call DEFRA to get an export form - this needs to be filled out with your address in UK and Bahrain and your vets details (hence getting the vet first) you have to give Defra a date that your animal will be inspected by your vet prior to flying - this has to be done within 48 hours of your animal getting on the plane.

Defra will send your export documents to your vet a week prior to travel and your vet will sign and stamp them and give them to you on the last inspection.

You will need an export company based in the UK to handle the export of the animal etc. You cannot do this yourselves

You will need an import agent in Bahrain to meet your animal at customs, organise all the inspections and then deliver the animal to your house. Again you cannot do this yourself.

The export agent in the UK I used was..

Tim Hall
Pet Exports UK Ltd
Tel: +44 208 384 5020
www.petexports.co.uk

Not only was he the cheapest but he was the best. Organise all the above yourself as it is easy and will save you a lot of money.

My import agent in Bahrain was

Tim Delmon Pets Relocators
Kingdom of Bahrain (CR74796)
Mobile: +973 39729868
Tel/Fax: +973 17691095

The good thing is that both "Tims" know each other, have worked together for years and know the system inside out.

The laws on importing an animal to Bahrain can change while your animal is in the air. Tim knows this and knows what to do. You would panic.

Just sit home, relax and wait for your animal to be delivered to you - best feeling ever!!