Why Brits Are Taking Their Pets to Belgium for the Vet

A £6,000 quote in Britain, £1,800 in Brussels

A UK surgeon quoted about £6,000 plus aftercare to repair a dog's injured leg; a Brussels animal hospital did the same operation two days later for around €2,000 (£1,800). That is the story at the centre of The Telegraph's 3 November 2026 report, written by owner Natasha Bowler about her five-year-old dog Bowie, who has since made a full recovery.

Her case is not a one-off: vet treatment abroad is fast becoming a real option for British owners. The same report follows a couple who were quoted €195 near Bruges for a tooth extraction, dental clean, worming tablet and medication, against £914 from a Devon vet for the extraction alone. A vet outside Bruges told the paper she now sees around 20 British owners a week, and a clinic in Antalya, Turkey says most of its customers are British.

For anyone who travels with a pet, this matters twice over. The savings are real, but so is the paperwork: since April 2026, Great Britain residents can no longer use EU pet passports, and every trip now needs an Animal Health Certificate. Below we look at why UK prices got here, what a vet trip to Belgium actually involves, and how to plan one without the costs eating the savings.

Why UK vet bills got this high

UK vet prices rose 63% between 2016 and 2023, roughly double general inflation of 32%, according to the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA). Its market investigation, which ended with a final decision on 24 March 2026, found three core problems:

• Owners can't compare. In 2025 over 40% of practices still showed no prices online, and only 43% of owners got any price information before their last non-routine treatment.

• Consolidation. Over 60% of practices are now owned by six large corporate groups. The CMA found five of the six large groups charge 18.3% more on average than independents, and that at least three of the five groups that bought practices raised average prices there by about 9% four years later, compared with each practice’s earlier trend.

• Medicines. Online pharmacies are typically 50–60% cheaper, yet only 26% of owners on ongoing prescriptions used one.

The CMA put the harm to pet owners at around £1 billion over five years. Its fixes include standard published price lists, written estimates for £500 or more, including VAT, itemised bill ownership disclosure, and a cap on written prescription fees of £21.40 for the first medicine and £12.70 for each extra one. These are being phased in through a CMA Order from late 2026, so many owners won't feel the difference yet.

How far apart the prices are

Source: The Telegraph, 3 Nov 2026. The first three rows are averages; the last two are single quotes from owners in the report.

What a vet trip to Belgium actually involves

A dog going from Great Britain to Belgium and back faces 15 requirements on the way out and 21 on the way home, according to the Pet Holiday Club rules base. Our 2026 guide to travelling to Belgium with a dog or cat covers each one in detail. Most are routine for a healthy adult dog that already travels, but the timings are strict and none of them bend because your pet is unwell.

Since 22 April 2026, GB residents can no longer use EU pet passports, even ones issued in the EU. Every trip now runs on a new Animal Health Certificate (AHC). In order, the trip looks like this:

1. Microchip first. An ISO 11784/11785, 15-digit chip, implanted before or on the day of the rabies jab. The number must match every document.

2. Rabies vaccination. Given by an authorised vet, with the dog at least 12 weeks old. A primary (first) vaccination needs 21 full days before an AHC can be issued.

3. AHC from an official vet. Issued no more than 10 days before you enter the EU, with a signed non-commercial declaration attached.

4. Enter Belgium. Belgium refuses pets under 15 weeks, and owners must travel with the pet or within 5 days of it.

5. Treatment in Belgium. The vet visit itself.

6. Tapeworm treatment before coming home. A vet must give a praziquantel-based treatment between 24 and 120 hours before the dog re-enters GB, and record it (how the UK tapeworm window works). This is why one Bruges vet sees so many British owners: many come in just for this.

7. Re-enter GB within 6 months of the AHC's issue date, by an approved route and carrier, and present documents at the border.

Two hard restrictions shape the route. Pets entering GB by plane must fly as cargo unless on an approved private charter or a recognised assistance dog, so most owners drive and cross by Eurotunnel or ferry. And the rules base flags the Animal Welfare (Import of Dogs, Cats and Ferrets) Act 2025, which bars pets under six months, or more than 42 days pregnant, from being brought into GB.

The costs and risks that eat into the savings

The trip itself costs roughly £150–£400 per pet before fuel, the vehicle fare or a bed for the night. That makes vet tourism worth it for big-ticket treatment, and rarely for a routine check-up.

Set against the price gaps above, the maths is clear at both ends. Saving about £24 on a consultation or £36 on vaccinations won't cover an AHC. Saving £700+ on a dental extraction or £4,000+ on orthopaedic surgery easily does.

The risks are less visible than the costs:

• Timing you can't control. The AHC must be used within 10 days of issue, so a cancelled appointment abroad can mean paying for a second certificate.

• A sick pet at the border. The PHC rules base warns that active signs of illness or infestation on arrival can lead to refused entry, quarantine or removal at the owner's expense. Carry the treating vet's discharge notes.

• Pain and delay. An emergency vet quoted by The Telegraph says owners who leave for treatment abroad tend to do so only where pain can be managed for a day or two. Emergencies should never wait for a ferry.

• Aftercare at home. Stitches, check-ups and complications usually land back on a UK vet, who will want the full clinical notes.

• Insurance. Ask your insurer before you book. Don't assume a UK policy pays for planned treatment abroad, or covers complications from it.

• Language and records. Get estimates, consent forms and discharge notes in writing, ideally in English.

How to cut the cost, at home or abroad

The cheapest vet trip is the one you're ready for before you need it. Bowie got to Brussels within days because the clinic could operate two days after the call; a dog whose rabies vaccination has lapsed would have faced at least 21 more days before an AHC could even be signed.

Start at home

The CMA's reforms give you new tools before you reach for a passport:

• Ask for a written estimate for anything likely to cost £500 or more, and an itemised bill every time.

• Ask for a written prescription and buy repeat medicines online, typically 50–60% cheaper. The prescription fee is being capped at £21.40.

• Get a second opinion. Five of the six large groups charge 18.3% more on average than independents, and from March 2027 practices that belong to a group will have to say so and name their owner.

If you go abroad, plan it with Pet Holiday Club

1. Keep your pet travel-ready all year. Pet Holiday Club's route checklist shows every requirement for GB → Belgium and back. The one that catches people out is rabies: a booster must follow within 12 months of a primary vaccination, and any lapse resets the 21-day wait. Keep it current and the AHC is the only step between you and the clinic.

2. Check your documents before the AHC appointment. Upload your pet's records and PHC's compliance engine scores them against the route. The microchip number must match on every page; a mismatch at the border invalidates the lot.

3. Build treatment into a trip you're already taking. An AHC covers up to 6 months of onward EU travel and return to GB, as long as the rabies vaccination stays valid. That is how the Oakleys did it: a dental extraction near Bruges on the way home from Spain. Book treatment near the end of your holiday so the vet can give the tapeworm treatment in the same visit, 24–120 hours before you cross.

4. Pick the right route. Pets can only fly into GB as cargo, so most owners drive. Use the PHC routes explorer to compare tunnel and ferry crossings, and our guide to dog-friendly ferries from the UK for pet cabins and fees; on LeShuttle your pet stays in the car with you.

5. Leave room for recovery. Plan at least a few days near the clinic for a post-operative check before driving home, and have a UK vet lined up for follow-up.

The bottom line

Vet tourism to Belgium makes sense for major, non-emergency treatment where the saving runs to hundreds or thousands of pounds, and for owners whose pets are already travel-ready. For routine care, the CMA's new rules on estimates, prescriptions and price lists are the better lever.

Either way, the paperwork is where trips go wrong. Before you book a clinic abroad, build your pet's GB → Belgium checklist on Pet Holiday Club and check their documents against it. For more on the price squeeze, read our analysis of rising vet costs and the owners skipping care.

Frequently asked questions

Is vet treatment cheaper in Belgium than in the UK?

Often, yes. Owners in The Telegraph's report paid around €2,000 (£1,800) in Brussels for leg surgery quoted at £6,000 in the UK, and €195 near Bruges for a dental extraction quoted at £914 in Devon. Prices vary by clinic, so always get a written quote first.

What does my dog or cat need to travel from the UK to Belgium?

An ISO microchip, a valid rabies vaccination given after the chip, and an Animal Health Certificate issued by an official vet no more than 10 days before you enter the EU. A first rabies vaccination needs 21 full days before the AHC can be issued. See our Belgium pet travel guide for the full checklist.

Can I still use my EU pet passport?

Not if you live in Great Britain. Since 22 April 2026, GB residents need a new Animal Health Certificate for every trip to the EU, even if their pet has an EU-issued passport.

How much does it cost to take a pet abroad for vet treatment?

Expect roughly £150–£400 per pet in fixed costs: £100–£350 for the AHC and about £48 return for the LeShuttle pet supplement. Add the vehicle fare, fuel, accommodation and the tapeworm treatment visit.

When does my dog need tapeworm treatment before coming back to the UK?

A vet must give a praziquantel-based treatment between 24 and 120 hours before your dog enters Great Britain, and record it on the AHC. Cats and ferrets don't need it. Our UK entry rules guide explains the timing.

Is it worth going abroad for routine vet care?

Rarely. Saving £24 on a consultation or £36 on vaccinations won't cover the AHC. Vet treatment abroad pays off for major non-emergency procedures, or for routine care fitted into a trip you were taking anyway.

Will my pet insurance cover treatment abroad?

Check with your insurer before you book. Don't assume a UK policy covers planned treatment abroad, or complications that need care once you're home.