The Governing Council of the Cat Fancy

Importing and Exporting Pedigree Cats

Importing Cats into the United Kingdom

In order to register an imported cat with the GCCF the following documents will be required together with a fee of £40 if neither parent is GCCF registered, or £20 if one parent is GCCF registered.

1. A completed GCCF Registration Application form.

2. A Certified Pedigree, from a bona fide overseas cat registering organisation, showing 4 generations or more if required by the current GCCF Registration Policy for that breed. This must show names, registration numbers and breed colours for at least 3 generations, or more if required by the current GCCF Registration Policy for that breed. This must be an original Certified Pedigree - a photocopy is not acceptable.
Note: An Original Certified Pedigree is required and will be retained by the GCCF. If a GCCF Certified Pedigree for an exported cat includes an imported cat, a copy of the Certified Pedigree of the imported cat is attached to the GCCF Certified Pedigree for the exported cat. An original is therefore required to provide a good copy, sometimes years later.

3. A Certificate of Entirety if the cat is Male. This is obtainable from your Veterinary Surgeon and should state that 'at the time of examination the cat (name, breed and colour) had two testicles of normal size and texture correctly positioned within the scrotum'. For Male neuters, a Certificate of Neutering will be acceptable instead of a Certificate of Entirety. Note: An English translation may be required.

All the above information is required PLUS 4, 5, 6 or 7 as appropriate.

4. For cats entering England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, the Isle of Man or the Channel Islands under Quarantine regulations, a copy of the clearance papers supplied when the cat leaves Quarantine, importation/quarantine certification as currently required by DEFRA, together with the microchip number if available.

5. For cats entering England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, the Isle of Man or the Channel Islands under the Balai Directive, a copy of the letter supplied by DEFRA confirming the blood test of the imported cat, importation papers as currently required by DEFRA, together with the microchip number.

6. For cats entering England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, the Isle of Man or the Channel Islands under the Pet Passport Scheme, copies of all clearance papers are required including the Health Certificate, Rabies clearance, Endoparasite and Ectoparasite clearance, together with the microchip number.

7. For cats entering the UK for showing purposes only, a 4 generation Certified Pedigree, or more if required by the current GCCF Registration Policy for that breed (see paragraph 2, above), microchip number, a Certificate of Entirety if the cat is Male (see paragraph 3, above) (this is required because Monorchid or Cryptorchid adult males are not eligible to be shown at GCCF shows), together with a letter stating the reason for registering with the GCCF i.e. wishing to show at GCCF shows.

N.B. From 21.6.95 no imported Burmese nor their progeny shall be registered with a GCCF Burmese breed number.

Please consult a Veterinary Surgeon or DEFRA, the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs for advice on import regulations.

Please send all the necessary documents and fees to the GCCF Office, 5 King's Castle Business Park, The Drove Bridgwater, Somerset TA6 4AG

Exporting Cats from the United Kingdom

1. An Application for the Transfer of Ownership together with a fee of £9 (GCCF Rules, Section 1, Rule 10c). Transfer Applications may be signed by the present registered owner on behalf of the new owner who is resident abroad unless the cat is to be shown at GCCF Shows after export.

2. A Certificate of Entirety if the cat is Male. This is available from the GCCF Office and can be requested (giving the full registered name and registration number of the cat) any time, at or after registration. The Certificate of Entirety must be signed by you and your Veterinary Surgeon. For Male neuters, a Certificate of Neutering will be acceptable instead of a Certificate of Entirety.

3. A Certified Pedigree may be required if the new owner wishes to register the cat with an overseas registering organisation in the country concerned, so please check with the new owner to see how many generations are required. (GCCF Rules, Section 1, Rule 10c)

4. If you would like the Certified Pedigree and the Transfer Certificate returned to you, a letter requesting this must accompany the application.

5. If a Certified Pedigree is for your own personal use, please indicate this when requesting the Certified Pedigree. This will avoid delay caused by the GCCF Office unnecessarily requesting the Application for the Transfer of Ownership.

To apply for a Certified Pedigree, please send the appropriate fees: 3 generations £10, 4 generations £25, 5 generations £35, and the above mentioned documents.

Please consult a Veterinary Surgeon or the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA) for advice on export regulations, inoculations, quarantine etc.

Please send all the necessary documents and fees to the GCCF Office, 5 King's Castle Business Park, The Drove, Bridgwater, Somerset, TA6 4AG.

If you have any queries, please email, write to the GCCF Office or telephone: +44 (0)1278 427 575

This document is also available in .pdf format for you to download and print out - you will need Adobe Acrobat Reader

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