How We Safely Transported a Snow Corn Snake From UK to Germany
A real-world case study of compliance, care, and calm under pressure
Introduction: A Delicate Passenger Named Luna
When Sophie and Alex, a young couple relocating from Hertfordshire to northern Germany, reached out to Pets Let’s Travel, their main concern wasn’t furniture or freight—it was Luna, their 18-month-old snow corn snake. Reptiles don’t qualify for the same simplified Pet Travel Scheme that covers cats and dogs; every cross-border movement requires DEFRA registration, an Export Health Certificate (EHC), and coordination with an Official Veterinarian (OV) and the EU’s TRACES NT system.
From the first conversation, the brief was clear: Luna needed to leave Stevenage on the morning of 14 October 2025, cross via the Eurotunnel at 1:30 a.m., and arrive safely in Sarow, Germany before dusk on the 15th. The couple wanted real-time updates and complete peace of mind.
The Challenge: When DEFRA Goes Dark
As preparations ramped up, DEFRA’s online submission portal—the very system used to generate the EHC—unexpectedly went offline overnight. Without an approved case number, Luna’s EHC couldn’t be released to the OV. The owners were understandably anxious; every hour lost meant a potential delay or mandatory boarding.
Our operations team—Deepak and Julie—jumped straight into contingency mode. Matt, scheduled for pickup, was briefed to stay flexible while we contacted DEFRA’s Animal & Plant Health Agency (APHA) helpdesk. By mid-afternoon we confirmed the outage with an APHA officer, logged a manual fallback request, and pre-filled every required field so the certificate could be issued the moment servers came back online.
Meanwhile, our customer-care thread stayed open on WhatsApp. Rather than hiding behind emails, we sent quick voice notes explaining what was happening in plain English: the system fault was national, not local, and wouldn’t compromise Luna’s timeline. That transparency turned a tense moment into trust.
Preparation & Documentation: Building the Compliance Chain
Once DEFRA restored access, the EHC 9027EHC—Health Certificate for Reptiles and Amphibians—was issued and endorsed by OV Dr. Ana Bejan. The certificate verified Luna’s species (Pantherophis guttatus), country of origin, and health status, and included the owner declaration confirming isolation from lower-status animals and prior disinfection of the transport container.
From there, the logistics choreography began:
The Journey: From Stevenage to Sarow
At dawn on 14 October 2025, Luna was collected from Flat 8, Botany Lodge in Stevenage. Matt arrived at 07:00 sharp with a pre-checked temperature-controlled carrier, lined with clean absorbent substrate and a digital thermometer clipped to the lid. The small corn snake slid calmly into the secure enclosure—a quiet beginning to a long, carefully planned trip.
The first leg ran south toward Dover. In the cab, Luna’s temperature was logged every hour; the interior remained steady between 24 °C and 27 °C, the ideal range for a snow corn snake’s comfort. Upon arrival, Matt handed the crate to Lynda—one of Pets Let’s Travel’s EU-experienced drivers—who verified the label set, seal, and paperwork before loading Luna into her Mercedes Vito (WX22 TZH) for the cross-Channel leg.
Road to the Eurotunnel
The convoy rolled into the Folkestone terminal late that evening. With a 01:30 a.m. Eurotunnel slot booked, Lynda used the waiting window for a final vehicle hygiene check and document review:
- EHC 9027EHC (valid 10 days, issued 10 Oct 2025)
- Letter of Authorisation linking owner → Pets Let’s Travel → authorised carrier
- Animal Transporter Authorisation (Type 2)
- Route manifest and welfare plan
Each file was stored both physically and on a secure mobile drive for instant retrieval if requested by border staff. The Eurotunnel staff verified the vehicle manifest and waved her through the pet cargo lane.
Inside the tunnel, Luna rested in darkness. The smooth 35-minute crossing meant minimal vibration—a key welfare factor for reptiles, which sense motion through their bodies rather than ears. At 03:10 local time, Lynda emerged into Calais under soft rain.
Owner updates
Sophie and Alex received scheduled voice updates: “collection confirmed,” “EHC validated,” “Eurotunnel booked.”
By the evening of 14 October, every contingency—from temperature swing to customs inspection—had a fallback plan.
Border Clearance: The SIVEP Inspection
France’s SIVEP (Service d’Inspection Vétérinaire et Phytosanitaire) post at Calais serves as the first EU veterinary checkpoint for live-animal imports from the UK. There, border officers compared Luna’s EHC number 25/2/286809 with the record in TRACES NT—the EU’s digital animal-movement database—to confirm authenticity and validity.
Because the EHC had been correctly uploaded by APHA when issued, the document appeared immediately in the French system. The officers inspected the stamped certificate, scanned the QR code, and requested to view the transport crate. Lynda opened the rear door, showing the secure, ventilated tub and digital thermometer reading. Everything matched the declared conditions: dry, stable temperature, no contamination risk.
The inspection lasted only twenty minutes. At 03:40 a.m. local time, SIVEP cleared Luna’s consignment for onward movement into the EU.
🇩🇪 Across Europe: Calais to Sarow
Once clear of Calais, the route traced the A16 and A2 motorways across northern France, then east through Belgium and into Germany. Over the next eleven hours, Lynda kept in touch with the operations team via WhatsApp voice updates:
- “Through Calais—EHC checked and cleared.”
- “Crossed the German border, ETA around 4 p.m.”
At each rest stop, she quickly inspected the container to ensure Luna remained secure and the temperature consistent. The snake remained still and composed throughout—a testament to careful pre-travel acclimation.
At 16:15 local time, Lynda pulled into 63 Dorfstraße, 17111 Sarow. Sophie and Alex were waiting at the door. The handover was simple and quiet: documentation verified, crate opened, and Luna slid calmly into her familiar terrarium.
Outcome and Reflection
After nearly twenty hours of coordinated travel across two countries, Luna arrived healthy, hydrated, and calm. The owners’ relief was immediate: their most precious companion had crossed borders legally and comfortably.
Behind the scenes, the case reinforced several core strengths of Pets Let’s Travel:
- Regulatory mastery. Even with a DEFRA outage, the team maintained compliance through proactive APHA liaison.
- Transparent communication. Continuous WhatsApp updates transformed potential anxiety into reassurance.
- Specialist handling. Temperature logging, vehicle hygiene, and species-specific welfare exceeded baseline requirements.
- Partnership network. Seamless coordination between pickup and continental delivery proved the strength of Pets Let’s Travel’s cross-EU framework.
For Sophie and Alex, the experience turned a source of stress into a story of confidence. For Pets Let’s Travel, it became a benchmark project—demonstrating how even niche species can be relocated internationally with empathy, precision, and full legal compliance.
Overview
Reptile Transport UK → Germany: Luna’s Journey
When a young couple relocated from Hertfordshire to Germany, their main concern was their snow corn snake, Luna. Because reptiles aren’t covered under the Pet Travel Scheme, every detail—from DEFRA’s Export Health Certificate (EHC 9027) to border clearance—had to be perfect.
Pets Let’s Travel managed the process end-to-end: liaising with an Official Veterinarian, submitting documents to APHA, and preparing a temperature-controlled vehicle with species-specific care. When DEFRA’s online system went down the night before export, the team worked directly with APHA to restore the certificate and keep the timeline on track.
On 14 October 2025, Luna was collected in Stevenage and crossed the Eurotunnel at 1:30 a.m. in a secure, ventilated crate. By the next afternoon, she arrived in Sarow at 4:15 p.m.—healthy, calm, and fully cleared through France’s SIVEP inspection.
This case demonstrates Pets Let’s Travel’s ability to combine regulatory precision with compassionate animal handling. From real-time WhatsApp updates to DEFRA compliance and cross-EU logistics, the team ensured a smooth journey for one very special snake.
If you’re planning to move your own reptile from the UK to Europe, contact Pets Let’s Travel today for expert, DEFRA-approved guidance.
