Moving house: finding a new vet

Moving house is one of the most common reasons UK pet owners need to change vet — and one of the most common reasons people end up on Compare-Vets in the first place. This guide walks through how to do it cleanly.

Start before you move

Ideally, register with your new practice before your moving date, so there's no gap in cover if something goes wrong in the first days at a new address. You can search practices by town or postcode on Find a vet.

Transferring clinical records

Your pet's clinical history belongs to you. Your new practice will normally request the notes directly from the old one, but you can also request a copy yourself. Records typically include:

• Vaccination history and dates
• Microchip number
• Any chronic conditions and current medications
• Recent test results and imaging reports
• Neutering / spaying status

Repeat prescriptions

If your pet is on long-term medication, ask the old practice for a written prescription that will last long enough to bridge the move. Your new vet will normally need to see the animal once before issuing further repeats.

Insurance considerations

Changing vet does not usually affect a pet insurance policy, but a change of postcode might. Tell your insurer about the move — some policies price by area, and failing to update your details can cause claims to be delayed or rejected. See our Pet insurance basics guide.

Update the microchip database

In the UK it is a legal requirement to keep microchip contact details up to date. Log into whichever database holds your pet's chip (Petlog, MicrochipCentral, Identibase, PetsID, etc.) and update the address and phone number on the day you move.

First appointment at the new practice

A new-client health check is worth booking within a few weeks of moving, even if your pet seems fine. It gives the new vet a baseline, a chance to review the notes, and lets you get a feel for the team before you actually need them in a hurry. Our first vet visit checklist covers what to bring.