Make sure your trip goes smoothly
To avoid problems with your trip to the UK, you should plan and make preparations for travelling with your pet well in advance of your journey.
Customs formalities – Pets entering the UK from outside the European Community
Owners of pets entering the UK from outside the EU are required to complete Customs formalities. An agent, travel company or airline will do this for you for a fee. You are advised to discuss these charges before you travel as they might be included as part of a package. These charges are not made by the UK Government.
Alternatively if you want to make your own arrangements you should contact the Customs authorities at your arrival point in the UK to obtain details of the necessary procedures.
Make sure that you know the terms and conditions under which the transport company will carry your pet, and that you have made a booking or reservation for its travel if required. Tell them if your animal is a guide or assistance dog so that special arrangements can be made.
Health and welfare of your pet abroad
If you take your pet abroad, it may be exposed to diseases which we do not have in the UK, for example diseases transmitted by the bite of certain ticks, and parasites such as heartworm and tapeworm. It may not have a natural immunity to such diseases and could become infected. Some of these diseases can affect humans.
We recommend you consult your vet about your pet’s health and fitness to travel before you take it abroad. Depending on where you are going, your vet should be able to advise you on preventative treatments, or any other precautions you need to take and how to look for signs of ill health in your pet.
- Taking your pets abroad – your guide to diseases encountered abroad (British Veterinary Association Animal Welfare Foundation)
If your pet shows signs of illness after returning from abroad, notify your vet so that they can consider the possibility of an disease or infection contracted by your pet whilst it was abroad.
Looking after your pet during the trip
We recommend that if you are travelling on one of the longer ferry routes you arrive at the port early so your vehicle can be positioned in the best place in the hold for the welfare of your pet. Travelling overnight is also recommended if possible as your pet will be used to sleeping then. It is also better to feed your pet earlier in the day rather than just prior to travelling.
Travelling in hot weather
Animals should never be left in vehicles in direct strong sunshine and/or high temperatures as it is difficult to ensure sufficient ventilation to keep them cool. Unless animals are fully acclimatised, overheating, distress and suffering is likely when the temperature exceeds 25 degrees Celsius for more than a few minutes. The temperature in a car in full sun on a hot day can rise to double that outside of the vehicle in a short time, leading rapidly to distress for any animal in the vehicle.
Checks by transport companies
Entering the UK by rail or sea
Before you board Eurotunnel or a ship travelling to the UK from Europe on an approved route, you must present your pet to transport staff so that its microchip and official documentation can be checked. Pets travelling on an approved sea route from outside the EU and guide dogs travelling on Eurostar will be checked on arrival.
After a satisfactory check, pet owners travelling by Eurotunnel or ship from Europe will be given a badge or sticker which should be displayed as instructed by the transport company staff. This should not be removed until you have left the port of arrival in the UK.
Entering the UK by air
For pets travelling by air, the checks will be carried out on arrival in the UK, usually at the airport’s Animal Reception Centre which deals with animal travelling as cargo. Checks on assistance dogs travelling in the passenger cabin will usually be done immediately on landing.
It is normal practice for the airline to cover flight and UK handling charges in their pet ticket price. You may wish to check this when making your booking. No charges are made by Defra.
If your pet fails the check, it will either have to go into quarantine or be re-exported. If your pet has failed only because it has not met the rules on tapeworm treatment, it may be possible to have it treated on arrival and then held for 24 hours after treatment. If the animal arrives at Heathrow, this can be done there. In all other cases it must be done at local quarantine premises. If it is treated in quarantine, you will have to seek approval for its early release once it has met all the requirements of the Pet Travel Scheme.
We strongly recommend that if you intend to take your pet abroad and bring it back later, check that it meets the Pet Travel Scheme rules before you go.