How to travel with a pet

Our pets are often members of our family, and traveling with them matters to us. International travel with a pet can turn out to be a complicated process, since it requires both protecting their health and safety and meeting the requirements of the specific country.

What Should You Know Before Traveling With Your Pet?

Prepare Your Pet in Advance

Preparing your pet properly is very important. You need to find out in advance what documentation and vaccinations your pet will need.

Preparing Documentation

Your pet needs a health certificate issued by a veterinarian, a rabies vaccination certificate, a microchip, and any other required documentation that matches the requirements of the specific country.

Requirements Vary by Country

Every state has its own rules for pets entering the country, so it's important to take the laws of every country into account. A mistake or missing documents can lead to your pet being denied entry or placed in quarantine.

How Should You Prepare to Travel With Your Pet?

Check Specific Country Requirements

Before starting to travel with your pet, you need to find out the rules of each country your pet will be traveling to. This includes microchipping, vaccination, a health certificate, and other necessary documents.

Check the Airline's Policy

Airlines often have their own policies regarding pet transport. Some airlines require the use of pet carriers, while others typically only allow pets on board in rare cases.

Find Out the Necessary Fees

Traveling with a pet often involves additional costs. It's important to look into all the fees related to transporting your pet in advance.

Traveling With Your Pet to Different Countries

United Kingdom

To travel with a pet to the United Kingdom, several important steps are mandatory:

• Microchipping – the pet must be microchipped before receiving the rabies vaccine;
• Rabies vaccination – the pet must be vaccinated at least 21 days before traveling to the UK;
• Travel document – obtaining a travel document from a veterinarian;
• Tapeworm treatment – in the case of dogs, tapeworm treatment must be administered no more than 5 days and no less than 24 hours before entering the UK;
• Completing a declaration – a declaration must be completed if you don't intend to sell the animal or transfer ownership to someone else.

If a pet owner fails to meet any of the above conditions, the animal may be placed in quarantine for up to 4 months and the owner may be subject to financial penalties.

United States

To bring an animal, specifically a dog, into the US, it must meet certain requirements, such as age, health, vaccination status, and corresponding documentation.

• Age: the dog must be at least 6 months old at the time of entry into or return to the US;
• Microchip: the dog must have a microchip readable by a universal scanner;
• Vaccination: a rabies vaccine is mandatory;
• Health certificate: some airlines and states may require a health certificate issued by a veterinarian within a specific period.

Canada

When traveling with a pet to Canada, holding the appropriate documentation at the border is essential. For example, when bringing a dog, the following is required:

• A rabies vaccination certificate;
• The dog must be healthy and meet transport requirements.

European Union

The EU makes it easier to travel with pets to other EU countries. When traveling with a pet, the following is required:

• Microchip – the pet must have a microchip or a clearly legible tattoo applied before July 3, 2011;
• Rabies vaccine;
• Tapeworm treatment;
• A pet passport or the pet's health certificate.