Flying with Pets In-Cabin to the United Kingdom

Flying with Pets In-Cabin to the United Kingdom

Mike and I started planning our first pet-friendly trip to London, England a few weeks ago. We've already been to Europe with Django once and even got him a EU Pet Passport in Paris. Planning the trip to London should be easy, right? Wrong.

Updated June 2022

Mike and I (Steph) started planning our first pet-friendly trip to London, England a few weeks ago. Mike had just started working for a UK-based company and was going to be traveling to London every few months for his new job. The idea of joining Mike in London with Django was a no brainer. Django and I would fly out on a reasonably priced flight mid-week, spend the weekend exploring London as a family, then fly home on a cheap Monday or Tuesday leg. Django even had an EU Pet Passport from our recent trip to France. Easy, right?

I started skimming one of our popular posts, “International Airline Pet Policies for In-Cabin Travel”, and quickly realized Mike and I had a problem. I could not find one airline that allows in-cabin pet travel to the UK. I immediately called the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) and confirmed my suspicion.

The facts: Bringing your pet dog or cat to the United Kingdom

Can you bring pets to the United Kingdom? Yes. Are pet dogs and cats allowed to fly in-cabin into the United Kingdom? No.

No airlines offer in-cabin pet travel to the United Kingdom from the United States. The UK includes England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. Unless you have a service animal, it is impossible to fly together in the cabin with your pet. The UK government is behind this strict rule and supposedly enforced it to curb the spread of rabies and better control the transport of animals into the UK. The only time pets can fly in-cabin to England, Scotland or Wales is if you are flying from UK countries, the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man, or the Republic of Ireland. 

Service animals are the exception. If you have a true service animal—"a dog that is individually trained to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of a person with a disability", per the U.S. Department of Transportation definition—your dog is allowed to accompany you in the cabin of the aircraft for no fee.

If you are interested in putting your pet in the hold (cargo) area of the plane, here is a list of airlines that currently allow cargo pet transport to the United Kingdom.

Options for Non-Cargo Pet Travel to the United Kingdom

I’ve flown in-cabin with Django countless times, including two cross-Atlantic flights to and from Europe. Although Django is a frequent and relaxed flyer, I would never put him in the hold of a plane unless I absolutely had to. Although flying pets via cargo is generally considered safe—reputable airlines fly pets in a climate-controlled, pressurized compartment below the aircraft cabin that is kept separate from luggage and other cargo—I still would not want to put Django through the stress of flying alone and in a loud and possibly scary environment. 

With the above in mind, I jumped into research mode to determine what alternative travel routes will get Django and I safely and seamlessly into the UK.

The following pet-friendly routes to the United Kingdom require a direct flight to Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris. Choose from one of these airlines that allow in-cabin pet travel to France. After you arrive in France, there are several options for getting to the UK:

Option 1: Eurotunnel

This is my favorite pet-friendly travel option and the one I’ll choose when we arrange our trip to London with Django. It requires you to fly into Paris’ Charles de Gaulle airport, rent a car, and take drive-on, drive-off train service to London via the Eurotunnel.

The Eurotunnel, also called the Chunnel or Channel Tunnel, is an undersea roadway linking southern England and northern France. It isn’t possible to drive a car through the Eurotunnel, so you must use ‘Le Shuttle’ train service which operates between Calais, France and Folkestone, England. Le Shuttle is a 35 minute train ride, and onboard passengers stay with their cars in air conditioned carriages. Prices vary based on time of booking and time of day; one way trips currently range from €110-150. If you’re willing to paying 2x more, you can book a ‘Flexiplus’ ticket which allows you to alter the date and time of your journey at any time, subject to availability. Said another way, Flexiplus lets you drive onto the first train leaving, should you arrive in Paris earlier than expected.

The only negative with this option is that you’ll have to reverse your journey and return to France before flying home. UK rental car companies, which offer right-hand drive cars, will not accept a left-hand drive vehicle since they cannot rent it out in their country.

One last tip for Le Shuttle: visit Pet Reception in Calais before you depart. An agent at Pet Reception can review and approve your pet’s travel papers so you don’t have to deal with this once you arrive in the UK. There is also a dog run at the facility.

Option 2: Ferry from Calais to Dover

Similar to Option 1, this travel route requires you to fly into Charles de Gaulle airport, rent a car, and drive to the UK via drive-on, drive-off ferry service. The ferry departs from Calais, France and arrives in Dover, England (just 10 miles north of Folkestone and equal distance to London). The ferry is cheaper than Eurotunnel ‘Le Shuttle’, but travel time is longer (1.5 hours via ferry versus 35 minutes via Le Shuttle). Both Dover and Folkestone are approximately a 1h45m drive to downtown London.

Same as Option 1, you’ll have to reverse your journey with your rental car and return to France before flying home. The other drawback here is that pets must remain in the car during the entire 90 minute ferry ride (passengers usually walk up to the deck). This travel route won’t work on a very hot or cold day unless you stay in your car with your pet and keep the AC or heat running.

Option 3: Pet-Friendly Taxi or Chauffeur

This is a great option for those with a big budget. Several taxi and chauffeur services offer pet-friendly car service between Paris and England. Rather than renting a car yourself, these companies simply pick up you and your pet at Charles de Gaulle airport, then drive you to the UK via Eurotunnel Le Shuttle. You can save a few euros and have them drop you off in Folkestone, England where you’ll catch the high speed train to downtown London. Alternatively, you can pay up and have them take you directly to your final destination.

Two companies offering this service are Pet Moves and Folkestone Taxi. We requested a quote from Folkestone Taxi in July 2018. The quote for bringing two adults, two suitcases and a dog from Charles de Gaulle airport to downtown London was £530 plus the cost of the Eurotunnel ticket (normally £79, but pricing varies due to availability). The quote for driving us from Charles de Gaulle airport to Folkestone, England was £395 plus the cost of the Eurotunnel ticket. There are extra fees for congestion, if applicable, and early morning pickups. All in all, you’re looking to spend a minimum of $625-800 for a one way trip, depending on where you are dropped off.

The huge benefit here is that you can fly home from London with your pet. Pets are permitted in-cabin on flights exiting the UK, although the number of airlines offering this service is limited.

As of 2021, Air France, KLM and Lufthansa all allow in-cabin pet travel from the UK to the US. We spoke to customer service representatives from all three airlines to confirm! With that said, we always recommend calling customer service before booking your flight to ensure (1) the airline hasn't changed their pet policy (2) there is space on the flight for your puppy (some flights limit the total # of pets allowed per flight).

As of 2021, these airlines did NOT allow in-cabin pet travel from the UK to the US: Air Lingus, American Airlines, British Airways, Delta, United, and Wow.

What about the Eurostar train?

Guide and assistance dogs are the only animals allowed on Eurostar, the one and only passenger train between England and France. Emotional support dogs and other animals are not permitted on Eurostar. Although there was a petition a few years back requesting a pet-friendly change in Eurostar’s policy, so far Eurostar hasn’t budged on its rule. Pet owners with guide or assistance dogs must book their dog’s reservation in advance. Here is the link to Eurostar's pet policy.

Sea travel: a safe travel option for larger dogs

If you have a medium or large-sized dog, you may have trouble finding an airline that allows your pup in the cabin. Most international airlines have weight restrictions for in-cabin pets - these usually max out at 20 lbs.

We found one last alternative to putting your larger pup in the hold: sea travel.

Cunard’s Queen Mary 2 is the only ship that allows the transatlantic transportation of dogs from New York City to Southampton, England. There are 24 kennels that are overseen by a “Kennel Master” who walks, feeds and cleans the pet area. It is our understanding that the kennels are open at various times throughout the day, so pet owners can visit their dogs somewhat frequently. You can find more about the kennel arrangements by calling Cunard at (800) 728-6273.

When we last looked into Cunard’s Queen Mary 2, reservations were sold out months (and even years) in advance. So if you are interested in this option, we recommend looking into it well in advance of your actual departure month.

The downside to sea travel is the time commitment, usually 7 days at sea. The price will also be higher than economy air travel, especially once you account for the cost of your pet’s care. With that said, this is a very safe travel option for anyone going to the UK with their larger dog – and the only way to avoid putting him or her in cargo.

What about Emotional Support Animals and Therapy Animals?

In December 2020, the U.S. Department of Transportation revised rules around flying with emotional support animals (ESAs) and stated it no longer considers ESAs to be service animals. The new regulations were updated in the DOT's Air Carrier Access Act (ACAA) which regulates the transportation of service animals by air.

What does this mean for pet owners with previously-documented ESAs? Because ESAs are no longer considered service animals by the DOT, airlines no longer have to accept them on board their aircraft for free. Rather, most U.S. airlines have completed banned ESAs entirely from their cabins and now classify these non-service animals as regular pets. In other words, your ESA will be treated like a standard pet, and you will have to pay the airline's standard pet travel fee.

Service animals are governed under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and are still allowed by law to be able to accompany their owners in commercial airplane cabins for no fee.

You can refer to this DJANGO Dog Blog article, "New DOT Rules for Emotional Support Animals", for a full overview of the new U.S. Department of Transportation ESA ruling.

We love your comments, questions, and feedback!

Here is a really wonderful message we received after helping a DJANGO Dog Blog reader successfully fly with his french bulldog in-cabin to the United Kingdom.

"A BIG FAN OF DJANGO

May 01, 2020

Hello All,

Just sharing our experience of flying with our French Bulldog from Houston to London with United airlines. First of all, we must say how grateful we were to find out this blog. Thanks to Django and Steph we are in UK with our Frenchie.

We’ve completed all the required forms from United almost two months before the flight. Then we got the approval from United to fly in the cabin with our dog. However they requested approval from DEFRA. It took us sometime to figure out how to contact DEFRA. Then we found out that getting approval from HARC or DEFRA is actually the same thing. By the way, the 10 days rule for the health certificate is really important!

Our only disappointment was the confusion by the United airlines staff. They were quite rude with us. They didn’t want to allow us to do the check-in even with the approved documentation. We almost missed the flight because of this. But there is always someone willing to help. And thanks to those people we were finally able to do the check in. What was funny (not to say “sad”) was that after we struggled to do the check-in, when we passed the gate, some other people came to us stating that “pets could not fly in the cabin for international flights”. Again, same story. We showed them the documentation and after many calls they realized that everything was actually approved. Unfortunately it was clear that they had no experience with flying with pets.

What really make us sad is that flying with pets should not be so stressful. When are they going to realize that pets are family as well? It’s ok that there are people who are allergic to pets or even don’t like them. I totally respect everybody. However there should be an easier way of having our furry family members flying with us without exposing them to risks. Flying via cargo should not be an option unless the environment is safe to accommodate them and it’s monitored the whole trip. There are many solutions for sure. I bet the airlines that put them in place will attract even more customers.

Anyway, we are in UK! And again, thanks with all our heart to Django!"

Here is another great message from a DJANGO Dog Blog reader whose son successfully flew with his Emotional Support Animal in-cabin to the United Kingdom.

October 2020

"Thanks to the blog - we successfully got my son and his ESA (14-pound, ESA, SilkyTerrier) from CHICAGO to LONDON for the start of his Masters Program at THE MET SCHOOL OF FILM. WHEW. Thank you for the guidance. SO many hoops to jump thru. SO MANY. And upon arrival with all papers in perfect order, manager at American Airlines told him he is not allowed to travel, as the EU was closed. OMG. Fortunately I had done so much homework, and spoke to the "EXCEPTION DESK" for the last 10 days at American and insisted she check again (and again). WHEW." - Michele

Hope you found all of this information useful! Don't hesitate to ask a question in the comments, and definitely let us know about your own experiences traveling to the UK.

Additional Resources

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103 comments

David H.

David H.

I’ve just found your blog and thank you. When I left the UK in 2021 and moved back to the states, I had to transit through Europe to get Ollie back. So LHR – CDG – NYC. As it now appears I may have to transit with him back. I’m thinking of transiting through Dublin, as I can bring him through Dublin to London. Every other aspect of my move was fine, this was super stressful!

I’ve just found your blog and thank you. When I left the UK in 2021 and moved back to the states, I had to transit through Europe to get Ollie back. So LHR – CDG – NYC. As it now appears I may have to transit with him back. I’m thinking of transiting through Dublin, as I can bring him through Dublin to London. Every other aspect of my move was fine, this was super stressful!

Alannys

Alannys

Hello, I just wanted to say thanks for your awesome article. It has been immensely helpful in our plans to move from Miami to the UK. We decided to go the MIA-ORLY route and, from there, rent a car to Calais and go through the Eurotunnel. I do have a couple of questions.

1. I’m the owner of both cats. We are flying with French Bee, and they allow one pet in the cabin per passenger. As I need to issue two different Health Certificates, does that mean I should authorize my partner to be the Designated person for the other cat and appear so in the other certificate?
2. We are doing one night in Paris. Would I need a French vet to sign off on the GB Pet Health Certificate, or can I issue that certificate as well with my vet in Miami?

Thank you so much!

Hello, I just wanted to say thanks for your awesome article. It has been immensely helpful in our plans to move from Miami to the UK. We decided to go the MIA-ORLY route and, from there, rent a car to Calais and go through the Eurotunnel. I do have a couple of questions.

1. I’m the owner of both cats. We are flying with French Bee, and they allow one pet in the cabin per passenger. As I need to issue two different Health Certificates, does that mean I should authorize my partner to be the Designated person for the other cat and appear so in the other certificate?
2. We are doing one night in Paris. Would I need a French vet to sign off on the GB Pet Health Certificate, or can I issue that certificate as well with my vet in Miami?

Thank you so much!

DJANGO

DJANGO

@NOELLE Although airlines are allowed to offer in-cabin pet travel FROM the UK to other countries, we’ve found that many do not. Perhaps this is because the airlines are not allowed to offer in-cabin pet travel TO the UK, and so they streamline their pet policy to forbid out-going in-cabin pet travel as well… Just an idea, but it’s something we’ve been wondering ourselves!

With that said, Lufthansa, Air France, and KLM should definitely be more pet friendly. Unfortunately we’re not aware at this time of other airlines that offer in-cabin pet travel out of the UK, but hopefully another reader here will be able to reply with a recommendation.

If you find another airline in your search, please reply back here so we see it! Best of luck with your upcoming travels <3

@NOELLE Although airlines are allowed to offer in-cabin pet travel FROM the UK to other countries, we’ve found that many do not. Perhaps this is because the airlines are not allowed to offer in-cabin pet travel TO the UK, and so they streamline their pet policy to forbid out-going in-cabin pet travel as well… Just an idea, but it’s something we’ve been wondering ourselves!

With that said, Lufthansa, Air France, and KLM should definitely be more pet friendly. Unfortunately we’re not aware at this time of other airlines that offer in-cabin pet travel out of the UK, but hopefully another reader here will be able to reply with a recommendation.

If you find another airline in your search, please reply back here so we see it! Best of luck with your upcoming travels <3

DJANGO

DJANGO

@LAUREN Hello! Yes, you are correct that you do not have to use a private relocation service to transport your pet cats to the United Kingdom. Rather, your cats can simply fly via cargo into the UK. The main point of our article above is to emphasize that pet dogs and cats are not allowed to fly IN CABIN into the UK unless they are certain assistance dogs / service animals.

The UK government does indeed allow cargo pet travel into Great Britain. You can even see on the GOV.UK website (https://www.gov.uk/bring-pet-to-great-britain/approved-routes) that “Pets usually travel as cargo”.

The most important things are that you (1) Find an airline that flies your desired route and allows pet cargo travel to the UK. (2) Get all paperwork and pre-travel requisites done so your travels are smooth.

I hope this helps! All the best to you and your cats.

@LAUREN Hello! Yes, you are correct that you do not have to use a private relocation service to transport your pet cats to the United Kingdom. Rather, your cats can simply fly via cargo into the UK. The main point of our article above is to emphasize that pet dogs and cats are not allowed to fly IN CABIN into the UK unless they are certain assistance dogs / service animals.

The UK government does indeed allow cargo pet travel into Great Britain. You can even see on the GOV.UK website (https://www.gov.uk/bring-pet-to-great-britain/approved-routes) that “Pets usually travel as cargo”.

The most important things are that you (1) Find an airline that flies your desired route and allows pet cargo travel to the UK. (2) Get all paperwork and pre-travel requisites done so your travels are smooth.

I hope this helps! All the best to you and your cats.

Lauren

Lauren

Thanks for this awesome article! I came across it after seeing the latest Home Office guidelines and thinking the requirements looked less stringent than I previously believed. I was under the impression that you were required to pay a pet relocation service to import a pet directly into the UK without going through the EU. Am I correct in understanding now that you don’t have to pay a pet relocation service if you can figure out the documentation on your end and put your pet in cargo? I don’t love the idea of cargo travel for my cats, but it would be the shortest total transit time (no transfers, car rides, etc) so I would consider it if it were an option, not to mention that it would be way cheaper. If it is an option, that would truly be amazing because here I was getting quotes of £4000 to import my 2 cats with these services.

Thanks for this awesome article! I came across it after seeing the latest Home Office guidelines and thinking the requirements looked less stringent than I previously believed. I was under the impression that you were required to pay a pet relocation service to import a pet directly into the UK without going through the EU. Am I correct in understanding now that you don’t have to pay a pet relocation service if you can figure out the documentation on your end and put your pet in cargo? I don’t love the idea of cargo travel for my cats, but it would be the shortest total transit time (no transfers, car rides, etc) so I would consider it if it were an option, not to mention that it would be way cheaper. If it is an option, that would truly be amazing because here I was getting quotes of £4000 to import my 2 cats with these services.

Noelle

Noelle

Hello! I’ll be moving from London back to the US in the next few months and am looking to travel with my cat in-cabin. I tried reaching out to United today but they said that pets are not allowed to or from the UK in-cabin now. Has anyone had a different experience with this recently? I know that other airlines like Lufthansa, Air France, and KLM are potentially more pet friendly but I don’t think any of them offer direct flight from the UK that are not operated by a different airline (that does not allow in-cabin)….I only see them with flights that involve a transfer. I would love any feedback if someone is aware of a direct flight from the UK that allows cats in-cabin. Thank you in advance!!

Hello! I’ll be moving from London back to the US in the next few months and am looking to travel with my cat in-cabin. I tried reaching out to United today but they said that pets are not allowed to or from the UK in-cabin now. Has anyone had a different experience with this recently? I know that other airlines like Lufthansa, Air France, and KLM are potentially more pet friendly but I don’t think any of them offer direct flight from the UK that are not operated by a different airline (that does not allow in-cabin)….I only see them with flights that involve a transfer. I would love any feedback if someone is aware of a direct flight from the UK that allows cats in-cabin. Thank you in advance!!

Sandie M

Sandie M

I have a service dog and hoped to travel to UK. Unfortunately, he was not trained by the agencies that UK requires. US has pet cargo embargo. Is there another way that doesn’t cost a fortune? Thanks for this great blog!

I have a service dog and hoped to travel to UK. Unfortunately, he was not trained by the agencies that UK requires. US has pet cargo embargo. Is there another way that doesn’t cost a fortune? Thanks for this great blog!

Mar

Mar

Hello! I have found this blog to be very informative. I do have a question regarding transferring through Paris, France. I am helping my friend move their small cat and dog (I’m thinking 2 separate trips?) I would fly in with them via in-cabin from the US to France and then enter the UK by land and proceed to London. Do I need extra documents for the EU since I am entering France? Do i get that extra document (health certificate, passport, pet visa, etc) in France and if so where? I read that someone took a taxi and stopped at a place in France to get a pet visa right before the Eurotunnel. I know the EU does pet passports but I’m not familiar with the US doing that. I just know the US does the USDA health certificates and endorsements. Also, since I am the one flying with my friend’s pets, does the written authorization form have to be endorsed or written in some way? Another thing is, if my friend has been in London for a month, can I still fly with the pets months after she has left (a long process for vaccines, etc.) ? My apologies for the many questions!

Hello! I have found this blog to be very informative. I do have a question regarding transferring through Paris, France. I am helping my friend move their small cat and dog (I’m thinking 2 separate trips?) I would fly in with them via in-cabin from the US to France and then enter the UK by land and proceed to London. Do I need extra documents for the EU since I am entering France? Do i get that extra document (health certificate, passport, pet visa, etc) in France and if so where? I read that someone took a taxi and stopped at a place in France to get a pet visa right before the Eurotunnel. I know the EU does pet passports but I’m not familiar with the US doing that. I just know the US does the USDA health certificates and endorsements. Also, since I am the one flying with my friend’s pets, does the written authorization form have to be endorsed or written in some way? Another thing is, if my friend has been in London for a month, can I still fly with the pets months after she has left (a long process for vaccines, etc.) ? My apologies for the many questions!

DJANGO

DJANGO

@JUAN MANUEL Yes, this article is still very much relevant, and we updated the content just two months ago in June 2022. You can see the “Updated June 2022” text at the top of this DJANGO Dog Blog article.

To verify our UK pet travel content, you can always go to the UK government website directly and research these items yourselves. Below are two key links. Just copy/paste the link in a new browser bar to go to the sites:

(1) UK Government: Bringing your pet dog, cat, or ferret to the UK
https://www.gov.uk/bring-pet-to-great-britain

(2) UK Government: Pet travel: airlines and airports you can use
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/pet-travel-approved-air-sea-rail-and-charter-routes-for-the-movement-of-pets/approved-air-routes-for-pet-travel

@JUAN MANUEL Yes, this article is still very much relevant, and we updated the content just two months ago in June 2022. You can see the “Updated June 2022” text at the top of this DJANGO Dog Blog article.

To verify our UK pet travel content, you can always go to the UK government website directly and research these items yourselves. Below are two key links. Just copy/paste the link in a new browser bar to go to the sites:

(1) UK Government: Bringing your pet dog, cat, or ferret to the UK
https://www.gov.uk/bring-pet-to-great-britain

(2) UK Government: Pet travel: airlines and airports you can use
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/pet-travel-approved-air-sea-rail-and-charter-routes-for-the-movement-of-pets/approved-air-routes-for-pet-travel

juan manuel

juan manuel

hi, is this still relevant? I’m planning to travel to London in Christmas and would love to bring my dog with me

hi, is this still relevant? I’m planning to travel to London in Christmas and would love to bring my dog with me

Dinah Russell

Dinah Russell

I have diabetes and my blood sugar can sometimes drop to levels leading to coma so quickly that unless I have remembered to take some quick acting food, I’m in serious trouble. Thankfully, my cat has trained herself to alert me before my sugar level reaches coma numbers. I live on my Social Security and a small pension. The ER doctor I saw the first time this happened, gave me a print out of his findings to take to my doctor, stating that I needed him to document that my cat was a verified “Service Animal” and that I needed to take her with me wherever I left my house. I have taken his advice and no longer leave my house without her. She has saved my life two more times in the last 3 years. My problem is that some establishments have refused to recognize her as a service animal because she’s a cat. When I go anyplace that is not outdoors, I put her in a carrier that is around my chest. My problem is that some establishments refuse to allow me to bring her in. I no longer give my business to such businesses, but it does limit my choices in products I can purchase. My blood sugar does drop extremely fast and without warning. Even though I have a letter from my doctor stating she is a medical service animal I have been told that cats can no longer be classified as service animals. I can not afford to purchase a service dog and then if I could, I can’t afford to feed a large dog. I live on Soc

I have diabetes and my blood sugar can sometimes drop to levels leading to coma so quickly that unless I have remembered to take some quick acting food, I’m in serious trouble. Thankfully, my cat has trained herself to alert me before my sugar level reaches coma numbers. I live on my Social Security and a small pension. The ER doctor I saw the first time this happened, gave me a print out of his findings to take to my doctor, stating that I needed him to document that my cat was a verified “Service Animal” and that I needed to take her with me wherever I left my house. I have taken his advice and no longer leave my house without her. She has saved my life two more times in the last 3 years. My problem is that some establishments have refused to recognize her as a service animal because she’s a cat. When I go anyplace that is not outdoors, I put her in a carrier that is around my chest. My problem is that some establishments refuse to allow me to bring her in. I no longer give my business to such businesses, but it does limit my choices in products I can purchase. My blood sugar does drop extremely fast and without warning. Even though I have a letter from my doctor stating she is a medical service animal I have been told that cats can no longer be classified as service animals. I can not afford to purchase a service dog and then if I could, I can’t afford to feed a large dog. I live on Soc

DJANGO

DJANGO

@BARB You are absolutely right, and we have just updated this DJANGO Dog Blog article so the discussion around Emotional Support Animals and ESA in-cabin allowance is much more clear. Thank you so much for the comment!

Here is another great DJANGO Dog Blog article highlighting the new ESA rules and loss of in-cabin privileges you are referring to (copy/paste link into new browser bar):

>> https://djangobrand.com/blogs/news/new-dot-rules-for-emotional-support-animals <<

@BARB You are absolutely right, and we have just updated this DJANGO Dog Blog article so the discussion around Emotional Support Animals and ESA in-cabin allowance is much more clear. Thank you so much for the comment!

Here is another great DJANGO Dog Blog article highlighting the new ESA rules and loss of in-cabin privileges you are referring to (copy/paste link into new browser bar):

>> https://djangobrand.com/blogs/news/new-dot-rules-for-emotional-support-animals <<

DJANGO

DJANGO

@ANGELO Thanks for the question, and we are so sorry for missing this question! You are correct that pets are allowed to fly in cabin when departing the UK. Last we checked, Lufthansa, Air France, KLM, and United all allowed in-cabin pet travel FROM the United Kingdom and TO the United States. With that said, definitely call the airlines to confirm their current UK outbound pet policies before booking your flight. Airlines can change their pet policies on a whim, and things obviously may have changed due to the pandemic.

@ANGELO Thanks for the question, and we are so sorry for missing this question! You are correct that pets are allowed to fly in cabin when departing the UK. Last we checked, Lufthansa, Air France, KLM, and United all allowed in-cabin pet travel FROM the United Kingdom and TO the United States. With that said, definitely call the airlines to confirm their current UK outbound pet policies before booking your flight. Airlines can change their pet policies on a whim, and things obviously may have changed due to the pandemic.

Barb

Barb

Thank you for the excellent info. You might want to update it re emotional support animals. ESA are no longer granted any legal privileges in the US, and all US airlines have discontinued allowing ESA. All non-service animals fly as pets.

Thank you for the excellent info. You might want to update it re emotional support animals. ESA are no longer granted any legal privileges in the US, and all US airlines have discontinued allowing ESA. All non-service animals fly as pets.

Angelo

Angelo

Hello, I am planning to bring my Maltese to California from the UK. Is it correct that I can take her in the cabin using KLM or Lufthansa, either direct or layover in Amsterdam, Frankfurt respectively? Thanks in advance

Hello, I am planning to bring my Maltese to California from the UK. Is it correct that I can take her in the cabin using KLM or Lufthansa, either direct or layover in Amsterdam, Frankfurt respectively? Thanks in advance

Julie S.

Julie S.

Thank you so much! Super informative. I want to take my puppies to meet my mother from NYC to Glasgow Scotland This is so helpful

Thank you so much! Super informative. I want to take my puppies to meet my mother from NYC to Glasgow Scotland This is so helpful

DJANGO

DJANGO

@KIM Hello and apologies for the delay in our reply! It’s a busy time of year for our travel and adventure dog accessories and apparel biz DJANGO (djangobrand.com, amazon.com/django)!

To address your questions –
1. Sounds like you’re doing a lot right, and the pet transport company should indeed be a great resource on organizing required paperwork and documentation.
2. Regarding the EU Pet Passport, you are correct that you can obtain this within the European Union and use it for travel to/from the UK. Despite Brexit, the EU Pet Passport is being honored by Great Britain indefinitely (according to their latest update on this). And yes! Tapeworm treatment must be administered between 24 and 120 hours (1-5 days) before entering Great Britain.
3. Yes, you can use the same pet passport to exit the UK and return back to the EU.
4. To return to the UK in the future, the EU Pet Passport will remain valid assuming your dog’ rabies vaccination is up to date. One important point to add… If your pet was re-vaccinated for rabies in the U.S., it’s our understanding that you need to obtain another International Health Certificate for travel. To avoid this, an EU vet administer needs to be the one to administer your pup’s next rabies booster and document it in your EU Pet Passport.

You probably already have this covered, but for other DJANGO Dog Blog readers, your pup also needs the following before entering Great Britain:
1. Microchip implantation
2. Vaccination against rabies. Dogs and cats must be vaccinated for rabies after microchip implantation
3. A rabies blood test ONLY for non-listed countries. The United States, Canada, and Mexico, among others, are all listed countries.

Hope this helps! Safe travels to you and your pup!

@KIM Hello and apologies for the delay in our reply! It’s a busy time of year for our travel and adventure dog accessories and apparel biz DJANGO (djangobrand.com, amazon.com/django)!

To address your questions –
1. Sounds like you’re doing a lot right, and the pet transport company should indeed be a great resource on organizing required paperwork and documentation.
2. Regarding the EU Pet Passport, you are correct that you can obtain this within the European Union and use it for travel to/from the UK. Despite Brexit, the EU Pet Passport is being honored by Great Britain indefinitely (according to their latest update on this). And yes! Tapeworm treatment must be administered between 24 and 120 hours (1-5 days) before entering Great Britain.
3. Yes, you can use the same pet passport to exit the UK and return back to the EU.
4. To return to the UK in the future, the EU Pet Passport will remain valid assuming your dog’ rabies vaccination is up to date. One important point to add… If your pet was re-vaccinated for rabies in the U.S., it’s our understanding that you need to obtain another International Health Certificate for travel. To avoid this, an EU vet administer needs to be the one to administer your pup’s next rabies booster and document it in your EU Pet Passport.

You probably already have this covered, but for other DJANGO Dog Blog readers, your pup also needs the following before entering Great Britain:
1. Microchip implantation
2. Vaccination against rabies. Dogs and cats must be vaccinated for rabies after microchip implantation
3. A rabies blood test ONLY for non-listed countries. The United States, Canada, and Mexico, among others, are all listed countries.

Hope this helps! Safe travels to you and your pup!

Adri

Adri

Hi there!
Thanks so much for all of this info. We are currently trapped in the UK due to the French border closing on us bc of the covid surge here. We always bring our dog Coco with us and we come via Paris both ways so we are in a tough spot. As I did my research on possible options I came across this Lufthansa/ KLM situation where we can fly FROM the UK into the US. Do you know what paperwork is required aside from the health certificate from a veterinarian here in England? I spoke to the folks in Lufthansa and they were super nice but they said we needed to ask the CDC for the right documents or permission. I believe this might’ve been a miscommunication on my part bc I spoke to the CDC and did my research and bc my dog has been vaccinated in the US it appears he does not need anything.

If anyone can give me any clarity on what they needed in order to transport their dog in the cabin from London to the US via Lufthansa I would really appreciate it!!!

Thank you in advance.

Hi there!
Thanks so much for all of this info. We are currently trapped in the UK due to the French border closing on us bc of the covid surge here. We always bring our dog Coco with us and we come via Paris both ways so we are in a tough spot. As I did my research on possible options I came across this Lufthansa/ KLM situation where we can fly FROM the UK into the US. Do you know what paperwork is required aside from the health certificate from a veterinarian here in England? I spoke to the folks in Lufthansa and they were super nice but they said we needed to ask the CDC for the right documents or permission. I believe this might’ve been a miscommunication on my part bc I spoke to the CDC and did my research and bc my dog has been vaccinated in the US it appears he does not need anything.

If anyone can give me any clarity on what they needed in order to transport their dog in the cabin from London to the US via Lufthansa I would really appreciate it!!!

Thank you in advance.

Kim

Kim

Hey team! Thanks for your great work. I’m bringing my pup to EU/UK and back to EU and I’m wondering if my train of thought is correct. Will really appreciate your input and advice!

1) I’m getting a pet transport company to complete all paperwork necessary for import of my pup to Paris
2) within 5 days-7 days, we will visit a vet in Paris to get a EU pet passport (which according to the gov uk site, is accepted for pets entering UK from EU), and tapeworm treatment. We will enter UK in less than 5 days from vet visit.
3) we can use the same pet passport to exit UK back to EU
3) to return to the UK, we will need to get another tapeworm treatment, but the pet passport will still be valid as long as it’s within 4 months from date of issue

Please correct me if im wrong! Thanks in advance for your help!

Hey team! Thanks for your great work. I’m bringing my pup to EU/UK and back to EU and I’m wondering if my train of thought is correct. Will really appreciate your input and advice!

1) I’m getting a pet transport company to complete all paperwork necessary for import of my pup to Paris
2) within 5 days-7 days, we will visit a vet in Paris to get a EU pet passport (which according to the gov uk site, is accepted for pets entering UK from EU), and tapeworm treatment. We will enter UK in less than 5 days from vet visit.
3) we can use the same pet passport to exit UK back to EU
3) to return to the UK, we will need to get another tapeworm treatment, but the pet passport will still be valid as long as it’s within 4 months from date of issue

Please correct me if im wrong! Thanks in advance for your help!

DJANGO

DJANGO

@CHRIS Hi! I’m so glad you are finding our DJANGO Dog Blog articles valuable as you plan your LHR to Toronto flight with your 16 month iggy. Regarding your question about Heathrow airport and their policy that there be "“no dogs other than service animals in the airport”, this policy will not apply to you since you are leaving the UK on an approved flight with your iggy in cabin. It is for flights inbound to the UK in which pets are not allowed in the cabin, and therefore not welcome in Heathrow Airport itself. As long as all is approved by your airline and port of destination, then you should not have issues.

I hope this helps clarify things for you. Safe travels!

@CHRIS Hi! I’m so glad you are finding our DJANGO Dog Blog articles valuable as you plan your LHR to Toronto flight with your 16 month iggy. Regarding your question about Heathrow airport and their policy that there be "“no dogs other than service animals in the airport”, this policy will not apply to you since you are leaving the UK on an approved flight with your iggy in cabin. It is for flights inbound to the UK in which pets are not allowed in the cabin, and therefore not welcome in Heathrow Airport itself. As long as all is approved by your airline and port of destination, then you should not have issues.

I hope this helps clarify things for you. Safe travels!

Chris

Chris

Hi there Your post is SO informative Thanks so much I’ve booked my 16month old iggy onto a flight with AirCanada from Lhr to Toronto but even though I’ve paid for her to travel in the cabin with me under my seat in her airline approved pet carrier I’m concerned about the Heathrow policy of “no dogs other than service animals in the airport” Do you know if they will prevent me taking her to check-in? I appreciate on returning I’ll have to fly to Paris (already booked) then travel by sea

Hi there Your post is SO informative Thanks so much I’ve booked my 16month old iggy onto a flight with AirCanada from Lhr to Toronto but even though I’ve paid for her to travel in the cabin with me under my seat in her airline approved pet carrier I’m concerned about the Heathrow policy of “no dogs other than service animals in the airport” Do you know if they will prevent me taking her to check-in? I appreciate on returning I’ll have to fly to Paris (already booked) then travel by sea

DJANGO

DJANGO

@SARAH I’m so glad you’re finding our DJANGO Dog Blog article so helpful! We have another very useful resource for you:

Pet Travel to Great Britain After Brexit | Policies, Documentation Requirements, and Pre-Travel Requisites
LINK >> https://djangobrand.com/blogs/news/pet-travel-to-great-britain-after-brexit

Copy/paste the above link into new browser. Or click the first article listed above under “Additional Resources” :) This article details the actual documentation and pre-travel requisites when traveling to the UK with a dog or cat.

Since you will be traveling to both France and the UK in the same trip, it is our understanding that you will need two separate health certificates: one for EU travel and one for UK travel. This was actually a question we had early this year — so we called the United States import/export office for clarification. The office confirmed that since the UK has officially left the EU via Brexit, we now need two certificates for travel and BOTH must be endorsed. If you are only spending a few hours in France (i.e. passing through), your accredited vet will likely make note of this on the EU health certificate.

And to be extra clear, both of the health certificates will be obtained in the U.S. from a USDA accredited vet. You do not need to go to a vet in France to sign off on anything. The two health certificates will cover your travel abroad AND back home.

Hope this helps!! Best to you and your upcoming trip with your cats. And congrats on the Masters program!

@SARAH I’m so glad you’re finding our DJANGO Dog Blog article so helpful! We have another very useful resource for you:

Pet Travel to Great Britain After Brexit | Policies, Documentation Requirements, and Pre-Travel Requisites
LINK >> https://djangobrand.com/blogs/news/pet-travel-to-great-britain-after-brexit

Copy/paste the above link into new browser. Or click the first article listed above under “Additional Resources” :) This article details the actual documentation and pre-travel requisites when traveling to the UK with a dog or cat.

Since you will be traveling to both France and the UK in the same trip, it is our understanding that you will need two separate health certificates: one for EU travel and one for UK travel. This was actually a question we had early this year — so we called the United States import/export office for clarification. The office confirmed that since the UK has officially left the EU via Brexit, we now need two certificates for travel and BOTH must be endorsed. If you are only spending a few hours in France (i.e. passing through), your accredited vet will likely make note of this on the EU health certificate.

And to be extra clear, both of the health certificates will be obtained in the U.S. from a USDA accredited vet. You do not need to go to a vet in France to sign off on anything. The two health certificates will cover your travel abroad AND back home.

Hope this helps!! Best to you and your upcoming trip with your cats. And congrats on the Masters program!

Sarah

Sarah

Wow this is so helpful! I’m taking my two cats to London this fall to start a Masters program and I’ve been dreading putting them in cargo. I do have a few questions re: paperwork that maybe someone can answer! I assume I need 1) a pet passport for getting into the EU and then 2) the correct forms for exporting animals from the USA —> UK. Since I’m stopping in France, does anyone know if I need a French vet to sign off on any paperwork? Or since it’s just a short stop, can my paperwork from the USA cover the cats? Hope this makes sense!

Wow this is so helpful! I’m taking my two cats to London this fall to start a Masters program and I’ve been dreading putting them in cargo. I do have a few questions re: paperwork that maybe someone can answer! I assume I need 1) a pet passport for getting into the EU and then 2) the correct forms for exporting animals from the USA —> UK. Since I’m stopping in France, does anyone know if I need a French vet to sign off on any paperwork? Or since it’s just a short stop, can my paperwork from the USA cover the cats? Hope this makes sense!

Phillip

Phillip

Most helpful and clear information I could find on this subject!

I am looking at flying from USA to France so I can bring my cat in cabin and then Eurotunnel via car to UK but was wondering if you had any information on flying into Ireland. I live in north of UK so it would be a shorter journey. I have found airlines to Irleand where I can bring him in cabin but haven’t found much clear information on Ireland to UK?

Thank you so much for all the help!

Most helpful and clear information I could find on this subject!

I am looking at flying from USA to France so I can bring my cat in cabin and then Eurotunnel via car to UK but was wondering if you had any information on flying into Ireland. I live in north of UK so it would be a shorter journey. I have found airlines to Irleand where I can bring him in cabin but haven’t found much clear information on Ireland to UK?

Thank you so much for all the help!

April G

April G

When I moved to the UK 3 yrs ago with my wee dog in-cabin I flew into Amsterdam from the states with Delta. We then took the ferry across to the UK and then the train up to Scotland. I am now moving to Mexico in Aug and would like to do so without having to train and ferry my way back thru Amsterdam. I have just gotten off the phone with a KLM agent who says that KLM & Air France will allow a dog to fly OUT of the UK in the cabin. However, before buying your ticket call the airline 1st as you need to make sure there is room for the dog first as they only allow a certain number of dogs on each flight.

When I moved to the UK 3 yrs ago with my wee dog in-cabin I flew into Amsterdam from the states with Delta. We then took the ferry across to the UK and then the train up to Scotland. I am now moving to Mexico in Aug and would like to do so without having to train and ferry my way back thru Amsterdam. I have just gotten off the phone with a KLM agent who says that KLM & Air France will allow a dog to fly OUT of the UK in the cabin. However, before buying your ticket call the airline 1st as you need to make sure there is room for the dog first as they only allow a certain number of dogs on each flight.

DJANGO

DJANGO

@EMMA Nice to hear from you! We didn’t realize that Aeromexico is continuing to allow ESA dogs in cabin. If that is indeed the case, that’s great news for you (although it’s unfortunate they don’t allow on routes out of London). Please be aware that your behaviour certificate will probably not be accepted across any other US airlines given the recent bans of ESAs in cabin.

Unfortunately we are not aware of any other airlines that are still permitting Emotional Support Animals in cabin. We do have a list of major international airlines that are no longer permitting ESAs – below is a link to our article. This should at least help you narrow down your choices:

NEW DOT RULES FOR EMOTIONAL SUPPORT ANIMALS (2021 UPDATE):
https://djangobrand.com/blogs/news/new-dot-rules-for-emotional-support-animals

If it were me, I would call other non-US international airlines that fly your desired route and call directly to see if they’ve updated their ESA policy. Some may have not made the update yet OR they may not have it in effect until later this year.

I wish we could be more help this time! Definitely let us know what options you ultimately find. Best of luck to you!

@EMMA Nice to hear from you! We didn’t realize that Aeromexico is continuing to allow ESA dogs in cabin. If that is indeed the case, that’s great news for you (although it’s unfortunate they don’t allow on routes out of London). Please be aware that your behaviour certificate will probably not be accepted across any other US airlines given the recent bans of ESAs in cabin.

Unfortunately we are not aware of any other airlines that are still permitting Emotional Support Animals in cabin. We do have a list of major international airlines that are no longer permitting ESAs – below is a link to our article. This should at least help you narrow down your choices:

NEW DOT RULES FOR EMOTIONAL SUPPORT ANIMALS (2021 UPDATE):
https://djangobrand.com/blogs/news/new-dot-rules-for-emotional-support-animals

If it were me, I would call other non-US international airlines that fly your desired route and call directly to see if they’ve updated their ESA policy. Some may have not made the update yet OR they may not have it in effect until later this year.

I wish we could be more help this time! Definitely let us know what options you ultimately find. Best of luck to you!

DJANGO

DJANGO

@BIANCA Hello! The paperwork requirements are definitely confusing since Brexit took effect. The APHIS states on their website that: “The United Kingdom (UK) has left the European Union (EU) but will continue to accept the current harmonized EU Health Certificates for entry until at least June 30, 2021, as long as endorsed by that date. *Please note: Now that the UK is a third country, separate transit certificates are required as applicable.*” This means that you should be able to use one health certificate (EU “non-commercial” health certificate) for travels before June 30th. Keep in mind you’ll also have to administer tapeworm treatment and document it in the health certificate (a UK-only requirement for dogs). Here’s one more DJANGO Dog Blog article you’ll find useful as you plan your trip:

PET TRAVEL TO GREAT BRITAIN AFTER BREXIT (copy and paste the link):
https://djangobrand.com/blogs/news/pet-travel-to-great-britain-after-brexit

@BIANCA Hello! The paperwork requirements are definitely confusing since Brexit took effect. The APHIS states on their website that: “The United Kingdom (UK) has left the European Union (EU) but will continue to accept the current harmonized EU Health Certificates for entry until at least June 30, 2021, as long as endorsed by that date. *Please note: Now that the UK is a third country, separate transit certificates are required as applicable.*” This means that you should be able to use one health certificate (EU “non-commercial” health certificate) for travels before June 30th. Keep in mind you’ll also have to administer tapeworm treatment and document it in the health certificate (a UK-only requirement for dogs). Here’s one more DJANGO Dog Blog article you’ll find useful as you plan your trip:

PET TRAVEL TO GREAT BRITAIN AFTER BREXIT (copy and paste the link):
https://djangobrand.com/blogs/news/pet-travel-to-great-britain-after-brexit

Emma

Emma

I have a 33kg dog who is registered ESA and has a behaviour certificate from a certified dog trainer. He is originally from Mexico and has both Mexican and German passports. We are currently in the UK riding out the pandemic and would like to return to Mexico City this year. I know Aeromexico still allow ESA dogs, but not from London. Are there any other airlines I can use to fly direct from LON to MEX or would I have to go from Europe or even via the US? I appreciate your help. Thank you!

I have a 33kg dog who is registered ESA and has a behaviour certificate from a certified dog trainer. He is originally from Mexico and has both Mexican and German passports. We are currently in the UK riding out the pandemic and would like to return to Mexico City this year. I know Aeromexico still allow ESA dogs, but not from London. Are there any other airlines I can use to fly direct from LON to MEX or would I have to go from Europe or even via the US? I appreciate your help. Thank you!

Bianca

Bianca

Wow!! Thank you for all this information. I’m in the process of trying to figure out how to get my two dogs over to the uk from the USA and since the QE2 kennels are booked up until 2023, it looks like the next best option will be to fly from the states to Paris and go the Chunnel route. I just had a quick question tho and wonder if you have any advice on this. When getting all the paperwork filled out at the usda bet using the Aphis steps, do you select the steps for flying your pet to France or to the UK since technically going to both places or does that not make a difference? Thanks again!

Wow!! Thank you for all this information. I’m in the process of trying to figure out how to get my two dogs over to the uk from the USA and since the QE2 kennels are booked up until 2023, it looks like the next best option will be to fly from the states to Paris and go the Chunnel route. I just had a quick question tho and wonder if you have any advice on this. When getting all the paperwork filled out at the usda bet using the Aphis steps, do you select the steps for flying your pet to France or to the UK since technically going to both places or does that not make a difference? Thanks again!

DJANGO

DJANGO

@LINA NIELSEN Last we checked, Lufthansa, Air France, KLM, and United all allowed in-cabin pet travel from the United Kingdom to the United States. DEFINITELY call them to confirm their current UK outbound pet policy before booking your flight, however, as this information is about 1 year old and things obviously may have changed due to the pandemic.

Also, it may be helpful to scroll through this article (https://djangobrand.com/blogs/news/international-airline-pet-policies-for-in-cabin-travel) to cross off airlines that prohibit in-cabin pet travel all together (i.e. British Airways), then call the ones that may work for you. This article was fully updated Sep 2020 and is currently in the process of being updated again now.

@LINA NIELSEN Last we checked, Lufthansa, Air France, KLM, and United all allowed in-cabin pet travel from the United Kingdom to the United States. DEFINITELY call them to confirm their current UK outbound pet policy before booking your flight, however, as this information is about 1 year old and things obviously may have changed due to the pandemic.

Also, it may be helpful to scroll through this article (https://djangobrand.com/blogs/news/international-airline-pet-policies-for-in-cabin-travel) to cross off airlines that prohibit in-cabin pet travel all together (i.e. British Airways), then call the ones that may work for you. This article was fully updated Sep 2020 and is currently in the process of being updated again now.

Lina Nielsen

Lina Nielsen

Hi,

I’m looking to travel from London to ATL with my cavalier King Charles in 2 weeks and can’t find an airline that allows him in-cabin. Does anyone know a way/airline or anything where I can transport him without having him in hold? Any info will be appreciated! Xx

Hi,

I’m looking to travel from London to ATL with my cavalier King Charles in 2 weeks and can’t find an airline that allows him in-cabin. Does anyone know a way/airline or anything where I can transport him without having him in hold? Any info will be appreciated! Xx

DJANGO

DJANGO

@LIZZIE Hello! Great to hear from you. Unfortunately, cats are no longer considered ESAs under the new DOT policy changes. For this reason, you now have two options to fly with your cat overseas to England:
(1) Fly with your cat in-cabin to Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport, then take a pet chauffeur service from CDG to England (my personal recommendation)
(2) Put your cat in cargo and fly directly from the US to England.

Here is a really informative article detailing the new DOT rules for emotional support animals. It should answer any questions you have about the recent ESA changes.
>> https://djangobrand.com/blogs/news/new-dot-rules-for-emotional-support-animals

I hope this helps! A huge congrats on your scholarship as well!!!

@LIZZIE Hello! Great to hear from you. Unfortunately, cats are no longer considered ESAs under the new DOT policy changes. For this reason, you now have two options to fly with your cat overseas to England:
(1) Fly with your cat in-cabin to Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport, then take a pet chauffeur service from CDG to England (my personal recommendation)
(2) Put your cat in cargo and fly directly from the US to England.

Here is a really informative article detailing the new DOT rules for emotional support animals. It should answer any questions you have about the recent ESA changes.
>> https://djangobrand.com/blogs/news/new-dot-rules-for-emotional-support-animals

I hope this helps! A huge congrats on your scholarship as well!!!

DJANGO

DJANGO

@ANDREA Hi Andrea! Is your frenchie small enough to fit in a carry-on? If yes, you should definitely be able to find international airlines that allow your dog.

Here is a great article detailing the in-cabin pet policies of every major international airline (including max weight requirements) >>
https://djangobrand.com/blogs/news/international-airline-pet-policies-for-in-cabin-travel

If your frenchie is too big to fit in an under seat pet carrier, then you may have to consider sea travel. One thing to emphasize is that bookings for the pet-friendly Cunard’s Queen Mary 2 fill up months and months in advance, so you will have to arrange travel plans ASAP for this option.

@ANDREA Hi Andrea! Is your frenchie small enough to fit in a carry-on? If yes, you should definitely be able to find international airlines that allow your dog.

Here is a great article detailing the in-cabin pet policies of every major international airline (including max weight requirements) >>
https://djangobrand.com/blogs/news/international-airline-pet-policies-for-in-cabin-travel

If your frenchie is too big to fit in an under seat pet carrier, then you may have to consider sea travel. One thing to emphasize is that bookings for the pet-friendly Cunard’s Queen Mary 2 fill up months and months in advance, so you will have to arrange travel plans ASAP for this option.

Lizzie

Lizzie

Hi, Mike, Steph, and Django! Thanks so much for all these helpful resources. I’m graduating college (in the U.S.) in May and have won a scholarship for two years of Master’s study in England. So it looks like I’ll be moving there before the term starts in October…however, I have a 1.5 y/o emotional support cat (a sweet Himalayan) who has to come with me! She’s flown domestically in the U.S. with me before, but my head is spinning seeing all of the hoops that have to be jumped through to get her to our new home in England, especially with the 2021 DOT rules update. What option would you recommend as the least stressful (for me and my cat!) way for us to get over there, especially since I’m a relatively inexperienced international traveler (been abroad twice) who’ll also be worried about moving all of my belongings with me? Thanks again!!

Hi, Mike, Steph, and Django! Thanks so much for all these helpful resources. I’m graduating college (in the U.S.) in May and have won a scholarship for two years of Master’s study in England. So it looks like I’ll be moving there before the term starts in October…however, I have a 1.5 y/o emotional support cat (a sweet Himalayan) who has to come with me! She’s flown domestically in the U.S. with me before, but my head is spinning seeing all of the hoops that have to be jumped through to get her to our new home in England, especially with the 2021 DOT rules update. What option would you recommend as the least stressful (for me and my cat!) way for us to get over there, especially since I’m a relatively inexperienced international traveler (been abroad twice) who’ll also be worried about moving all of my belongings with me? Thanks again!!

Andrea

Andrea

Hello! We are scheduled to move to the US from London in the summer and are having a terrible time trying to figure out how to get our French Bulldog home with us! We would want her in the cabin of course but I can’t even find any airlines that will accept snub-nose breeds in any area of the plane (and of course not in summer). Any help would be much appreciated!

Hello! We are scheduled to move to the US from London in the summer and are having a terrible time trying to figure out how to get our French Bulldog home with us! We would want her in the cabin of course but I can’t even find any airlines that will accept snub-nose breeds in any area of the plane (and of course not in summer). Any help would be much appreciated!

DJANGO

DJANGO

Important follow up to our comment just below this one. Regarding Emotional Support Animals from non-US countries, unfortunately they are NOT allowed to fly in-cabin into the US. Here is a direct quote from Heathrow Animal Reception Centre (HARC):

“Unfortunately emotional support animals are not accepted on flights from Singapore to the UK. Due to this specific type of service animal only being recognised under the American’s disabilities act, they are only accepted on direct flight from the USA to the UK.

Your dog will need to be booked on to an aircraft as cargo/manifested freight. Please see our website for all information required; www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/harc"

Important follow up to our comment just below this one. Regarding Emotional Support Animals from non-US countries, unfortunately they are NOT allowed to fly in-cabin into the US. Here is a direct quote from Heathrow Animal Reception Centre (HARC):

“Unfortunately emotional support animals are not accepted on flights from Singapore to the UK. Due to this specific type of service animal only being recognised under the American’s disabilities act, they are only accepted on direct flight from the USA to the UK.

Your dog will need to be booked on to an aircraft as cargo/manifested freight. Please see our website for all information required; www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/harc"

DJANGO

DJANGO

@GERALD LEONG It’s nice to hear from you. At this time we are only aware of a handful of airlines that permit Emotional Support Animals on US-UK routes. Since ESAs are most popular and accepted in the United States, many major international airlines are willing to acknowledge and allow ESAs in cabin if they’re flying to/from the United States only.

With that said, airline pet policies are constantly being updated, so there may be an airline we’re not aware of that now allows ESAs to fly into the UK from a non-US country. Our advice is to see what handful of airlines work for your route, then contact them directly asking about their ESA policy. If we come across any such airlines, we’ll be sure to add them to this article.

@GERALD LEONG It’s nice to hear from you. At this time we are only aware of a handful of airlines that permit Emotional Support Animals on US-UK routes. Since ESAs are most popular and accepted in the United States, many major international airlines are willing to acknowledge and allow ESAs in cabin if they’re flying to/from the United States only.

With that said, airline pet policies are constantly being updated, so there may be an airline we’re not aware of that now allows ESAs to fly into the UK from a non-US country. Our advice is to see what handful of airlines work for your route, then contact them directly asking about their ESA policy. If we come across any such airlines, we’ll be sure to add them to this article.

Gerald Leong

Gerald Leong

Hi,

This article is so helpful. Do you know of instances where an Emotional Support Dog was allowed to travel in cabin into London, from a country other than the USA?

Hi,

This article is so helpful. Do you know of instances where an Emotional Support Dog was allowed to travel in cabin into London, from a country other than the USA?

Valerie Balkwill

Valerie Balkwill

Many many thanks for your comprehensive response, and I’m very glad the the French Bulldog made it safely on to British soil!
Take care though not to be inadvertently propagating a myth.
This inhumane rule cannot be about curbing the spread of rabies. Animals are not permitted to travel without documentary evidence that the necessary health precautions have been administered, including the rabies vaccination.
I have had to bring my dog from mainland Europe to the UK via the Eurotunnel
many times now, so I can testify to the procedure from personal experience; the documentation is checked and a small reader device is handed to the owner to scan the animal’s chip.
It is simply irrelevant whether they travel in the cabin or the cargo hold. The documentation and the chip are the same either way.
Nor can it be about controlling the transfer of animals into the UK. Any animal travelling on the plane has to be properly documented (the airline checks before, and as a condition of, embarkation) so how does being parked in a crate with the cargo rather than in the secure and nurturing environment of the cabin do that?
It’s also worth noting that this rule, inexplicably if it is for the prevention of rabies and the control of the transfer of animals to the UK, does not apply to pets travelling with private charter companies.
This is the third year that my partner has had to drive from London to Paris or Brussels to collect me and our little dog, but this time it meant instead of going home directly from Greece, we were both forced to travel through countries with a very high rate of Covid infections. Because of this we had to self-isolate for two weeks but, worse, as we are both in our seventies and therefore vulnerable to complications, this unjustified rule put our lives at risk.
I shall battle on trying to get to the bottom of it, and if anyone has any further information please post.

Many many thanks for your comprehensive response, and I’m very glad the the French Bulldog made it safely on to British soil!
Take care though not to be inadvertently propagating a myth.
This inhumane rule cannot be about curbing the spread of rabies. Animals are not permitted to travel without documentary evidence that the necessary health precautions have been administered, including the rabies vaccination.
I have had to bring my dog from mainland Europe to the UK via the Eurotunnel
many times now, so I can testify to the procedure from personal experience; the documentation is checked and a small reader device is handed to the owner to scan the animal’s chip.
It is simply irrelevant whether they travel in the cabin or the cargo hold. The documentation and the chip are the same either way.
Nor can it be about controlling the transfer of animals into the UK. Any animal travelling on the plane has to be properly documented (the airline checks before, and as a condition of, embarkation) so how does being parked in a crate with the cargo rather than in the secure and nurturing environment of the cabin do that?
It’s also worth noting that this rule, inexplicably if it is for the prevention of rabies and the control of the transfer of animals to the UK, does not apply to pets travelling with private charter companies.
This is the third year that my partner has had to drive from London to Paris or Brussels to collect me and our little dog, but this time it meant instead of going home directly from Greece, we were both forced to travel through countries with a very high rate of Covid infections. Because of this we had to self-isolate for two weeks but, worse, as we are both in our seventies and therefore vulnerable to complications, this unjustified rule put our lives at risk.
I shall battle on trying to get to the bottom of it, and if anyone has any further information please post.

DJANGO

DJANGO

@VALERIE 

It’s nice to hear from you! You are correct that the UK unique insists that pets do not fly in-cabin into the United Kingdom. The only exceptions are for service animals and emotional support animals (cats and dogs). The UK government is behind this strict rule and enforced it to curb the spread of rabies and better control the transport of animals into the UK.

Regarding ESAs, yes, they can fly in-cabin to the UK in certain instances. There are only a few airlines that offer this service, and oftentimes the service is only recognized on US-UK routes (since ESAs are mostly prevalent in the United States).

To answer your question about cost, Heathrow charges emotional support animals and other unrecognized assistance animals a checking fee of £390 upon arrival.

As for the May 01, 2020 message we highlight above in this article… This was an email we received from a DJANGO Dog Blog reader who used our articles and experience to successful fly to the UK in-cabin with his French Bulldog. Regarding their arrival at Heathrow, I believe it went smoothly. When flying with an ESA in cabin to the UK, it is necessary to contact Heathrow’s Airport’s Animal Reception Centre (HARC) at least 72 hours in advance of your arrival and request a pre-approval letter. Their email is harc@cityoflondon.gov.uk. So long as this is done and the ESA processing fee is paid, you should have no issues upon arrival as they’ll be expecting you.


Hope this helps answer your questions! Best of luck with your upcoming travels.

@VALERIE 

It’s nice to hear from you! You are correct that the UK unique insists that pets do not fly in-cabin into the United Kingdom. The only exceptions are for service animals and emotional support animals (cats and dogs). The UK government is behind this strict rule and enforced it to curb the spread of rabies and better control the transport of animals into the UK.

Regarding ESAs, yes, they can fly in-cabin to the UK in certain instances. There are only a few airlines that offer this service, and oftentimes the service is only recognized on US-UK routes (since ESAs are mostly prevalent in the United States).

To answer your question about cost, Heathrow charges emotional support animals and other unrecognized assistance animals a checking fee of £390 upon arrival.

As for the May 01, 2020 message we highlight above in this article… This was an email we received from a DJANGO Dog Blog reader who used our articles and experience to successful fly to the UK in-cabin with his French Bulldog. Regarding their arrival at Heathrow, I believe it went smoothly. When flying with an ESA in cabin to the UK, it is necessary to contact Heathrow’s Airport’s Animal Reception Centre (HARC) at least 72 hours in advance of your arrival and request a pre-approval letter. Their email is harc@cityoflondon.gov.uk. So long as this is done and the ESA processing fee is paid, you should have no issues upon arrival as they’ll be expecting you.


Hope this helps answer your questions! Best of luck with your upcoming travels.

Valerie Balkwill

Valerie Balkwill

Please BIG FAN OF DJANGO can you elaborate on your post of May 01, 2020 and tell us more about your experience with your French Bulldog on arrival at Heathrow?

Please BIG FAN OF DJANGO can you elaborate on your post of May 01, 2020 and tell us more about your experience with your French Bulldog on arrival at Heathrow?

Valerie Balkwill

Valerie Balkwill

I am in my seventies and fly frequently with my dog in cabin to Greece, but in order to return we have to fly to Paris or Brussels and make our own (arduous) way home from there.
The airlines check the animal’s documentation before embarkation, so further checks on arrival are superfluous.
So I am trying to find out why Britain uniquely insists that pets travel as cargo and are thus subjected to what is a serious and apparently unnecessary health risk.
You say that there is a way for emotional support and therapy dogs to fly in-cabin to the United Kingdom. Is there anyone out there who has used this option, and who can tell us how it went, and exactly how much it cost them to get their pet through the system into the UK?

I am in my seventies and fly frequently with my dog in cabin to Greece, but in order to return we have to fly to Paris or Brussels and make our own (arduous) way home from there.
The airlines check the animal’s documentation before embarkation, so further checks on arrival are superfluous.
So I am trying to find out why Britain uniquely insists that pets travel as cargo and are thus subjected to what is a serious and apparently unnecessary health risk.
You say that there is a way for emotional support and therapy dogs to fly in-cabin to the United Kingdom. Is there anyone out there who has used this option, and who can tell us how it went, and exactly how much it cost them to get their pet through the system into the UK?

DJANGO

DJANGO

@MICHELE Great to hear from you! I’m so glad this DJANGO Dog Blog article helped your son get from the USA to UK with his ESA. That’s so great to hear. I’m unfortunately not surprised the process and trip was complicated and frustrating despite you doing all the necessary paperwork and research ahead of time! This is common feedback from dog owners who successfully make the trip to the UK with an ESA (especially regarding airline employees that don’t understand the in-cabin rules for ESAs!).

Regarding a quick trip back to the USA over the holidays, it is best if your son’s dog has a UK pet passport before traveling from the UK to another country (like the US) and then returning back to the UK. If the process and cost of getting a pet passport in the UK is anything like that in the EU, then it should be pretty easy and relatively inexpensive to obtain a pet passport from a licensed UK vet. The pet passport will detail the dog’s details of ownership (i.e. your son’s name and info), the dog’s breed, DOB, markings, and full vaccination history. All future vaccinations done in the UK will also be documented in the pet passport, so it will always be up to date. Please know your son’s dog must also be microchipped before leaving the UK (although I imagine he is microchipped already since your son made the USA-UK trip successfully with him before).

If you already have a UK pet passport and your dog’s passport and vaccinations are up-to-date, it is my understanding that your dog (1) does NOT need a clinical examination by USDA certified vet before departing the UK, and (2) DOES need to be treated for tapeworm (Echinococcus multilocularis) 24 – 120 hours (1 – 5 days) prior to re-entry into the UK. Tapeworm treatment can be recorded in your dog’s UK Pet Passport by a USDA Accredited Veterinarian.

The best resources for you as you’re planning your upcoming travels are these websites:
(1) https://www.gov.uk/bring-pet-to-uk
(2) https://www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/services/animal-welfare/travelling-with-animals/heathrow-animal-reception-centre
(3) https://www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/services/animal-welfare/travelling-with-animals/assistance-dogs

Lastly, since your dog is an ESA and he’ll be flying in the cabin, you’ll need to contact Heathrow’s Airport’s Animal Reception Centre (HARC) at least 72 hours in advance of your return back to the UK and request a pre-approval letter. Their email is harc@cityoflondon.gov.uk and they’re very responsive. And YES, unfortunately you will need to pay the ESA processing fee once again.

Hope this helps! Best of luck with the upcoming holiday travels!

@MICHELE Great to hear from you! I’m so glad this DJANGO Dog Blog article helped your son get from the USA to UK with his ESA. That’s so great to hear. I’m unfortunately not surprised the process and trip was complicated and frustrating despite you doing all the necessary paperwork and research ahead of time! This is common feedback from dog owners who successfully make the trip to the UK with an ESA (especially regarding airline employees that don’t understand the in-cabin rules for ESAs!).

Regarding a quick trip back to the USA over the holidays, it is best if your son’s dog has a UK pet passport before traveling from the UK to another country (like the US) and then returning back to the UK. If the process and cost of getting a pet passport in the UK is anything like that in the EU, then it should be pretty easy and relatively inexpensive to obtain a pet passport from a licensed UK vet. The pet passport will detail the dog’s details of ownership (i.e. your son’s name and info), the dog’s breed, DOB, markings, and full vaccination history. All future vaccinations done in the UK will also be documented in the pet passport, so it will always be up to date. Please know your son’s dog must also be microchipped before leaving the UK (although I imagine he is microchipped already since your son made the USA-UK trip successfully with him before).

If you already have a UK pet passport and your dog’s passport and vaccinations are up-to-date, it is my understanding that your dog (1) does NOT need a clinical examination by USDA certified vet before departing the UK, and (2) DOES need to be treated for tapeworm (Echinococcus multilocularis) 24 – 120 hours (1 – 5 days) prior to re-entry into the UK. Tapeworm treatment can be recorded in your dog’s UK Pet Passport by a USDA Accredited Veterinarian.

The best resources for you as you’re planning your upcoming travels are these websites:
(1) https://www.gov.uk/bring-pet-to-uk
(2) https://www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/services/animal-welfare/travelling-with-animals/heathrow-animal-reception-centre
(3) https://www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/services/animal-welfare/travelling-with-animals/assistance-dogs

Lastly, since your dog is an ESA and he’ll be flying in the cabin, you’ll need to contact Heathrow’s Airport’s Animal Reception Centre (HARC) at least 72 hours in advance of your return back to the UK and request a pre-approval letter. Their email is harc@cityoflondon.gov.uk and they’re very responsive. And YES, unfortunately you will need to pay the ESA processing fee once again.

Hope this helps! Best of luck with the upcoming holiday travels!

Michele

Michele

First. THANK YOU (see below)
Second: is it feasible to bring the ESA dog back to Chicago (from London) for Christmas Break? Are there more vet verifications that need to be done in LONDON before flying? and then when they go back to London in January? Do we have to do ALL the same paperwork again? Pay HARC again? more booster shots?

I work for American Airlines so this child flies with the dog for under $200.

Thanks to this blog – we successfully got my son and his ESA (14-pound, ESA, SilkyTerrier) from CHICAGO to LONDON for the start of his Masters Program at THE MET SCHOOL OF FILM. WHEW. Thank you for the guidance. SO many hoops to jump thru. SO MANY. And upon arrival with all papers in perfect order, manager at American Airlines told him he is not allowed to travel, as the EU was closed. OMG. Fortunately I had done so much homework, and spoke to the “EXCEPTION DESK” for the last 10 days at American and insisted she check again (and again). WHEW.

First. THANK YOU (see below)
Second: is it feasible to bring the ESA dog back to Chicago (from London) for Christmas Break? Are there more vet verifications that need to be done in LONDON before flying? and then when they go back to London in January? Do we have to do ALL the same paperwork again? Pay HARC again? more booster shots?

I work for American Airlines so this child flies with the dog for under $200.

Thanks to this blog – we successfully got my son and his ESA (14-pound, ESA, SilkyTerrier) from CHICAGO to LONDON for the start of his Masters Program at THE MET SCHOOL OF FILM. WHEW. Thank you for the guidance. SO many hoops to jump thru. SO MANY. And upon arrival with all papers in perfect order, manager at American Airlines told him he is not allowed to travel, as the EU was closed. OMG. Fortunately I had done so much homework, and spoke to the “EXCEPTION DESK” for the last 10 days at American and insisted she check again (and again). WHEW.

DJANGO

DJANGO

@SEREN Hello! The required tapeworm treatment should be administered in the USA by a USDA accredited veterinarian. The tapeworm treatment must be done between 24 and 120 hours (1 and 5 days) before entering the UK.

Regarding your second question… The health certificate your USDA accredited vet issues will be good for BOTH France entry and UK entry. The UK accepted health certificate can be found on the UK government website (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/pet-travel-certificate-for-movement-of-dogs-cats-and-ferrets-from-third-countries). You’ll see that the document the UK government provides is indeed a health certificate for pets entering the UK and broader EU. If you ever have any questions or need to verify information, you can always contact the USDA branch in your state. They are also knowledgeable about documents required for pet travel abroad.


Hope this helps! Good luck planning your trip and safe travels!

@SEREN Hello! The required tapeworm treatment should be administered in the USA by a USDA accredited veterinarian. The tapeworm treatment must be done between 24 and 120 hours (1 and 5 days) before entering the UK.

Regarding your second question… The health certificate your USDA accredited vet issues will be good for BOTH France entry and UK entry. The UK accepted health certificate can be found on the UK government website (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/pet-travel-certificate-for-movement-of-dogs-cats-and-ferrets-from-third-countries). You’ll see that the document the UK government provides is indeed a health certificate for pets entering the UK and broader EU. If you ever have any questions or need to verify information, you can always contact the USDA branch in your state. They are also knowledgeable about documents required for pet travel abroad.


Hope this helps! Good luck planning your trip and safe travels!

DJANGO

DJANGO

@SKYE Hello! It’s nice to hear from you. Per DEFRA, it is my understanding that pets should have a pet passport when traveling from the UK to another country (like the US) and then returning back to the UK. If the process and cost of getting a pet passport in the UK is anything like that in the EU, then it should be pretty easy to obtain a pet passport from a licensed UK vet. The pet passport will detail your dog’s details of ownership (i.e. your name and info), your dog’s breed, DOB, markings, and full vaccination history. All future vaccinations done in the UK will also be documented in your pet passport, so it will always be up to date.

Your dog should also be microchipped before leaving the UK. And please know that if your dog isn’t yet microchipped, he’ll need to be re-vaccinated for rabies after the microchip is implanted. It’s annoying, but we also had to do this with our dog Django in the US.

The best resource for you is this UK government site: https://www.gov.uk/take-pet-abroad. Heathrow’s Airport’s Animal Reception Centre (HARC) also has a great and informative website, but for some reason all their websites are down right now (and all our links to them in this article are presently not working).

Lastly, since your dog is an ESA, I assume he’ll be flying in cabin with you? If that is the case, you’ll need to contact Heathrow’s Airport’s Animal Reception Centre (HARC) at least 72 hours in advance of your return home. Their email is harc@cityoflondon.gov.uk and they’re very responsive!

Hope this helps! Let us know if you have any other questions!

@SKYE Hello! It’s nice to hear from you. Per DEFRA, it is my understanding that pets should have a pet passport when traveling from the UK to another country (like the US) and then returning back to the UK. If the process and cost of getting a pet passport in the UK is anything like that in the EU, then it should be pretty easy to obtain a pet passport from a licensed UK vet. The pet passport will detail your dog’s details of ownership (i.e. your name and info), your dog’s breed, DOB, markings, and full vaccination history. All future vaccinations done in the UK will also be documented in your pet passport, so it will always be up to date.

Your dog should also be microchipped before leaving the UK. And please know that if your dog isn’t yet microchipped, he’ll need to be re-vaccinated for rabies after the microchip is implanted. It’s annoying, but we also had to do this with our dog Django in the US.

The best resource for you is this UK government site: https://www.gov.uk/take-pet-abroad. Heathrow’s Airport’s Animal Reception Centre (HARC) also has a great and informative website, but for some reason all their websites are down right now (and all our links to them in this article are presently not working).

Lastly, since your dog is an ESA, I assume he’ll be flying in cabin with you? If that is the case, you’ll need to contact Heathrow’s Airport’s Animal Reception Centre (HARC) at least 72 hours in advance of your return home. Their email is harc@cityoflondon.gov.uk and they’re very responsive!

Hope this helps! Let us know if you have any other questions!

Skye

Skye

Hi! This blog is incredibly helpful and positive. Thank you for putting it together and for being so responsive to your fans (one of which I am!) My mini poodle is an ESA dog and I want to book a roundtrip from Heathrow to LAX. We live in the UK and obtained the dog in UK. He’s up to date on vaccinations. Do I need to get him a UK passport? It appears that LHR is strict with dogs – what will he need to safely reenter the country? I want to insure he isn’t taken away to be quarantined. thank you!

Hi! This blog is incredibly helpful and positive. Thank you for putting it together and for being so responsive to your fans (one of which I am!) My mini poodle is an ESA dog and I want to book a roundtrip from Heathrow to LAX. We live in the UK and obtained the dog in UK. He’s up to date on vaccinations. Do I need to get him a UK passport? It appears that LHR is strict with dogs – what will he need to safely reenter the country? I want to insure he isn’t taken away to be quarantined. thank you!

Seren

Seren

I’m planning to take my dog to the UK via France and using the pet taxi service. Can the de-worming be administered in the US to enter the UK? I’m confused if it needs to be administered in France instead. So confusing! I was told by my vet that the health certificate will only be to get my dog into France.

I’m planning to take my dog to the UK via France and using the pet taxi service. Can the de-worming be administered in the US to enter the UK? I’m confused if it needs to be administered in France instead. So confusing! I was told by my vet that the health certificate will only be to get my dog into France.

DJANGO

DJANGO

Hi Larry! Great to hear from you, and I’m so glad to know our articles helped you out last year when you moved to the UK with your two cats. Since you’re coming from the UK and traveling directly to California, you’re correct that neither a rabies vaccination or other paperwork is required by the state of California for cats once you land in LA. Per California’s Department of Food & Agriculture website, “All domestic cats must be healthy. Neither a Certificate of Veterinary Inspection (CVI), also known as a health certificate, nor a rabies vaccination is required to import a cat into California; however, if traveling into California via airplane, please call the airline as they may have additional requirements.”.

With that said, definitely check with your airline if any paperwork (rabies vaccination and/or Certificate of Veterinary Inspection) is needed upon arrival at the airport. They may indeed want to see your cat’s rabies vaccination and/or health certificate. Generally speaking, it’s always a good idea to have your cats’ rabies vaccination certificate on hand when arriving back in the US. California requires the rabies certificate for dogs entering the US (not cats), and if the customs person you come across at LA airport isn’t sure of all the rules, they may end up wanting to see it for your cats’ rabies vaccination as well.

Here are two great resources for you:
California Dept of Food & Agriculture: https://www.cdfa.ca.gov/ahfss/Animal_Health/Entry_Requirements.html
CDC: https://www.cdc.gov/importation/bringing-an-animal-into-the-united-states/cats.html

Safe travels to you and your family!

Hi Larry! Great to hear from you, and I’m so glad to know our articles helped you out last year when you moved to the UK with your two cats. Since you’re coming from the UK and traveling directly to California, you’re correct that neither a rabies vaccination or other paperwork is required by the state of California for cats once you land in LA. Per California’s Department of Food & Agriculture website, “All domestic cats must be healthy. Neither a Certificate of Veterinary Inspection (CVI), also known as a health certificate, nor a rabies vaccination is required to import a cat into California; however, if traveling into California via airplane, please call the airline as they may have additional requirements.”.

With that said, definitely check with your airline if any paperwork (rabies vaccination and/or Certificate of Veterinary Inspection) is needed upon arrival at the airport. They may indeed want to see your cat’s rabies vaccination and/or health certificate. Generally speaking, it’s always a good idea to have your cats’ rabies vaccination certificate on hand when arriving back in the US. California requires the rabies certificate for dogs entering the US (not cats), and if the customs person you come across at LA airport isn’t sure of all the rules, they may end up wanting to see it for your cats’ rabies vaccination as well.

Here are two great resources for you:
California Dept of Food & Agriculture: https://www.cdfa.ca.gov/ahfss/Animal_Health/Entry_Requirements.html
CDC: https://www.cdc.gov/importation/bringing-an-animal-into-the-united-states/cats.html

Safe travels to you and your family!

Larry

Larry

Hello, I found your website so helpful when we moved to the UK from California with our two cats last year. We are moving back in a few weeks. We are taking the cats in cabin with us from London Heathrow to Los Angeles. Since California does not have any requirements for cats entering, I take that as we don’t have to provide any documentation in London as they are in cabin with us and our final destination does not require paperwork. Was hoping you might know. Thanks!!

Hello, I found your website so helpful when we moved to the UK from California with our two cats last year. We are moving back in a few weeks. We are taking the cats in cabin with us from London Heathrow to Los Angeles. Since California does not have any requirements for cats entering, I take that as we don’t have to provide any documentation in London as they are in cabin with us and our final destination does not require paperwork. Was hoping you might know. Thanks!!

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