Travelling with Pets - International Guide

Start with the EU rules

Dogs, cats and ferrets can travel between EU countries with an EU pet passport. An authorised vet issues it to owners who live in the EU, and it stays valid for the animal's life as long as the rabies record is kept up to date. You can take up to five pets on one trip.

What you need for an EU pet passport

Microchip and rabies vaccination

• Your pet needs a microchip that meets EU standards (a 15-digit ISO 11784/11785 chip is the usual type). A tattoo only counts if it's clearly readable and was applied before 3 July 2011.
• The chip must go in before the rabies vaccine, or the vaccination isn't valid.
• Your pet must be at least 12 weeks old at the first rabies vaccination.
• Wait at least 21 days after that first vaccination before you travel.
• Give boosters before the last one expires. If one lapses, the next dose counts as a first vaccination and the 21-day wait starts again.
• The record must show the vaccine's manufacturer and batch number.

Looking after the passport

Keep it in a waterproof cover and bring it to every vet visit.

Tapeworm treatment for dogs

Dogs going to Finland, Ireland, Malta, Norway or Northern Ireland need a vet to give tapeworm (Echinococcus multilocularis) treatment 24 to 120 hours (1 to 5 days) before arrival. It must be recorded in the passport. Cats and ferrets don't need it. Sweden isn't on that list, but Danish authorities say Sweden has special import rules, so check them before you go.

Outside the EU

Great Britain

An EU pet passport isn't accepted. You need a pet health certificate, and your pet must enter Great Britain within 10 days of the date it was issued. Dogs also need tapeworm treatment at least 24 and no more than 120 hours before arrival, unless they come directly from Finland, Ireland, Northern Ireland, Malta or Norway. A pet with the wrong paperwork can be refused entry or put in quarantine. Northern Ireland follows the EU rules above.

United States

The CDC requires dogs to be at least six months old and microchipped, and to arrive with the receipt for the online CDC Dog Import Form. Dogs that have been in a high-risk rabies country in the previous six months face extra requirements. States and airlines may ask for more, such as a recent health certificate. These rules have changed recently, so read the CDC's current page before booking.

Australia and New Zealand

Both have strict rules with blood tests, waiting periods and sometimes quarantine. Start many months ahead.

Other non-EU countries

Each country sets its own rules. They can include an official health certificate, an import permit, blood tests and parasite treatment. Ask the destination's embassy or veterinary authority what applies.

Coming back to Denmark

Entering the EU from a non-EU country can require an EU animal health certificate from an official vet, issued no more than 10 days before arrival. Most countries also need a rabies antibody blood test: wait 30 days after a first vaccination before the sample, then 3 months after a satisfactory result before you travel. You must enter through a designated travellers' point of entry. Fødevarestyrelsen can confirm what applies to your route.

Getting a health certificate

1. Find out what the destination requires from its embassy or veterinary authority.
2. Book the vet visit with the deadlines in mind, since many certificates are valid for only a few days.
3. Bring the vaccination records and microchip details.
4. The vet examines your pet and completes the certificate.
5. Some countries also need the veterinary authority to endorse it, so allow time.

Flying with a pet

In the cabin

Only small pets fit. SAS, for example, allows cats and dogs up to 8 kg including the pet, in a soft carrier no larger than 40 x 25 x 23 cm that goes under the seat. Spaces are limited, so ask when you book. A fee applies each way, and SAS doesn't take pets in the cabin to or from the UK.

In the hold

Larger pets travel in the hold, in an IATA-standard crate. The animal must be able to stand, turn round and lie down in it. It needs a secure door, ventilation, bowls fixed in place, absorbent bedding and a "Live Animal" label.

Airline differences

British Airways takes no pets in the cabin on any route, only assistance dogs. Pets go in the hold, arranged through IAG Cargo for flights to the UK. Age limits, breed restrictions and seasonal temperature limits also vary, so check your airline's current rules before you book.

Preparing your pet

Vet visit

Book it four to six weeks before you go. Your vet will examine your pet, update vaccinations, give flea, tick and worm prevention, arrange any blood tests and issue the paperwork. If your pet gets anxious, talk about options then and test any medication before travel day. Never sedate a pet without a vet's approval. Some drugs cause problems at altitude, and some airlines refuse sedated animals.

Crate training

Start two to three months ahead. Feed meals in the crate, lengthen the time inside, practise with the door shut and take short car rides in it. Add familiar bedding, a secured toy and something that smells of you, and freeze the water in the bowl so it doesn't spill.

Travel day

• Give a light meal three to four hours before leaving, and water until about an hour before.
• Exercise your pet and let it empty bowel and bladder before you set off.
• Fit ID tags with a contact number at the destination.
• Arrive early. Three hours before an international flight is a sensible margin.
• Carry the documents and a recent photo.
• At security you'll usually take your pet out of the carrier and carry it through while the empty carrier goes through the X-ray. Keep the lead or harness on.
• In the cabin, keep the carrier under the seat and don't open it. In the hold, collect your pet as soon as you land.

On arrival, declare your pet to customs and show the documents. A vet inspection or random check is possible. Keep the first days quiet, with normal feeding times and familiar things from home, and find a local vet before you travel.

Alternatives to flying

Professional pet transport companies handle the journey door to door, paperwork included. They cost more but suit anxious pets and complicated routes. Within Europe, driving, trains (policies vary) and ferries can also work.

Some pets are better off at home. Our dog boarding and dog daycare suit shorter trips.

Costs

Airline fees, certificates and crates vary a lot, so get quotes before you commit. SAS lists its cabin fee by route on its website.

Before you book

Allow at least two to three months, and longer for countries with blood tests or quarantine. Rules change, so check the current requirements with Fødevarestyrelsen and the destination authority. If you're moving abroad with your pet, see our pet relocation service or contact the clinic.