Travelling with a dog or cat

Pet travel is not cheap, and the costs are spread over months. The table below is a planning band for 2026; your vet and carrier will quote exact figures.

The titre test and permit are the two items people forget to budget. A titre test plus courier to an approved lab typically runs USD 100–250. An Australian or New Zealand import permit and quarantine booking can run into thousands, because quarantine is charged per night and must be booked in advance.

For a simple cabin trip — a small dog or cat on a US domestic flight or a UK train — the cost is mostly the carrier fee and a vet visit. For a long-haul move, budget for cargo, a customs broker in some countries, and a night or two of boarding if your arrival and the animal's clearance do not line up.

Airlines treat pets as either cabin pets, checked baggage or manifested cargo. Cabin is the least stressful for the animal but the most restricted: usually one pet per passenger, a soft-sided carrier that fits under the seat, and a weight cap around 6–8 kg including the carrier. Some airlines do not sell cabin pet space on long-haul aircraft at all.

The hold is common for larger animals and for long-haul moves. Most airlines refuse flat-faced (brachycephalic) breeds — pugs, bulldogs, Persian cats and similar — in the hold because of breathing risk at altitude and in heat. Many also impose seasonal embargoes when ground temperatures are extreme at either end of the route.

Trains are often easier. In the UK, most operators allow a limited number of dogs per passenger, usually free or for a small charge, and require them to be kept on a lead or in a carrier. In continental Europe, many high-speed services allow small pets in carriers and larger dogs with a ticket; rules differ by operator and by country, so check the specific train company.

In a car, the animal should be secured — a crash-tested crate or a harness clipped to a seatbelt — not loose in the cabin. Loose pets become projectiles in a crash and can distract the driver. On ferries, pets usually stay in the vehicle deck or in kennels; a few routes allow them in cabins.

Assistance dogs are not pets in most legal systems. Airlines and many national access laws treat them separately, often allowing them in the cabin regardless of size, but documentation — training certification, vaccination records, sometimes a destination-specific form — is still required. Do not assume the pet rules apply.

Service animals in training, emotional support animals and psychiatric service animals are treated differently again, and several countries have tightened rules in recent years. Check the destination's own definition, not just the airline's.

Brachycephalic breeds face the most restrictions. Beyond airline bans, some countries restrict imports of flat-faced breeds outright, and others require a veterinary fitness certificate issued close to travel.

Pregnant animals, very young puppies and kittens, and animals recovering from surgery are usually refused by carriers. Most airlines set a minimum age, often 8–12 weeks, and require weaning.

If you are travelling to a country with quarantine — Australia, New Zealand and parts of the Middle East and Asia — the animal may spend days to weeks in a government facility. This must be booked months ahead, and the animal usually travels as cargo.

Returning home can be harder than leaving. The UK, Ireland, the US and the EU all have re-entry rules; a pet that leaves on a valid certificate may still need a new titre test or treatment to come back if the paperwork has lapsed.

Two weeks out, re-check every document against the destination's current rules. Border rules change, and a page you read three months ago may be out of date.

Pack for the animal, not just for you: a carrier the animal already knows, a leash and harness, a collapsible bowl, water from home for the first day, food in a sealed container, waste bags, any medication with a vet letter, and a copy of every document. Put a label with your name, phone and destination on the carrier.

Book the vet visit for the health certificate inside the required window — too early and it expires, too late and you miss the flight. If the destination requires tapeworm treatment, that visit is separate and must fall in the 24–120 hour window before arrival.

Tell your airline or rail operator about the pet at the time of booking, not at check-in. Confirm the carrier dimensions, the fee, and whether the pet counts toward your baggage allowance.

On the day, arrive early, walk the animal before check-in, and keep it leashed or in the carrier. Do not feed a heavy meal in the hours before a flight; water is fine.