Pet Travel gets many people who ask the same question: can my pet fly to the UK in the cabin with me?
The answer is, unfortunately, no. Due to regulations imposed by all commercial airlines approved to fly live animals to the United Kingdom, there is no way you can fly into the the UK with a pet animal in the cabin of the aircraft unless it is a service or emotional support dog.? Your airline must have a program in place to support ESA or service dogs. This is a requirement of all commercial airlines. It is not a requirement of APHA or DEFRA (Department for Environment, Food & Affairs).
In the case of emotional support or service dogs, pre-approval must be obtained from the Animal Reception Center in the airport you are flying into. Inspection of your dog must be arranged in advance. The same applies for animals arriving by private jet.
Why can’t a pet fly in the cabin to the United Kingdom?
There are several reasons. The first is that it is easier to track a pet that is flying as air cargo. All live animals flying as air cargo are included in a “manifest” and fly under an Air Waybill. The airline must provide arrival information to the Animal Reception Center (ARC) prior to arrival.? In doing this,? DEFRA knows how many animals are arriving at a given time and can allocate their resources accordingly.?
Another reason for the air cargo requirement is the process once your pet lands in the UK. Either an agent or employees of the ARC will take your pet from the airline to the ARC building which is where you will claim it. Because the ARC is located on airport grounds and not at the airline terminal, secure transportation to the ARC is essential. This process began years ago when 6 months of quarantine was required for all cats, dogs and ferrets entering the United Kingdom.
What are the alternatives to air cargo?
Courtesy of Unsplash
One alternative to avoid this requirement would be sailing on a pet friendly ferry. You can fly with your pet in the cabin to Paris if it conforms to? airline requirements for in-cabin travel. Then, you can drive or take a train to Calais and then take a pet friendly ferry or Le Shuttle across the Chunnel. There are several ferry services that serve the northern coast of France including DFDS Seaways, P&O Ferries, Brittany Ferries, and Celtic Link Ferries (to Ireland). Remember, though, that many of these ferries do not accept pets in winter months and most of them require that your pet travel in a car. (DFDS out of Dieppe will accept foot traffic; however, your pet must travel in a kennel on deck.)?
Le Shuttle also requires that all pets and their owners travel in a vehicle. There are services like Folkestown Taxi and Pet Movers that will pick you and your pet up in Calais and take them on Le Shuttle for a fee.
You can also consider flying to Amsterdam, taking a train to Rotterdam and taking DFDS, Stena Lines or P&O to Hull. At this writing, DFDS will accept foot traffic and they have pet friendly cabins to reserve. Although the ride is longer, we hear it is very pleasant.\
You can find more information on pet friendly ferries here.
If you have further questions, please send us an email to info@pettravel.com or post them here. We always answer your questions promptly.
UK Cat Lover – the issue with shared private jet charter is that one person must accept responsibility for the charter and the date is set and cannot be changed once set. Close friends and family who will not disappoint you would be a possibility.
Another option would be flying to Amsterdam with a friend so you can fly with your cats in the cabin. Once landed in the Netherlands, you can take DFDS ferry to Newcastle. This ferry has pet friendly cabins to rent. A slower way to get to the UK but certainly pleasant.
Susan
I have been stuck in Portland, OR USA for 18 months now away from my family in the UK. In July 2020 I suffered my first ever mental/health breakdown and I adopted two rescue cats called Rani and Zara. They are my emotional support animals and have literally saved me from suicide.I was assaulted by a stranger in Oct 2020, and was also the victim of a hit and run in December 2020, which now requires me to have surgery on my neck, I need to go home as I live alone and don’t have a partner at the moment. I am still suffering from major depression and need to get home asap with my 2 cats. I DO NOT WANT THEM TO TRAVEL AS CARGO. Is there a way to charter a shared private jet with similar pet owners in the USA who need to get to the UK? I need to travel physically with them as without them I won’t travel because of the sever anxiety I am suffering. I can’t afford the price of a private jet but would consider options of cost sharing..
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Trish – the first time you enter the Netherlands, your Yorkie will need an EU health certificate issued within 10 days of travel as well as conform to other regulations to enter the Netherlands. Find them here: https://www.pettravel.com/immigration/Holland_Netherlands.cfm. You can use the same certificate to enter the UK, regardless of when Brexit occurs. (or so the UK has indicated as such at this point). Get a UK Pet Passport once you have been in Scotland for more than 4 months (or when you have a permanent address). Having a UK Pet Passport will help when you enter and leave the US. Here’s the catch. Going back to the EU from the UK may require a rabies titer test if the UK withdraws from the EU without a ratified deal. You can get that done while in the US as long as you follow steps 1-3 in the URL above. The test is valid for the life of your pet as far as the EU is concerned as long as rabies vaccinations never expire. Keep an eye on this page as we will post updates as soon as they are received. https;//www.pettravel.com/immigration/UnitedKingdom.cfm. One more thing. Every time you enter the UK from the EU, your Yorkie will need a tapeworm treatment administered by a licensed vet between one and five days of entering the UK. This can be done in the US as US vets can record tapeworm treatments in EU (or UK) pet passports.
Susan
How realistic is it to commute back and forward, between U.S. and Scotland, with all the relevant Requirements and documentation in place , spending around 6 months in each country?. I plan to travel with our Yorkie in cabin, on KLM and have my route planned via Amsterdam and then ferry to Newcastle, then train to Scotland .
Ligia – if you are flying in and out of Paris on the same airline and the layover is not more than 3 hours, then the airline will transit your cat. If you are flying Air France or you are changing airline companies in Paris, then your cat will need to clear customs and enter France. It should have the French EU Pet Passport, proof of rabies vaccination, microchip and results of a rabies titer test to do that. Something to think about if your cat does need to enter France: commercial airlines that fly live animals to the UK require that they enter as air cargo. This means that someone will need to claim your cat at the cargo facility and recheck it if you are changing airline companies in Paris.
You can find requirements to import your cat to France here: https://www.pettravel.com/immigration/France.cfm. You can find requirements to import your cat to the United Kingdom here: https://www.pettravel.como/immigration/UnitedKingdom.cfm. There are links on both pages to further instructions and required forms that can be emailed to you.
Susan
Hello, I’m moving from Brazil to UK with my cat. If I land in Paris, what kind of documents will my cat need since passports are not issued or accepted for un-listed countries as Brazil? Thank u
Iris – you can fly to the UK with your Yorkies; however, due to regulations of all commercial airlines, they will need to fly as air cargo into the UK. There are step-by-step instructions for importing a dog, cat or ferret to the UK here and there are links to further instructions and forms if you need them: https://www.pettravel.com/immigration/UnitedKingdom.cfm.
You can avoid the air cargo requirement by flying into Paris (your pups can fly in the cabin if there are two passengers accompanying them), then travel to Calais and ride Le Shuttle to Folkestone. You will need a vehicle for this option. You can also fly into AMS and take DFDS ferry as a foot passenger to Newcastle.
Susan
Can I fly from the U.S.to the UK with two little Yorkies?
Gillian – according to regulations of all commercial airlines, live animals entering the UK or Ireland by air must do so as air cargo. You can fly with them to the mainland and look at Le Shuttle or a pet friendly ferry to get to the UK via ground. You or someone representing you must travel with your dogs. Another consideration is, as they are being adopted and you do not have proof of 6 months of ownership, they must enter the UK under commercial regulations. You can find those regulations here (step #5): https://www.pettravel.com/immigration/UnitedKingdom.cfm.
Susan