Can dogs fly on planes to Europe?

Can dogs fly on planes from Great Britain to Europe?

• Some UK and European airlines allow dogs to fly in the cargo hold of passenger planes
• No UK-based commercial airline allows dogs to fly in the cabin of their planes and no major airlines at all permit dogs in the cabin when flying into the UK

Planning a European holiday, but don’t want to leave your dog at home? It’s understandable – when your dog is one of the family, leaving them at home while you jet off can feel unfair (or even completely heartwrenching). And you don’t want to spend your precious holiday missing them!

So, the big question is, can dogs fly on planes to Europe? The short answer is yes! The longer answer is that you’ll have to jump through some hoops to make it happen. But if you’re keen to share your European getaway with your dog, it’s more than worth putting in the work required to bring them along with you.

Read on for everything you need to know about flying your dog from Great Britain to Europe.

Taking your pet dog to Europe from Great Britain

Want to take your dog from Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales) to a EU country? There are a few actions you’ll need to take before they’re ready to travel to the continent. These rules also apply to pet cats and ferrets!

Here’s what you need to do:

1. Microchip your pet dog

If your dog is not already microchipped, now’s the time! You must get your dog chipped before, or at the same time, they have their rabies vaccination (more on that below). Otherwise, you’ll need to get them vaccinated again.

2. Get your dog vaccinated against rabies

Your dog needs to be vaccinated against rabies before you can set off on your adventure together – and you’ll need to wait a little while after the vaccine before going anywhere too. How long you need to wait depends on the type of vaccine used, but it will be at least 21 days after the first vaccination, or the last jab of the first course of vaccinations.

When you take your dog in for their rabies vaccination, you’ll need to prove to the vet that they are at least 12 weeks old.

If your dog is already vaccinated against rabies, check to see whether they need a booster before travelling. The good news is that, as long as there’s been no break in the vaccine cover, you don’t need to wait to travel after a booster vaccine.

3. Get your dog an animal health certificate

If you’re travelling to an EU country, you’ll need an Animal Health Certificate (AHC) for your dog. You can add up to five animals on one certificate.

You’ll have ten days to travel from the date the animal health certificate is issued by the vet, with ‘day one’ being the day the document is issued.

So, how do you acquire an animal health certificate?

First, check that your vet is able to issue animal health certificates. These documents need to be signed by an ‘official veterinarian’ (OV). If they can’t help, they should be able to direct you towards a vet who can.

For your vet to grant you this document, your dog must either have already had an up-to-date rabies vaccine, or only require booster doses. The best thing to do is to let your vet know that you’ll need an animal health certificate when you take your dog in for their vaccine. You should also ask them how long it will be before your dog is allowed to travel after receiving the vaccine. This gives your vet time to prepare the document.

When you visit the vet to acquire your animal health certificate, you’ll need to take proof of your dog’s microchipping date and vaccination history.

Your animal health certificate will be valid for:

• Ten days for entry into the EU
• Four months for onward travel within the EU after you enter the EU
• Four months for re-entry to Great Britain

Please bear in mind that you will need to get a new animal health certificate every time you take them to the EU from Great Britain.

The only instance in which you don’t need an AHC is if you have a pet passport that is:

• Accepted in the country you’re travelling to
• NOT issued in Great Britain (pet passports issued in Great Britain are no longer valid for travel to the EU).
• The rabies vaccine recorded in the pet passport was administered by an EU vet and is up-to-date.

4. Check if your dog needs tapeworm treatment

You must get a vet to treat your dog for tapeworm and record it in either your AHC or valid pet passport if you’re travelling to:

• Finland
• Ireland
• Malta
• Northern Ireland (unless you have a Northern Ireland pet travel document)
• Norway

The tapeworm treatment needs to be approved for use in the country it is administered in and contain praziquantel or an equivalent proven to be effective against the Echinococcus multilocularis tapeworm.

It should be given no less than 24 hours and no more than five days (120 hours) before your arrival in your destination.

5. Arrive at your destination

When you arrive, you may need to show your animal’s travel document at the border.

Bringing your pet dog to Great Britain from Europe

Time to head home? When you’re bringing your dog back to Great Britain from Europe, they’ll need to be microchipped, have a valid rabies vaccination and the correct pet travel documentation. Fortunately, you should already have all these boxes ticked already after your outward journey.

However, you’ll also need to arrange a tapeworm treatment – even if your dog was treated before setting off – ahead of your return to Great Britain from most countries.

You must also stick to government-approved pet travel routes and an approved carrier when travelling into Great Britain, unless you’re travelling from Ireland or anywhere within the UK. Find out more about approved routes and carriers on the official website.

You will also be asked to declare that your pet is not for sale or transfer of ownership.

Pets on the plane: cabin or cargo hold

Considering transporting your dog by plane? No doubt one of your primary concerns will be whether they will be allowed to travel in the cabin, or whether they’ll need to be placed in the cargo hold.

So, what’s the difference?

The cabin is the part of the plane that you travel in, while the cargo hold is where all the luggage is kept. It’s a separate, pressurised, ventilated, temperature-controlled area, with pet comfort and safety in mind – although the exact conditions vary by airline.

Can you take a dog on a plane? There are no UK-based commercial airlines that permit dogs to travel in the cabin, so when it comes to taking dogs abroad by plane, you’re looking at the cargo hold. The only exception to the rule is recognized assistance dogs, which can generally travel in the cabin for free. However, they must meet strict training and certification requirements.

While some European airlines do allow small dogs (8 kilograms is the usual limit for your pet plus its carrier) to travel in the cabin when leaving the UK, when returning to the UK, dogs are only permitted to travel as cargo.

Whether your dog travels in the cabin or cargo hold when leaving the UK largely depends on:

• The dog’s size and weight
• The dog’s breed
• Airline policy
• Type of flight

Charter flights and private jets may permit pets in the cabin, but these fall outside of standard airline policies.

Which airlines transport dogs?

As mentioned above, no UK-based commercial airlines allow dogs to travel in the cabin, and no major airlines permit flying with dogs in the cabin when jetting into the UK from the EU.

Which airlines permit dogs in the cabin?

However, if you’re flying with small dogs from the UK to the EU, some European airlines including KLM, Lufthansa, Air France and Iberia, may permit you to bring your dog into the cabin.

The dog and its carrier must fit within a strict weight limit (usually around 8 kilograms), and the carrier must be an approved model and fit under the seat in front of you.

However, remember that your dog will need to go in the cargo hold on the return journey, no matter its size.

Which UK airlines permit dogs in the cargo hold?

Not every UK airline permits dogs in the cargo hold. Budget airlines, in particular, tend to avoid dealing with pets at all. So if you want to transport your pet dog, it’s vital to check the airline’s policy before booking.

Here are the pet-friendly airlines that do allow dogs in the cargo hold:

1. British Airways

British Airways partners with PetAir UK (a service run and owned by fully-qualified veterinary surgeons) to fly dogs out of the UK. On the way home, IAG Cargo provides a similar service for flying with dogs. BA treats pets as manifest cargo, which means they are booked on flights on the cargo system, rather than the passenger system. This means that they may occasionally travel on a different flight to you, but BA’s partners provide a door-to-door service.

2. TUI

TUI carries dogs in the cargo hold, although the airline recommends checking ahead of booking your seat due to restrictions in certain countries. With TUI, your pet can usually travel on the same flight as you. The cargo hold is pressurised, and kept at the same temperature as the passenger cabin.

Their policy states:

• Dogs’ travel carriers must be fitted with a water bowl that is the correct size for your pet to get to the water. A funnel should be fitted outside the container so water can be added ahead of departure.
• Dogs are not to be medically sedated prior to travel, due to the pressurisation of the hold. However, herbal calmers or calming sprays can be used in the container. TUI also recommends that pets are not fed for six hours ahead of departure, and that they are taken for a good walk ahead of check-in at cargo.

3. Aer Lingus UK

Aer Lingus UK partners with IAG Cargo to take care of its customers’ pet travel requirements. Pets must be booked for passage within the airline’s cargo hold through an IAG cargo agent, who will meet you at the airport on the day of your flight. The airline notes that pets brought to the Aer Lingus check-in desk will not be accepted onto the flight.

Which European airlines permit dogs in the cargo hold?

In addition to the UK airlines above, there’s also a long list of government-approved European airlines that transport dogs to and from the UK in their planes’ cargo holds. Some of these airlines allow dogs to travel in the cargo hold of passenger planes, while others transport them separately.

These carriers include:

• Aegean Airlines (Greece)
• Aer Lingus (Ireland)
• Air Baltic (Latvia)
• Air Europa (Spain)
• Air France-KLM Martinair Cargo (France and Netherlands)
• Austrian Airlines (Austria)
• Brussels Airlines (Belgium)
• Czech Airlines (Czech Republic)
• Finnair (Finland)
• Iberia & Iberia Express (Spain)
• Icelandair (Iceland)
• LOT Polish Airlines (Poland)
• Lufthansa (Germany)
• Norwegian (Norway)
• SAS (Scandinavian Airlines System Cargo) (Denmark, Norway, Sweden)
• Swiss WorldCargo (Switzerland)
• TAROM (Romania)
• SmartWings (Czech Republic)
• Turkish Airlines (Türkiye)