United Kingdom

Pet travel rules differ between Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales) and Northern Ireland. Great Britain is the main international entry regime, run by GOV.UK / APHA with approved routes and approved transport companies. Northern Ireland is a special case within the United Kingdom, with its own DAERA arrangements.

Exact requirements depend on where you are traveling from and your pet type.

United Kingdom

On the results page, choose Great Britain or Northern Ireland to see the requirements for the part of the United Kingdom you are travelling to.

Europe · Dogs and cats · Last verified: 26 August 2026

Official Guidance

Entry Requirements

Great Britain means England, Scotland and Wales. Pet dogs and cats enter Great Britain under the GOV.UK / APHA pet travel rules: an accepted travel document, a microchip, a valid rabies vaccination, tapeworm treatment for dogs, and arrival on an approved route with an approved transport company.

  • Microchip

    Your dog or cat must be microchipped before, or at the same time as, its rabies vaccination. If the animal was vaccinated before it was microchipped, the rabies vaccination must be done again after microchipping — the earlier vaccination does not count. The microchip number is checked against the travel document on arrival.

    GOV.UK — Bring your pet to Great Britain

  • Rabies vaccination and boosters

    The animal must be at least 12 weeks old when it receives its rabies vaccination. After a first (primary) vaccination you must wait at least 21 full days before travelling to Great Britain, or longer if the vaccine manufacturer's protocol requires it.

    Boosters must be kept up to date: if a booster is missed, the vaccination is treated as a new primary vaccination and the 21-day wait applies again. The vaccination must still be valid on the day of travel.

    GOV.UK — Rabies vaccination and boosters

  • Tapeworm treatment for dogs

    Dogs entering Great Britain normally need a tapeworm treatment every time they travel. The treatment must contain praziquantel or an equivalent active substance effective against Echinococcus multilocularis, be given by a vet no less than 24 hours and no more than 120 hours (1 to 5 days) before arrival, and be recorded in the pet passport or health certificate with the product, date and time.

    The treatment is not required for dogs travelling directly from Finland, Ireland, Northern Ireland, Malta or Norway. Cats do not need tapeworm treatment.

    GOV.UK — Tapeworm treatment for dogs

  • Maximum of 5 Pets and non-commercial movement

    You may normally bring up to five pets with you. More than five is only allowed as a non-commercial movement when you are travelling to attend or train for a competition, show or sporting event — you must carry written evidence of the event and every animal must be over 6 months old.

    If the pets are being sold, rehomed or their ownership is being transferred, the movement is commercial and different (stricter) import rules apply. Extra rules also apply if the pet travels more than 5 days before or after you.

    GOV.UK — Bring your pet to Great Britain

  • Approved routes and transport companies

    Great Britain does not use the EU system of Travellers' Points of Entry. Instead, your pet must arrive on a route and with a transport company approved by the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA). There are no approved routes into Wales, so pets arriving by an approved air route land in England or Scotland.

    By air, pets normally travel as cargo in the hold and are handled by an approved animal reception centre; travelling in the cabin is only possible for a registered assistance dog or on a chartered private plane, as set out by GOV.UK. Microchip and documents are checked, sometimes before boarding. Arriving from outside the EU, the pet is released after customs clearance, usually through the airline or a handling agent.

    You do not need an approved route or carrier when travelling to Great Britain from another UK country, the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man or the Republic of Ireland.

    GOV.UK — Travel routes for pets

Northern Ireland — Special Rules

  • Northern Ireland is part of the United Kingdom but has separate pet travel arrangements in some situations.

  • Great Britain to Northern Ireland travel uses the Northern Ireland Pet Travel Document (PTD) scheme for qualifying Great Britain residents.

  • Northern Ireland residents returning from Great Britain have simplified arrangements and do not need a Pet Travel Document.

  • Pets may enter Northern Ireland directly from the EU or from third countries — they do not need to enter through Great Britain first.

  • EU, listed and unlisted third-country rules for Northern Ireland follow the Northern Ireland / DAERA framework, not the Great Britain pet health certificate rules.

  • Onward travel from Northern Ireland to Ireland or the EU needs the relevant EU pet travel documents — the Great Britain to Northern Ireland PTD is not enough.

Northern Ireland guidance and links

Where You Can Enter

Pets arriving in Great Britain must travel on an APHA-approved route with an approved transport company. By air, the approved airport you can use depends on the airline, so check the APHA approved air routes list for your carrier before booking. There are no approved routes into Wales.

  • London Heathrow

    LondonLHR

  • London Gatwick

    LondonLGW

  • Manchester

    ManchesterMAN

  • Edinburgh

    EdinburghEDI

  • Glasgow

    GlasgowGLA

  • Newcastle

    NewcastleNCL

Northern Ireland uses separate DAERA entry and check arrangements — its points of entry are not part of the Great Britain approved route list.

Official Sources

GOV.UK and APHA guidance for entering Great Britain. Northern Ireland links are in the Northern Ireland section above.

GOV.UK — Bring your pet to Great BritainAPHA / Defra: microchip, rabies, documents and maximum number of petsGOV.UK — Which pet travel documentWhich document Great Britain accepts from your countryGOV.UK — Rabies vaccination and boosters12-week minimum age and the 21-day waiting periodGOV.UK — Rabies blood testsUnlisted countries: sample timing, 0.5 IU/ml and the 3-month waitGOV.UK — Tapeworm treatment for dogs24 to 120 hours before arrival and the direct-travel exemptionsGOV.UK — Great Britain pet health certificateEndorsement and the 10-day entry windowGOV.UK — Travel routes for petsApproved routes, transport companies and arrival handlingGOV.UK / APHA — Approved air routes for pet travelAirlines and the airports they may bring pets intoGOV.UK — Coming back to Great BritainReturn trips with a GB-issued document

Before You Travel

Last verified: 26 August 2026. Approved carriers, accepted travel documents and the Northern Ireland arrangements can change — confirm the current GOV.UK / APHA requirements for Great Britain, DAERA guidance for Northern Ireland, and your carrier's transport rules before departure.

DAERA guidance
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