Guidance and Help

MOVING PETS TO EUROPE

Guidance on moving pets to Europe is below including pet passports, moving pets by air, pet shipping crates, moving pets to Ireland and broad tips for before during and after moving your pet to Europe.

Pets rely on habit. When their owners decide to move, those habits can change abruptly, or stop altogether. A move can disrupt your pet’s sense of stability and cause trauma more severe than that experienced by some toddlers. That’s why we have designed this section of our website to guide you through the pet relocation process from start to finish.

Most international removers can give advice about moving your pet to Europe. All cats, dogs and ferrets travelling within the EU are required to have pet passports verifying that they are healthy, vaccinated for rabies, and government-authorised to travel. The purpose of the pet passport scheme (PETS) is to simplify and standardise pet importation regulations across a number of European countries.

Pet Passports

One of the requirements of PETS is that your pet must be identified by an electronic microchip inserted under the skin (usually near the shoulder area). This is not a monitoring device; the microchip contains a number that will match the number on the microchip in the pet’s passport. When your pet arrives at its destination, immigration officials will use the microchip to verify that the pet they are scanning is the pet whose details are on the pet passport. The microchip can also be used to identify the pet in the event that the pet is lost.

Pet passports contain the following information:

- The microchip number of the pet
- Certification of valid rabies vaccination and other vaccinations done in the past
- Veterinarian’s letter confirming that the pet is healthy and fit for travel
- Government certification that all export documentation and certificates are ready for travel

To obtain an information pack on pet passports, email Defra or call them on 0870 241 1710, Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm UK time (closed Bank Holidays). Your veterinarian can provide you with an EU pet passport. You can find a veterinarian at Yell.com. 

Moving pets by air
In almost all airlines, pets must travel in the cargo hold, either as excess baggage or manifested cargo. Transporting pets as cargo essentially means they are treated as an extra suitcase – albeit a very special suitcase!  Fortunately, shipping your pet in the plane’s cargo hold is convenient and relatively inexpensive.
Some airline staff members may be unused to passengers’ travelling with pets. This should not be a problem, but before you leave, double check that you have all the appropriate documentation with you.

Pet shipping crates
Shipping crates must conform to International Air Travel Association (IATA) standards, and they must be accompanied by appropriate food and drink, containers for which are usually attached to the shipping crate. Most European removers use specialist pet shipping contractors but if you are moving your pet by yourself, you can buy pet shipping crates from a number of sources, including Animal Instinct and Smylee Pets.

Moving pets to Ireland
Ireland, a participant in the EU pet passport scheme, has strict laws for the import of pets. This is to protect its environment from risk of diseases such as rabies, from which Ireland has been free for over 100 years. Fortunately, most pets from the UK may enter Ireland without quarantine if they have valid pet passports.

To import your pet to Ireland, your pet must be over three months old and meet all the requirements under the EU pet passport system.  To ensure that your pet is not incubating rabies, your pet may enter Ireland only when at least six months have expired since a successful blood test. Do the blood test 30 days after the rabies vaccination to prove that your pet has a good defence against rabies.

Your pet must also be tested for tapeworm and ticks between 24 and 48 hours before check-in.  Your veterinarian must complete the relevant sections of the passport, noting down the time of treatment as well as the date. 

If you are uncertain about any aspect, call Ireland’s help-line on 1890 504 604 or email the Department of Agriculture. You can read more about Ireland’s pet importation laws here.

Pet moving tips
Here are some tips for keeping your pet comfortable, safe and happy at all stages of the move.

Before the move
• In the run-up to the move, try to stick to your daily routine as much as possible. This will give your pet an increased sense of stability. When you arrive at your new home, implement the same daily routines, or a variation of these routines, right away.
• If your pet will be travelling in a pet carrier, consider introducing one a few weeks before the move. Put some of your pet’s toys and bedding in the carrier, and open the door to encourage your pet to go inside. Getting used to sleeping in the carrier is likely to reduce your pet’s anxiety during travel.
• Keep your pet confined to one room while you’re packing.  This may help reduce any confusion and trauma your pet will experience as you pack away all the familiar objects in the house.
• If you are travelling by car and your pet is known to become anxious during travel, consult your veterinarian to see whether it is advisable to give your pet a mild sedative.
• If you are travelling by air, you should NOT plan to sedate your pet, because altitude can affect medications and cause respiratory and cardiovascular problems.
• Clip your pet’s nails and brush out her fur before travelling. In addition to making your pet look healthy for the inspection, grooming her reduces the risk that she will injure herself or damage anything at your new home or the quarantine station.
• There is some debate about how much it is safe to feed your pet before travel.  Some vets recommend not feeding pets for 12 hours before travelling to avoid making them sick. Others say you should give your pet a light meal four hours before flying, and offer her water two hours before flying. Use your own discretion.

Moving day
• On moving day, keep your pet in a safe, quiet room with a sign on the door that says, “DO NOT ENTER.” In addition to keeping your pet calm and safe, limiting her to one room will prevent the chance that she will get out of the house and escape.
• Travelling by car? 
   o First and foremost, safely and securely restrain your pet. Use a harness to restrain your dog, even if she enjoys car travel. Cats are best restrained in well-ventilated pet carriers.
   o Never put your pet in the boot of a car, the bed of a truck, or in the storage area of a moving van.
   o Do not leave your pet alone in a parked vehicle during warm weather.  
• Keep a photo of your pet with you in the highly unlikely event that she gets lost during transit.

After the move
• Don’t wash your pet’s bedding for a while after you have moved. The old smells will be comforting, and as they blend with the smells of your new home, they will help your pet adjust.
• Cats and dogs may try to return to their original home after you have moved.  Update their identity tags and consider keeping them inside for the first several weeks. At the very least, you should keep your pets under close supervision until they have got used to their surroundings.
• Change the details on your pet’s identity tags – but don’t put your pet’s name on the tag. If a potential thief found your pet on the road, knowing the pet’s name would help her bond with your pet.
• If your pet is implanted with a microchip and you have moved within the UK, phone Petlog on 0870 6066751 to get her records changed to your new address.
• Be patient with your pet, and make allowances for any  ”accidents” on the carpet. Punishing your pet may actually make the problem worse. Instead, always praise your pet when she goes to toilet in the correct place. The accidents should stop once your pet has settled in.
• If you have a dog, take it for lots of walks. The two of you will have fun exploring the neighbourhood together.
• If you have a cat, carefully stage its explorations of your new home. At first, confine her to just a few rooms to prevent her from getting completely overwhelmed.
• Cats feel secure when they have rubbed their own scent on their surroundings. Help your cat by gently rubbing a soft cloth around her face and then dabbing the cloth at cat’s eye-level around the rooms where she will be exploring. Repeat this routine daily to make your cat feel more confident as she adjusts to her new home.
• Use care when you first let your cat start exploring outdoors. Before you let your cat outside for the first time, withhold food for about 12 hours so that she will have a reason to return home.  Choose a quiet time, possibly early in the morning or late in the afternoon, and ensure there are no other cats about. Don’t let your cat go out by herself – supervise her explorations, and after about 15 minutes, call her in for food.  She will be hungry, and therefore more willing to return home. The next time you try this exercise, let her go a little further and explore for a little longer. If your cat is used to being outdoors, she will probably adapt well to the new territory. If your cat is timid, you will need to repeat this exercise more often as her confidence builds.