International pet transport, handled at both ends
Your new job starts abroad in the spring, and the dog is coming too. One DEFRA approved team plans the route, sorts the paperwork and hands your pet over at your new front door.
- DEFRA approved
- Collected from
- Your front door
- Handed over at
- Your new front door
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What our international pet shipping service covers, door to door
Tailored Pet Travel runs international pet transport for dogs, cats and smaller pets, between the UK and any country, and between two countries abroad. We collect from your home, handle the export papers, flights and customs clearance, and deliver to your new door. Owners rate us 5 stars on Google, and we are DEFRA approved.
- Leaving the UKThe UK to Any country
- Coming homeAny country to The UK
- Abroad to abroadCountry A to Country B
The paperwork, flights and customs clearance we handle for you
Moving a pet from the UK means meeting two sets of rules. One set covers leaving the UK, and the other covers arriving in your new country. One team handles both, so you have one contact from your front door to the arrival hall.
Paperwork
An official vet signs your pet's export health certificate (EHC), and we sort any permit your new country asks for.
Flights
Your pet flies as cargo with an airline that takes its breed and size, in a crate that meets that airline's rules.
Collection
Our pet handler picks your pet up anywhere in the UK and checks it in at any major UK airport.
Arrival
At the other end, our own team clears customs, takes your pet to your new home and checks in once it has settled.
Little is left for you to do
- Keep the vet visits we book.
- Let your pet sleep in its travel crate at home before the move.
Approvals
DEFRA, the government department that sets the rules for pet travel, has approved Tailored Pet Travel. Our EU Type 2 licence covers animal trips of more than 8 hours, so a long drive to Spain or Italy stays legal all the way. If you are leaving for good, the export health certificate side of your move has its own page.
Regular destinations for pets leaving the UK
Each region asks for something different before your pet can fly. These are four of our regular routes, and each one has its own page with the full detail.
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Australia & New Zealand
Quarantine booked
Both countries quarantine every pet from the UK for at least 10 days, and we book that place for you. For Australia, your pet can leave 180 days after the lab gets the blood sample.
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USA & Canada
Paperwork first
A dog going to the USA needs a CDC Dog Import Form receipt, a microchip and to be at least six months old. Canada counts the UK as rabies-free, so a pet from the UK arrives with no quarantine.
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UAE & Middle East
Permit before the flight
Your pet needs an import permit before it flies to the UAE, and pets arrive as cargo in the hold. We get the permit and book the cargo space together, so the dates line up.
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Europe
By road or air
An Official Veterinarian signs the Animal Health Certificate within 10 days of arrival. Pets go by road through the Eurotunnel, by ferry or by air.
International pet travel by road or air, planned around your pet
Breed, size and destination decide how your pet travels, so the route suits the animal first.
By road
Within Europe
Trips within Europe usually go by road, through the Eurotunnel or on a ferry crossing. Your pet stays in one climate controlled vehicle the whole way.
Each Europe trip needs an Animal Health Certificate (AHC), issued no more than 10 days before your pet enters the EU. Since 22 April 2026, GB residents can no longer use EU pet passports for this. A fresh AHC is part of every Europe trip we run, so your pet crosses the border with the right papers.
By air
Further afield
Further afield, your pet flies as cargo in a climate controlled hold. Some airlines allow small pets in the cabin on certain routes, and we will tell you if yours qualifies. Private pet flights are there for owners who want their pet beside them.
Flat-faced breeds get their own plan
Airline rules can be tighter than a country's rules. KLM, for example, takes no snub-nosed breeds such as pugs, bulldogs or Persian cats in the hold. For these pets we pick an airline that accepts them, or a road route where the trip allows it.
Why do some countries need 180 days and others weeks?
The rules of your new country set the earliest date your pet can travel. The biggest factor is a rabies blood test, because countries that ask for one count the days from the sample, not from your booking.
- AustraliaFrom when the lab receives the blood sample180 days
- JapanFrom the blood sample, plus 40 days' notice before landing180 days
- UAEAfter the first rabies jab, from 15 weeks old21 days
- USADogs need no blood test or waiting periodNo wait
Blood-test countries need the most notice, so we plan them backwards from your moving date. Australia lets a pet leave only 180 days after its blood sample reaches the lab. Japan wants 180 days from the sample, plus 40 days' notice before your pet lands. Booking the first vet visit early means the clock starts as soon as it can.
Many popular moves are much quicker. Dogs flying to the USA need to be at least 6 months old, microchipped and registered on the CDC Dog Import Form (opens in a new tab), with no blood test or waiting period. Pets heading to the UAE can go from 15 weeks old, once their first rabies jab is more than 21 days old.
New Zealand, from
New Zealand's rules change on 1 April 2027. From then, an official vet must scan your pet's microchip before the blood sample is taken, so a move planned for next spring needs that scan booked now.
Australia, quarantine at Mickleham
Australia has a second date to plan around too. An official vet check before the blood test can cut quarantine at Mickleham from 30 days to as little as 10. That brings your pet home up to 20 days sooner.
Hong Kong
Hong Kong normally waives quarantine for UK pets with its permit. You can check the entry rules, country by country, before you call us.
How much does it cost to fly a dog internationally?
To fly a dog or cat internationally, the cost depends on your route, so each quote is built around your pet's own move. Five things shape the price.
Our guide shows what each part of a long-haul move costs, if you want to plan a budget first.
Get your free quoteThe five things that shape the price
- DestinationIts permits, blood tests and any quarantine stay.
- Your pet's sizeA bigger pet needs a bigger crate, and a bigger crate costs more to fly.
- Airline and routeAirlines and routes add their own charges.
- Paperwork and vet visitsThe certificates your pet travels on, and the vet visits behind them.
- Collection and deliveryFrom your front door to the far end of the move.
Your quoteCovers both ends of the move, from collection at your door to delivery at your new one.
Some countries charge their own fees for permits or quarantine, and we tell you which apply to your route.
5 stars from owners who moved pets to Dubai and Nairobi
Owners who made long moves with us rate us 5 stars on Google, and long-haul trips make up 11 of our 25 newest reviews. Here are two of them, word for word. You can read the full reviews from owners on our reviews page.
“We used Tailored Pet Travel for our move from London to Dubai with our two small dogs, and I honestly can't recommend them enough. From the paperwork to liaising with the authorities in the UAE, everything was handled with such care.”
“Moving our cocker spaniel from Brighton, UK to Nairobi could have been the most stressful part of our relocation but Sonny and Tailored Pet Travel made sure that this was not the case.”
Sonny Myles, the handler owners name most, has flown with pets to Chicago, South Africa and Madeira himself. Many owners speak to him from their first call until their pet is home.
Pet transport tracked live, with a handler you can call
Live GPS tracking and photo updates show you where your pet is at every stage. Each handler is trained to spot signs of stress in animals, and you can call yours directly, day or night.
- On the roadOn the road, your pet travels in a climate controlled vehicle with planned rest stops.
- Before a flightBefore a flight, it rests in a partner pet lounge or holding area, with water and time to settle.
- MedicineIf your pet takes medicine, the handler gives it as your vet directs.
Every crate meets the IATA Live Animals Regulations (opens in a new tab), the airline rules for carrying animals. Inside it, your pet must be able to:
- Stand
- Sit up
- Lie down naturally
- Turn round
Airlines turn away crates that are too small, so we measure your pet first. Crate hire then supplies the right size, ready for check in.
International pet movers for trips that start and end abroad
Tailored Pet Travel also moves pets between two countries outside the UK, for families going from one overseas posting to the next.
Arrival rules
Arrival rules differ from country to country. Singapore, for example, now asks owners to appoint a pet agent recognised by AVS, its animal health authority, to clear pets at Changi Airport. We line that agent up before your pet flies.
Larger moves
Larger moves are covered too. The rules treat a move as commercial when any of these apply:
- Number of pets
- More than five pets travel.
- Timing
- A pet travels more than five days before or after its owner.
- Purpose
- The pet is being sold or rehomed.
Breeders and multi-pet families get the right commercial forms from day one.
What else do owners ask before transporting pets internationally?
Should I sedate my pet for an international flight?
Sedation is not recommended for flights, because it can affect a pet's breathing at altitude. Ask your vet about calming options instead. A crate your pet already knows from home also helps it settle on the day.
Which UK airports do you fly pets from?
Tailored Pet Travel flies pets from all major UK airports, and the right one depends on the airline and your destination. Pets coming into the UK on scheduled flights arrive as cargo at an approved airport, such as Heathrow, Gatwick or Manchester. When you are bringing a pet home to the UK, our team clears it on arrival and drives it to your door.
Is my dog's breed allowed into my new country?
Most breeds can travel, and we check both the country's breed rules and the airline's before booking anything. Some countries ban certain breeds: the UAE, for example, refuses Staffordshire Bull Terriers and Cane Corsos. Checking at the start means you know your options before you spend money on vet visits.
Do you move pets for military, expat and diplomatic postings?
Yes, regularly. Military families, expats and diplomats come to us for the whole move. That includes customs paperwork, quarantine bookings and each country's entry rules. Postings often come with tight dates, so the plan starts with the rule that sets your earliest travel day.
Can you move birds, reptiles and small animals abroad?
Yes, birds, reptiles, rabbits and other small animals travel with us as well as cats and dogs. A few species need a CITES permit, which controls trade in protected animals, and we help arrange one where your pet needs it.
Owners who have done this before start with the vet
Every international pet transport plan starts with a vet visit, because the paperwork runs on its own clock. In a blood-test country, the sample date decides your earliest flight.
For quicker moves, the clock still matters. APHA, the government agency that handles export papers, sends the export health certificate to your official vet 7 working days before your pet leaves. Talking to us early means those dates line up with your own move.
- First vet visitWhere every plan starts.Then any wait your new country sets
- 7 working daysbefore your pet leavesAPHA sends the export health certificate to your official vet.
- Your pet leavesOn a date that lines up with your own move.
Book a free consultation for your pet's international move
Tell us where your pet is going and when you need it there, and we will map out the dates and the cost of your international pet transport.
Get your free quoteThe advice is free.
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