Moving with a pet

Moving abroad with your dog from France

How long it takes depends on where you are going, not how far. A move to Switzerland or Germany can be ready in a few weeks; Japan or Australia needs seven or eight months. This guide starts from your moving date and works backwards, from the first vet appointment to the day your dog is released at the other end.

Updated 19 October 2026 · official sources at the bottom of the page

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Start by placing your destination

Before you book anything, work out which of these three groups your destination falls into. That decides when the clock starts.

Destination	What is required	Realistic lead time
EU, Switzerland and similar countries	Microchip, valid rabies vaccination, EU pet passport; tapeworm treatment for dogs going to Ireland, Malta, Finland, Northern Ireland or Norway	A few weeks (21 days after a first vaccination)
Countries with light rules for dogs from France	Example: the United States asks for a dog at least 6 months old and a free online CDC form	A few weeks, depending on the airline and the dog's age
Countries with strict rules	Titre test, waiting period, import permit, official certificate, sometimes quarantine. Examples: Japan, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore	4 months (Singapore) to 7 or 8 months (Japan, Australia, New Zealand)

What those authorities currently ask of a dog coming from France:

Japan: France is not a "designated region". Your dog needs at least two rabies vaccinations, a titre test at a lab Japan recognises, and at least 180 days between the blood sample and arrival. Arrival must be notified at least 40 days ahead.
Australia: France is in Group 3. Titre test, then 180 days counted from the day the lab receives the sample, an import permit, arrival as cargo in Melbourne and at least 10 days of quarantine (30 without the earlier official identity check). The Australian department advises allowing "at least 6 months".
New Zealand: titre sample taken 3 to 12 months before shipment, permit applied for at least 30 working days ahead, arrival as cargo in Auckland or Christchurch, then at least 10 days of quarantine.
Singapore: titre sample at least 90 days and no more than 12 months before export, an import licence valid for 90 days, and clearance through a pet agent recognised by Singapore's veterinary service.

These rules change. We re-check them on the authority's own site when we prepare your file. Our page on taking a pet abroad from France covers the departure rules in one place.

The timeline, working back from moving day

This is the plan for a strict destination. For an EU country, only the last few steps apply.

Check the rules and your dog 8 to 12 months before

The destination's rules, banned breeds and minimum age. At the vet: scan the microchip, check the rabies vaccination date and how long it is valid. The chip must come before the vaccine, and a booster given after the previous one expired counts as a new first vaccination.
Vaccinations and titre test 7 to 8 months before

A second rabies dose if the destination asks for one, the official identity check first if you are going to Australia, then the blood sample sent to an approved lab. The sample date starts the 90- or 180-day waiting periods.
Permit, quarantine, how the dog will fly 4 to 6 months before

Apply for the import permit, reserve the quarantine place where one is required, and settle on cabin, hold or cargo depending on what the destination accepts. Buy the crate and start getting your dog used to it.
Book the flight 2 to 3 months before

Route, connections, an arrival airport the destination accepts. Send the advance notice of arrival where one is required (at least 40 days ahead for Japan).
Book the official certification at least 15 days before

When the destination wants a certificate signed by the official veterinary services, the DDPP in Paris asks for the appointment request at least 15 days before departure. Elsewhere, contact the DD(ETS)PP of the département where the dog lives.
Final exam and certificate 2 to 10 days before

Each country sets its own window: a clinical exam within 10 days of boarding for Japan, a certificate dated no more than 7 days before export for Singapore, an exam within 2 days of shipment for New Zealand. Parasite treatments on the dates required.
Departure moving day

Original documents travel with the dog, copies with you. Crate labelled, water container that can be filled from outside.
Arrival after the flight

Veterinary check, quarantine if required, local registration. Keep every original: you will need them to come back.

On the French side: vet, passport and certificate

Three documents matter when your dog leaves France.

The EU pet passport, issued by an authorised vet, recording the microchip and rabies vaccination. It is all you need within the EU and it will matter when you come back.
The destination's health certificate. EU law does not harmonise export certificates for non-EU countries: the destination sets the model and the wording. Models can be looked up on the French agriculture ministry's public Expadon 2 portal.
Official certification, when the destination requires it. The authorised vet examines the dog and fills in the certificate; the DD(ETS)PP of the département then signs or endorses it. The Paris DDPP suggests seeing an authorised vet 3 to 6 months before travel, because some tests take time.

Service-public.gouv.fr also suggests asking the destination's embassy or consulate about its requirements, and asking the DDPP about the conditions for coming back to France. Each document is summarised on our pet travel documents page.

Do the titre test in France before you leave

A rabies antibody titre test is a blood test that shows the vaccine has worked (a result of at least 0.5 IU/ml). Three labs are on France's official list: Anses in Nancy, Laboratoire départemental 31 and INOVALYS in Le Mans. Timings and common traps are covered in our article on rabies vaccination and the titre test.

What the rules say

To come back into the EU from a country that is not on the EU list (South Korea, China, Türkiye, Thailand and Morocco among others), a titre test is required, with 3 months between the blood sample and the issue of the certificate. If the test was done in the EU before departure and recorded in the passport, that 3-month wait does not apply when the dog returns from a stay abroad.

What we recommend

Have the titre test done in France before you go, even if your destination does not ask for one, and have it recorded in the passport. The French veterinary authority (DGAL) states that the result stays valid for the animal's lifetime as long as rabies vaccination is kept up without a break. Keep track of every booster date.

A stay or a move? The EU passport works for the return of an owner who still lives in the EU. If you settle outside the EU for good, your dog will be treated on return as coming from that country, with an animal health certificate. A booster or titre test done abroad also means the passport alone is no longer enough.

Breed rules: both countries count

Every country keeps its own list of banned or restricted dogs, unrelated to the French categories. Australia, New Zealand and Singapore all ban the Dogo Argentino, Fila Brasileiro and Tosa, for example, and Singapore's list also includes the Staffordshire Bull Terrier and the Akita, neither of which is a category dog in France.

On the French side, the agriculture ministry states that category 1 dogs may not be brought into France, even in transit, and may not fly. For category 2 dogs it says air travel is allowed only on Air France flights and cargo flights. Think about the return trip before you leave.

The travel crate: choosing it and getting your dog used to it

In the hold or as cargo, the crate must meet IATA's Container Requirement 1: your dog must be able to stand, sit upright, lie down naturally and turn around. The size is worked out from the dog's measurements, and snub-nosed breeds need a crate 10% larger. See our page on airline pet crates.

We suggest bringing the crate home several weeks before the flight. Leave the door open, put in a blanket that smells of home, serve meals inside, then close the door for short spells and build up from there. IATA advises against tranquillisers and sedation except under veterinary direction, so talk to your vet rather than planning on a calming drug.

Choosing the flight

Dogs fly in one of three ways: in the cabin (small dogs only), in the hold as checked baggage, or as cargo (compared in cabin, hold or cargo). The choice is not entirely yours:

The destination may require cargo. Australia and New Zealand require dogs to arrive as manifested cargo, at specific airports.
Each airline sets its own conditions: cabin weight limits, snub-nosed breeds, routes, charges. IATA notes that some airlines only take animals as cargo through a shipper. We read the airline's conditions for your flight when we book.
Connections add time and handling, and every country on the route may have transit rules of its own.
Days and seasons. For cargo, IATA suggests checking that the cargo terminal is open and flying on a weekday. Heat or cold on the ground can narrow the options.

Our pet air cargo and moving a dog abroad pages explain what we arrange.

On arrival

The destination's authorities check your dog: microchip scan, document check, then release or quarantine. In Japan a compliant dog is released within 12 hours; in Australia and New Zealand quarantine lasts at least 10 days. A document that does not comply can mean a longer hold or the dog being sent back: in Japan, any shortfall in the waiting period is served in quarantine. After that come local formalities (registration, licence) and finding a vet. Moving to Switzerland? See our France ⇄ Switzerland guide.

Frequently asked questions

How far ahead should I start?

A few weeks for an EU country, about 4 months for Singapore, 7 to 8 months for Japan, Australia or New Zealand. The titre blood sample is what starts the clock.

Can my dog fly without me?

Yes, as cargo, if the destination and the airline accept it; some destinations even require it. For a return into the EU, the dog must travel within 5 days before or after its owner, with a person the owner has authorised in writing, or the commercial rules apply.

Is the EU pet passport enough to leave the EU?

Rarely. The destination usually wants its own health certificate. The passport is still useful as proof of the microchip, vaccinations and titre test, and for coming back.

Can quarantine be shortened?

Only where the destination provides for it. In Australia, an official identity check done before the blood sample brings the minimum quarantine down from 30 to 10 days.

Official sources

The rules above come from the texts and pages of these authorities. Last checked: 19 October 2026.

Rules change. Before anything is booked, we reconfirm every requirement with the authorities, the airline and the vet for your pet and your itinerary.