Moving a pet from France to the UK: the crossing, step by step

Who this guide is for

It covers a dog or cat that lives in France and is moving to Great Britain (England, Scotland or Wales) with its family. For the rules in both directions, coming back to France, and Northern Ireland, which follows EU rules, see our France ⇄ UK guide. The examples focus on dogs: for a cat, everything applies except the tapeworm treatment and the banned-dog list.

Step 1: make sure the dog can enter

Before you book anything, look at your dog's type. Great Britain bans the Pit Bull Terrier, Japanese Tosa, Dogo Argentino, Fila Brasileiro and XL Bully, unless the dog already holds a valid Certificate of Exemption. A dog is judged on its appearance and characteristics, not on its breed name or papers, so a cross that looks like one of these types can be a problem. P&O Ferries also states that it does not carry any dog of a breed banned in the UK. If in doubt, we recommend settling the question before paying for the crossing.

Step 2: which document to show

For a pet that lives in France, the answer is simple: its EU pet passport. GOV.UK accepts a passport issued in an EU country; there is nothing to swap for a British certificate. The risk lies not in the document itself but in how it has been filled in. Open it and check:

• The ownership section is signed, for a passport issued from 29 December 2014.
• The microchip number matches the pet's chip, and the chip was implanted on or before the date of the rabies vaccination.
• The rabies vaccination is valid on the day you arrive. After a first vaccination, given at 12 weeks or older, the pet must travel at least 21 full days later. Only a vet in an EU country can record this vaccine in an EU passport.
• The issuing vet's details are filled in.
• For a dog, the tapeworm section will be completed just before departure (step 3).

Bring the original: a photocopy or a photo of the passport will not do. If your pet does not have a passport yet, allow at least three weeks between the vaccination and departure. For more on each document, see veterinary travel documents.

Step 3: the tapeworm treatment, with a worked example

A vet must treat the dog no less than 24 hours and no more than 120 hours before it enters Great Britain. The vet records the product, its manufacturer, the date and time of the treatment, and adds a stamp and signature in the passport. The clock runs until the dog arrives in Great Britain, not until it leaves France.

In this example, the dog stays within the rules even if the crossing slips by two and a half days. That is why we recommend aiming for the middle of the window: treatment the day before an early-morning sailing risks falling under 24 hours, and treatment five days ahead leaves no margin at all if the sailing is delayed. Mind the time difference too: the UK is one hour behind France, and what counts is the actual number of hours elapsed.

On a long overnight crossing from Normandy or Brittany, count to the arrival time at the English port, not the boarding time. And if you are breaking the journey for a few days before the ferry, have the dog treated by a vet near the port rather than by your own vet before you set off.

Step 4: ferry, Le Shuttle or air cargo

A pet can only enter Great Britain on an approved route with an approved carrier. Eurostar is not one of them: it only takes guide and assistance dogs, booked at least 48 hours ahead. That leaves three options, described here from the carriers' own pages as of 19 October 2026:

How to choose. If you are moving by car, a short crossing keeps the time away from home down, but the pet usually stays alone in the vehicle during the sailing unless you book a space for it. A long crossing to Portsmouth, Poole or Plymouth brings you closer to the west and south of England and, on some ships, lets the pet stay with you in a cabin; these cabins and kennels are limited, so book early. Air cargo makes sense if you are not driving or are starting far from the Channel: the pet travels in a suitable crate to an approved airport, such as London Heathrow, Edinburgh or Glasgow for Air France KLM Martinair Cargo, and is checked on arrival. See pet air cargo and airline crates.

Step 5: check-in at the French port or terminal

For ferries and Le Shuttle, the check takes place before boarding, in France, carried out by the carrier for the British authorities. In practice:

1. Declare the pet when you book. P&O Ferries takes up to five dogs per booking, Irish Ferries up to five pets.
2. Arrive in time for check-in. P&O Ferries and Irish Ferries ask you to check in 90 minutes before departure on Calais–Dover. For other carriers, go by the time on your booking.
3. Show the original passport. Staff scan the microchip and check the vaccination, the identity and, for a dog, the time of the tapeworm treatment.
4. Bring a muzzle for the crossing: Brittany Ferries, for example, requires dogs to be muzzled outside the vehicle or cabin.

If something is wrong (treatment outside the window, unreadable chip, vaccination too recent), the pet does not board. For a missing or mistimed treatment, the fix is a vet near the port and a new departure at least 24 hours later. For a vaccination that is too recent, you have to wait until the 21 days have passed.

Step 6: if the crossing is delayed

GOV.UK's guidance for carriers covers this: if the 120 hours run out during the journey or while waiting to board, the dog can still travel, provided it does not leave the vehicle or its crate after check-in. In other words, what matters is checking in on time.

If the delay happens before check-in, for instance a cancellation the day before that pushes you back three days, the dog may fall outside the window. GOV.UK says a new treatment may then be needed: count again from the time recorded in the passport and, if necessary, have the dog treated again. Keep the details of a vet near the departure port to hand on the day.

Step 7: after arriving in the UK

By sea or through the tunnel, the main check is done before you leave. By air, it happens on arrival. Either way, a pet that does not meet the rules can be put in quarantine for up to four months or sent back, at the owner's expense. For questions about your own case, the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) Pet Travel helpline is 03000 200 301, Monday to Friday, 8:30 to 17:00.

Once you live there, your status changes for later trips:

• To come back to France or travel in the EU, a Great Britain resident can no longer use a pet passport, even one issued in France: you need an EU animal health certificate from an official vet for every trip. GOV.UK adds that EU pet passports are only for people whose main home is in the EU.
• To re-enter Great Britain afterwards, GOV.UK accepts, among other documents, an animal health certificate issued in Great Britain in the last 6 months; for a dog, the tapeworm treatment is still needed on every entry.
• For local formalities (registering with a vet, microchip records), ask a vet once you arrive: they are not covered here.

As of 19 October 2026, no UK–EU agreement has changed these rules; our France ⇄ UK guide tracks this.

What to take

• Original EU pet passport, signed, with a valid rabies vaccination.
• For a dog: tapeworm treatment recorded, with date and time, 24 to 120 hours before the planned arrival.
• A booking on an approved route, with the pet declared.
• Muzzle, lead, water and, for a cat or small dog, a travel carrier.
• Details of a vet near the port, in case of delay.

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