Moving with a dog or cat between France and the United Kingdom

At a glance

United Kingdom → France

Bringing a pet from the UK to France

For the European Union, Great Britain is a third country listed in Annex II to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/636. A footnote makes clear that "United Kingdom" there does not include Northern Ireland, which follows EU rules. For a dog or cat coming from Great Britain, that listing means:

• No rabies antibody titre test: a microchip and a valid rabies vaccination are enough.
• An EU animal health certificate (AHC), issued or endorsed by a UK official vet no more than 10 days before the pet enters the EU (by sea, plus the length of the crossing). It comes with proof of rabies vaccination and a signed declaration that the movement is non-commercial.
• A designated travellers' point of entry: the pet must come in through one, where it is declared and presented to customs for a document and identity check.
• Five pets at most, travelling with their owner or a person authorised in writing, within five days before or after the owner, with proof.

Once endorsed on arrival, the certificate covers travel within the EU for six months, or until the rabies vaccination expires if that comes first. One certificate can cover up to five pets.

GB residents: one certificate per trip

The UK government puts it plainly: if you live in England, Scotland or Wales, you cannot use a pet passport to enter the EU, even one issued in an EU country, and a pet presented with a passport instead of a certificate may be refused entry. French customs say the same: an EU passport issued to someone living in the UK is no longer valid for coming to France, whatever the owner's nationality. You need a new animal health certificate for each separate trip.

Since 22 April 2026, EU pet passports may only be issued to people whose main home is in the EU. GOV.UK adds that they should not be used by people who own a holiday home in the EU or visit seasonally. Northern Ireland residents can still use an EU pet passport.

French residents coming back from Great Britain

A pet that lives in France and returns from a stay in Great Britain can come back on its French passport, provided the rabies vaccination was given before it left the EU and is still valid. If a booster was given in the UK, customs say the passport alone is no longer enough and a UK-issued certificate is needed. The European Commission adds that EU citizens who have lived outside the EU for a long period must use an AHC; no length of stay is specified. After a spell living in the UK, we recommend planning for the certificate if there is any doubt.

On arrival in France

French customs set out three steps: declare the pet to the carrier at or before check-in, show the certificate and let the carrier scan the microchip, then declare and present the pet to customs officers on arrival, who endorse the certificate. A service-public.fr page says there are no formalities when returning to France; for a pet coming from Great Britain, follow customs, who carry out these checks. A pet that does not comply is sent to a border control post, where it must meet commercial certification rules; if that post is not approved for the species, the pet is sent back, at the owner's expense. The customs helpline is 0 800 94 40 40 from France and +33 1 72 40 78 50 from abroad.

France → United Kingdom

Moving to the UK with a dog or cat

The rules below are those for Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales), as published on GOV.UK. Northern Ireland applies EU rules and is covered separately at the end of this section.

The EU pet passport is accepted

For a pet travelling from an EU country, GOV.UK accepts any one of these documents:

• a pet passport issued in an EU country (or certain other countries);
• an animal health certificate (AHC) issued in Great Britain in the last 6 months;
• a Great Britain pet health certificate;
• a pet passport issued in Great Britain before 1 January 2021.

A pet living in France therefore travels on its EU passport, which must be filled in properly: the ownership section signed (for passports issued from 29 December 2014), identification, rabies vaccination, the issuing vet's details and, for dogs, the tapeworm treatment. Only vets in EU countries can record a rabies vaccination in an EU passport; any vet can record the tapeworm treatment. Bring originals: photocopies are not accepted.

Dogs: tapeworm treatment before every entry

A vet must treat the dog against the Echinococcus multilocularis tapeworm no less than 24 hours and no more than 120 hours (5 days) before it enters Great Britain, every time. Only dogs coming directly from Finland, Ireland, Northern Ireland, Malta or Norway are exempt. The vet records the product name and manufacturer, the date and time of treatment, their stamp and their signature in the passport's tapeworm section. Cats do not need it. If the trip is delayed beyond 120 hours, the dog may need a new treatment; our step-by-step crossing guide works through the timing and what happens when a ferry is late.

Approved routes only

Pets can only enter Great Britain on certain routes and with certain carriers. From France, the GOV.UK list (updated 9 October 2026) includes:

Eurostar appears on the list only for services leaving London, so it cannot be used to bring a pet into Great Britain. By air, pets travel as cargo, unless you fly on a chartered private plane or travel with a guide or assistance dog. A private boat is only allowed from Ireland or Northern Ireland, not from France. GOV.UK points out that carriers may limit which animals they accept, so contact them before booking.

Checks before boarding

On ferries and Le Shuttle, the carrier checks the pet at the port of departure, which means in France: microchip scan and document check. On flights, the check happens on arrival. If the documents or preparation are wrong, the pet may be put in quarantine for up to four months or sent back, at the owner's expense.

Banned dog types

You cannot bring a banned type of dog into Great Britain unless it already has a valid Certificate of Exemption. The banned types are the Pit Bull Terrier, Japanese Tosa, Dogo Argentino, Fila Brasileiro and XL Bully. What counts is the dog's appearance and characteristics, not its breed name or papers. P&O Ferries also states that it does not carry any dog of a breed banned in the UK.

More than five pets, sale or rehoming

More than five pets can only come in for a competition, show or sporting event (or training for one), with written proof, animals over 6 months old and a declaration. If a pet is to be sold, rehomed or change owner, further rules apply, even with fewer than five animals.

Northern Ireland follows EU rules

Northern Ireland is part of the UK but applies EU rules for pets (the competent authority is DAERA). A pet living in France goes there on its EU passport, as it would to another EU country. Northern Ireland is one of the tapeworm-free territories, so a dog must be treated between 24 and 120 hours before arriving there.

Identification and vaccination

In both directions, the pet must be microchipped and then vaccinated against rabies: microchip first, vaccine afterwards (or on the same day). The vaccine can be given from 12 weeks of age. Great Britain requires travel at least 21 full days after the primary vaccination; the EU requires the primary vaccination to be at least 21 days old. A booster given before the previous vaccine expired is valid straight away.

Puppies and kittens: France does not accept animals too young to be validly vaccinated, so in practice a pet cannot arrive from Great Britain before about 15 weeks of age. The other way, some carriers set their own minimum age: DFDS, for example, only accepts pets of at least 16 weeks.

Documents to prepare

• From France: the original EU pet passport, with a valid rabies vaccination and, for dogs, the tapeworm treatment recorded within the 24–120 hour window. For a dog whose type could be misread, anything that documents its breed and appearance.
• From Great Britain: the EU animal health certificate issued or endorsed by a UK official vet within 10 days of entering the EU, proof of vaccination and the signed non-commercial declaration. For a category 2 dog, its registration papers from a recognised pedigree book (except for the Rottweiler type).
• Authorised person: if the pet is not travelling with its owner, the owner's signed written authorisation and proof of the owner's own journey, within five days.
• French residents returning: the EU passport, with a vaccination given before leaving the EU; a UK certificate if a booster was given there.

Rabies antibody titre test

It is not required in either direction for a pet travelling directly between France and Great Britain. Great Britain is in Annex II of the EU list of exempt countries, and GOV.UK does not ask for one for pets arriving from the EU. A titre test may become necessary, however, if your pet stayed in an unlisted country before coming to France: in that case, the country it is coming from sets the rules. See bringing a pet into France.

Typical timeline

1. Check the dog's type as soon as the move is planned

   Great Britain's banned types for a move to Britain; the French category for a dog coming to France.

2. Microchip and rabies vaccine at least 21 days before departure

   No need to repeat anything if the vaccination is up to date and recorded in the passport.

3. Book an approved route once the date is set

   Ferry, Le Shuttle or air cargo, declaring the pet when you book. We recommend booking on-board kennels and pet cabins early, as numbers are limited.

4. Animal health certificate (GB → France) no more than 10 days before arrival

   Issued or endorsed by a UK official vet, for every trip.

5. Tapeworm treatment (France → GB) 24 to 120 hours before arrival

   Dogs only. We recommend aiming for the middle of the window to absorb a delay.

6. Travel

   Carrier check at the departure port or terminal; declaration to customs on arrival in France.

7. After arriving in France 7 days

   I-CAD registration at a vet for stays of three months or more.

Ways to travel

The points below come from the carriers' own pages as we read them on 19 October 2026. They change often, so we reconfirm them for your crossing at booking time.

• Brittany Ferries: depending on the ship and route, pets stay in the vehicle, in an on-board kennel or in a pet-friendly cabin. On the Mont St Michel and the Barfleur, they stay in the vehicle for the whole sailing. No pets for foot passengers, cyclists or motorcyclists. Dogs are muzzled outside the vehicle or cabin.
• DFDS: no foot passengers on the Dover routes. Foot passengers can travel with a pet between Dieppe and Newhaven, in a kennel or a cabin. Pets must be at least 16 weeks old.
• P&O Ferries: up to five dogs per booking; on Calais–Dover, pets stay in the vehicle unless you book the Pet Lounge; check-in 90 minutes before departure.
• Irish Ferries (Calais–Dover): pets accepted for drivers, and for motorcyclists with a kennel or the Pet Den; up to five pets per booking; check-in 90 minutes before departure.
• Eurotunnel Le Shuttle: a GOV.UK-approved route between Coquelles and Folkestone. We check Eurotunnel's conditions and pet check-in time with them before you travel.
• Eurostar: pets are not allowed on trains to and from London, except guide and assistance dogs, which must be booked at least 48 hours ahead.
• Air: into Great Britain, pets fly as cargo, with an approved airline and arrival airport. Into France, EU law does not ban the cabin: the airline's own conditions apply. See pet air cargo.

Ports, terminal and airports

Into France. A pet arriving from Great Britain must enter through a travellers' point of entry. For France, the European Commission links to the list of border crossing points published in 2021. It includes the ports of Boulogne, Caen-Ouistreham, Calais, Cherbourg, Dieppe, Dunkirk, Le Havre, Roscoff and Saint-Malo, the Channel Tunnel (Coquelles), Paris-Nord, Lille-Europe, Fréthun and Chessy-Marne-la-Vallée stations, and airports such as Paris-Charles de Gaulle, Paris-Orly, Beauvais-Tillé and Lille-Lesquin. The list is not specific to pets, and customs warn that not every post can check animals, so we confirm the planned arrival point. See airports in France.

Into Great Britain. The departure port or terminal follows from the approved route you choose (see the table above), and that is where the carrier checks the pet. For air travel, GOV.UK publishes the approved airlines and arrival airports: Air France KLM Martinair Cargo, for instance, is approved into London Heathrow (Animal Reception Centre), Edinburgh and Glasgow. The departure airport is confirmed with the airline's cargo team.

What affects the cost

Neither the British nor the French authorities publish a fee for these checks. The cost depends mainly on:

• vet work: microchip, vaccine, tapeworm treatment and, on the British side, the animal health certificate, priced by the vet;
• how you cross: as of 19 October 2026, DFDS lists £15 per pet per way on the Dover routes and £20 between Newhaven and Dieppe for a pet in the vehicle, and £30 per dog per way for a kennel; P&O lists its Pet Lounge from £12 each way; Brittany Ferries advertises pet fares from £36 each way to France. These are operator prices, not official fees;
• air cargo, which depends on the weight and size of the crate;
• steps specific to your dog: a keeping permit in France for a category 2 dog, I-CAD registration.

Our quote lists each item separately. See pricing.

Common mistakes

• Giving the tapeworm treatment too early: one delayed ferry is enough to go past 120 hours.
• Planning to fly a dog in the cabin to London: into Great Britain, pets fly as cargo.
• Turning up as a foot passenger with a pet on a route that does not take them, such as Brittany Ferries or the DFDS Dover routes.
• Counting on Eurostar for a pet dog or cat.
• Coming to France on an EU passport while living in Great Britain: you need a certificate for every trip.
• Returning to France on the French passport after a booster given in the UK: a UK certificate is then required.
• Assuming a dog that is fine in France is fine in Great Britain: the British list is applied by type.

Frequently asked questions

Read next

More destinations: Europe

Plan the trip