Can I take my dog in the Eurotunnel with me?
Yes, the Eurotunnel allows dogs, cats and ferrets to travel with their owners to France. You will need to organise travel beforehand, and pay a £19 fee.
1. Your pet has had no contact with pigs during at least the past 60 days prior to export. 2. Your pet has not lived in a place where cases of Nipah disease have been confirmed during the past 60 days. 3. Your pet has been tested with negative a result to an IgG capture ELISA test carried out in a laboratory approved for testing for Nipah disease viruses within 10 days of export.
Have your veterinarian update an EU Pet Passport for your pet. A non-commercial EU health certificate is not required for pets traveling to France from another EU Member State unless a rabies booster was administered by a veterinarian outside of the EU at any time after your pet received its microchip.
All dogs, cats and ferrets leaving France for another EU Member State must be microchipped, vaccinated for rabies (in that order) and wait 21 days before leaving France. If you are planning to take your pet on a trip to a country with a high incidence of rabies, your veterinarian should do a rabies titer test before you leave France if you intend to return. Export permits may be required for non-accompanied transports. 12.
Owners of class 2 dogs must conform to import regulations above. Owners must have insurance to protect against liability. Your dog must be owned and accompanied by an adult, must receive approval from the local town council, have a detention permit, have behavioral evaluations and be leashed and muzzled when in public.
If your pet is not a dog, cat or ferret, and especially if it is a turtle or parrot, you should verify that it is not protected under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). You will need to apply for additional permits if this is the case. Over 180 countries participate and enforce CITES regulations.
Additional info for taking dogs to France
Taking other pet species to France
Dogs cats and ferrets are permitted to get EU Pet passports to allow them to travel to France from EU countries.
France does not have any travel restrictions on invertebrates, tropical fish, reptiles, amphibia, mammals such as rodents and rabbits. You will simply need a health certificate from your vet in many cases. However, there are some additional rules when it comes to taking birds to France.
You are permitted to bring up to 5 birds as long as you have no intention to sell, rehome or transfer ownership in any way. All birds traveling to France will require the following:
Guidelines for Dog Carriers
If you are flying to France with a dog, it is important that you use a dog carrier that is approved by your airline. Different airlines have different pet carrier policies, which often vary between aircrafts and routes. Check that your pet carrier is approved for your chosen airline, aircraft and route.
The rules and regulations have been set out by International Air Transport Association (IATA) ensure that dogs are comfortable when travelling. Thus, inside their travel carriers, dogs must be able to stand up, turn around and lie down in a natural position in their kennel (without touching any side or the top of the container).
The rules for pet carriers also vary depending on whether your dog will be flying in the cabin or cargo area of the plane.
If you are travelling in the cabin with your dog, then you will need to ensure that it fits under the seat in front of you. This is why only small dogs weighing under 7-8kg are permitted in the cabin.
Furthermore, airlines often require that your dog must be obedient to your commands and must behave appropriately in public. Thus, he mustn’t bark or growl at other passengers or staff. If your dog does not behave in an appropriate manner, some airlines may transfer him to the cargo hold at an additional cost, or refuse to transport him all together. Some airlines require a consent form to ensure your pet is flight-ready.
For a list of airlines that allow dogs to fly in the cabin with their owners, check 13 Airlines That Allow Flying With Dogs In-Cabin [2020 Prices & Policies].
Frequently Asked Questions [FAQs]
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Make your four-legged friend’s journey to France as seamless as possible with our guide to importing a pet into France.
Pets are welcome in France, but there are strict rules relating to bringing pets into the country. If you plan to take a pet to France, it’s important to check the latest French regulations. Make sure you have the correct papers for France, as well as all the countries you pass through. Be aware that these may differ from country to country depending on where you are relocating your pet from. Here is the general information you will need when you decide to move to France with your pet.
Bringing your four-legged friend to France? Make sure you have everything covered by comparing pet insurance policies on Assurland. The French comparison site compares insurance providers for cat and dog coverage, ensuring your furry friends are protected in your new home. Get the right deal for you with Assurland.
Pets moving within Europe can take advantage of the system of European Pet Passports, which is designed for domestic animals. The Pet Passport is a booklet that provides all of the essential information on your pet. It includes an identification number and proof of all relevant vaccinations. The passport remains valid for the whole life of your pet.
An EU pet passport can only be issued by a vet that is licensed and all vaccinations should be kept current by the vet who also needs to ensure that the pet is micro-chipped, has had the relevant rabies vaccine and has undergone a blood test to ensure that the vaccine is present in the pet’s system. If your animal was vaccinated before it was fitted with a microchip, it will have to be vaccinated again after the microchip is inserted. Additionally, if your pet’s microchip is not ISO 11784/11785 compliant, you will have to bring your own microchip scanner. The EU pet passport is a certificate of health.
Pets entering France from a country with a high incidence of rabies must have a Blood Titer Test one month after vaccination and three months prior to departure.
Unvaccinated pets (dogs and cats only) less than three months old may enter the EU with additional restrictions. Certain aggressive breeds of dogs are prohibited from entry.
Different regulations apply when taking birds to France due to avian flu alerts. There is a maximum of five birds that can be taken into the country. You have a choice between a 30-day pre-export quarantine or a 30-day quarantine after the birds have been imported. If you had the bird vaccinated for avian flu, this must happen at least 60 days before importation. Alternatively, the bird can be isolated for 10 days before departure and undergo a test for avian flu after at least three days of isolation. A licensed vet must verify that these criteria have been carried out.
For other types of animals (e.g., rabbits, rodents, reptiles), you need a certificate that confirms the animal’s good health. Horses need a horse passport. The person or company transporting the animals needs to have an export licence that must be presented to the transportation company. The horses should be micro-chipped and, as with all other types of animals, proof will need to be presented that they are in good health. Advertisement
Another important issue is pet insurance. Pet insurance can cover much of the expense of unexpected vet bills in case of an injury or illness, so there are several considerations when choosing pet insurance:
The rules regarding approved types of containers for cats, dogs, ferrets and birds flying in the cabin and as cargo were created by IATA, and for the most part have been accepted by the world’s airlines. Advertisement
On flights of less than ten hours, many airlines will allow small cats or dogs to be taken with the passenger in the cabin (except travel to the UK and Hong Kong). Generally, the airline will only allow one pet per passenger and a maximum of two pets per cabin. The container for the pet must fit under the seat in front of you and have a waterproof bottom and adequate ventilation. The Sherpa, Bergan and SturdiBag pet carriers are all airline compliant as long as the carrier is the proper size for your pet. Advertisement
Your pet must be in an IATA compliant pet crate and meet certain other requirements. It is considered best to have only one animal per container, but the IATA rules state that two animals can share the same container if the animals are less than 14kg (30lbs) and are of the same species.