r/pettravel

Hey everyone — just wanted to share something helpful for anyone planning to travel or move to Europe with their dog.

My wife and I recently relocated from the U.S. to Europe with our dog, and when we first looked into it, the process was honestly overwhelming. Every website, airline, and vet seemed to say something different. USDA rules, APHIS endorsements, the 10-day timing window, microchip sequencing, crate requirements… it’s a lot.

We were quoted $4,000–$6,000 by pet relocation companies, which wasn’t realistic for us. So we decided to handle the entire process ourselves. It took a ton of research, multiple phone calls, and trial and error — but it actually went very smoothly once we understood the exact order of steps.

Here are a few things we wish we knew earlier:

• The USDA 10-day endorsement window is strict
• Your vet MUST be USDA-accredited
• The microchip date has to be before the rabies vaccine
• Airlines all claim to follow IATA, but their crate rules differ
• Some EU countries require a tapeworm treatment (others don’t)
• The official EU health certificate must match the specific country of entry
• The airport process is easier when your documents are organized correctly

While going through everything, I wrote down every step we took — the timeline, the forms, the requirements, and the exact sequence so nothing gets missed. I turned it into a complete step-by-step guide so other people don’t have to dig through 20 different websites the way we did.

If anyone wants the guide or has questions about their specific situation or airline, feel free to comment or DM me — happy to share what we learned.

This whole thing can feel stressful, and if our experience helps someone else avoid the chaos (or the huge relocation fees), I’m glad to help!

Next month I have to move my two cats with me and my husband to the US from Korea. We’re wanting them in the cabin with us. There will be two maybe three flights, with the first one being the longest at 10-12h. What can I do to keep them comfortable? Does anyone have any tips?

Hello everyone,

I'm travelling from Mexico to the UK via Paris with my cat. I've been looking at other posts on this subreddit about this but all the recommendations can only be booked by phone or in person, I'm still in Mexico so I can't do either. I've seen clinics that offer online booking but they don't specifically say that they offer this service and I don't know if this can be done by any vet. Also if anyone could enlighten me about how many days after getting the passport/activating (?) the microchip in France do I need to wait to travel to the UK, I would really appreciate it.

Thanks in advance.

I'm getting desperate at this moment. I've passed through so much just to get my cat's documentation ready to get him out of China. It seems the international flight will be alright but the domestic flight I need to do inside China (~3.5h-long) is driving me crazy.

The limits I've seen for in-cabin flight are atrocious, 35 cm-long kennels? Like, for real? My cat is a maine coon and he is 45 cm-long when curving while sleeping at least.

I've called China Shouthern Airlines and China Eastern Airlines and both have the same limits. Anybody having luck flying Maine Coons in-cabin within China? Which airline did you use and what was the process like?

I really don't wanna send my cat as checked baggage or cargo.

Has anybody tried bringing a pet playpen with them for air travel and was able to use it during layovers? Have you seen anybody do that or know if its allowed? It'd be such a good way to give food, litter box etc. During transit.

Hi ! We are going to take a plane from France to Canada with our dog, and then go by car to the US.

Is the dog passport (with proof of vaccination with effect until 2027) enough to take the plane and enter the US ? Or should I ask the veterinarian a certificate of good health ?

Moreover I read on the that some US states have some specific regulations about dog importation. As we are going to tour around US, do we need to prepare specific papers ?

I will be traveling from the US (CA) to Italy in December with my small (11lb) dog and will need to get the EU Health Certificate that is endorsed by a USDA vet. My current vet in the Bay Area charges $250 to book the appointment and $907 for the document! That seems outrageous to me. Is there anywhere in the Bay Area that you have gone for this specific documentation that doesn't charge as much? Or is that generally the cost of it?

I've searched through previous posts about this topic but they're over a year old and I want to make sure my information is up to date...

I booked a flight last night and added that I will be traveling with a pet in the cabin. I've paid the fees and see that it shows up in my booking confirmation details.

Do I still have to call and talk to an agent about reserving the spot since I know they only allow up to 2 pets per flight? This is our first time flying with a pet so I'm trying to make this as smooth as possible for all of us.

The wait times to get through to anyone are unreasonable and I can't be on the phone all day while I'm working.

At this point, it might be easier for me physically go to Pearson or Billy Bishop to talk to someone in person since I live/work close to those airports. Has anyone tried going in person to deal with these types of inquiries?

Thank you!

Hi all! First time traveling with my dog to Dominican Republic via united round trip from EWR. He has all his vaccines and by the time i travel he’ll be 10 months. Has anyone else ever travelled with their pet to DR? I already googled what needs to be done but i would like to hear from someone who has experienced it first hand and what the process is like.

Thank you in advance!

I am traveling from NYC to CDG with my cat and the restrictions say the carrier must be 46 x 28 x 24 cm/ 18 x 11 x 9 in. I cannot seem to find a carrier anywhere that meets these dimensions, especially in height.

I know it needs to be soft sided and most can probably squeeze but I cannot risk being turned away as this is for a (permanent) international move and my entire house will be packed & gone at that point.

Has anyone traveled Air France with a pet and have any experience with a carrier that works? I’ve seen people mention Sherpa but it doesn’t seem like they do fit the requirements (though it’s hard to tell because their website is so barren of actual information on carrier sizes other than swearing they’re “airline approved”).