Once upon a time, I was an intern working for California’s Department of Water Resources in Sacramento, California.
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To soften the blow of living in Sacramento (sorry, Sactown) at an extended-stay hotel, I decided to go to the animal shelter for a little TLC.
I fell in love with a buck-toothed, sassy chihuahua-mini pinscher mix named Bolt. We’d both seen better days; it was a beautiful match.
Months later, my internship ended, and it was time to head back east. Over the next few years, Bolt lived with me in Saint Louis and New York City. He took trips to places like Saginaw, Michigan, and Chicago, Illinois.
Eventually, he crossed the Atlantic Ocean with me when I moved to Spain.
By the time we took the seven-hour flight from NYC to Barcelona, he’d already been on a handful of domestic flights. The leap wasn’t too crazy for him in terms of time (and I had these kick-ass puppy chews that put him to sleep).
Before Bolt died in 2022, me and that little bruiser made the trip back and forth between Barcelona and Saint Louis together three times. No major incidents, no potty or poo breaks on the plane, no bites.
Was it easy transporting a beastly little creature across an ocean? No, but maybe not for the reasons you’re thinking about. Consider this your introductory guide.
Here’s how to bring a dog to Europe with you, including legal, veterinary, and emotional requirements.
How to bring a dog to Europe with you
Step one: make sure they’re invited
Before you fall in love with the idea of bringing your pooch with you across the pond, know that some countries don’t allow foreigners to bring pets with them.
The UK, for example, is incredibly stringent about letting you bring your dog into the country—or even into the airport for a layover. Before being allowed in, dogs must be isolated for a quarantine period.
Other countries have strict breed restrictions. France, for example, has placed restrictions on pitbull terries, bull terriers, and rottweilers; in some areas, they’re banned. Similarly, here in Barcelona, you must have a permit to walk with certain dog breeds and they must be muzzled.
Here’s my point: research your destination and make sure that your dog is welcome.
Even if it is technically allowed, you might still want to look into cultural norms—as in, will your dog be allowed to enter shops and restaurants?
Step two: time your flight perfectly
Below, I outline how to get the necessary paperwork and certifications to bring a dog to Europe with you. But that process should be done within 48 hours of your flight taking off—so do some research and make your plans before booking your flight.
There are two considerations you need to think about before buying those plane tickets:
First, you must arrive in the EU at a designated point of entry for pets. That’s because you need to visit the vet immediately upon arrival so they can verify your documents and ensure that your pet is healthy. I landed in Lisbon, Portugal both times, and easily found the vet. (It’s by baggage claim.)
Second, I don’t care how practiced your pet is at flying, you should be strategically planning your flight route. Depending on where you are, you may want to target flights with a reasonable layover so your pet can use the bathroom—or head straight to Europe if your on the East Coast.
Step three: get your papers in order
Pet travel between the US and Europe is regulated by the USDA, aka the Department of Agriculture.
There are two legal requirements that you must fulfill before you can take your dog with you to Europe from the United States.
First, you must find a USDA-accredited vet who will complete the necessary paperwork to provide you with a health certificate. This is called the EU animal health certificate. It’s a standardized form in which a vet verifies that your dog is healthy and meets all the legal requirements for travel, such as having the right vaccines. Your pet must also be microchipped.
To find a USDA-accredited vet, call ahead and ask your nearest office. If you’re in a major city, it shouldn’t be difficult to find one.
I took Bolt to a Banfield Pet Hospital (a popular nationwide chain) and didn’t have any problems finding a qualified vet. It seemed like they had handled EU animal health certificates before, too.
Second, you must take the completed form to your nearest USDA office so that they can endorse the certificate as valid. However, the EU Pet Passport and the endorsement must happen within 48 hours of your flight. That’s to ensure your pet doesn’t pick up any nasty viruses between their vet visit and their arrival in Europe.
So, the process is straightforward—but it’s labor-intensive. I had to drive five hours round-trip to get that endorsement, as the nearest USDA office was in a different city.
Step four: know where to go once your plane lands
Lastly, once you have your flight plan hammered out and all your documents in order, look into forums with advice from other travelers who regularly bring a dog to Europe. They’ll have the latest tips and insights for you.
The last thing you want is to land after a long flight with your pet stuffed into a carrier, and then panic about what to do next. (You should first clear customs and go to the vet, then take your pet outside, and then collect your luggage.)
Before I flew from New York City to Lisbon with Bolt, I made sure to dive into Reddit posts and similar forums to figure out exactly where that veterinary office was located. It was also helpful to know about the nearest grassy area where he could stretch his (tiny, tiny) legs and where to get him fresh water.
