Moving Abroad with Pets: 15 Expat Tips (2024)

Are you wondering about moving abroad with pets?

I’ve lived in 18 countries in the last 10 years and recently planned a move with my golden retriever to Europe. While the trip fell through due to some other issues (like grrr a car rental company that wanted to give me a million grey hairs), we got all the paperwork done, had him approved for travel, and even contacted a myriad of pet relocation specialists, pet travel agents (they’re hard to find, but they exist!), and embassies.

I think I’m on a watchlist now of people not to answer the phone for at Heathrow Customs too!

With all this knowledge burning a hole in my head, and probably replacing high school math, I want to share it with you so you can take your family pet with you when you move abroad.

Transporting pets abroad isn’t for the faint of heart, as there’s a lot of admin involved. But together we’re going to go through the steps.

🐾 Thinking of moving abroad with your dog? Ensure you have a proper carrier or crate! I recommend this large airline approved crate for dogs in cargo and this breathable carrier for dogs/cats being carried on the plane.

15 Tips for Moving with Pets

1) Pick a Country

The very first step, like with my moving abroad checklist, is to figure out where you’re going.

Different countries have different laws about moving with pets.

You’ll want to consider a few places, as some countries might be written off your list due to their quarantine policies (I’m looking at you, New Zealand and Australia!).

Or your dog breed may be banned in countries (a lot of bully breeds (like pit bull terriers) cannot be moved into other countries, especially those in Europe).

You should also consider your dog’s needs. My golden retriever, Theo, cannot stand the heat.

In summer in Ottawa, he straight up melted anytime it was over 25C. I had to get him cooling mats, a doggy swimming pool, and his own fan in my office just to keep him in his solid form.

So I would never move him somewhere on the equator. Or if I did, I’d have to do a lot of prep to ensure his comfort while we were there!

2) Research the Local Pet Import Laws

Again, every country is different.

When I was planning our move to Europe (it was a temporary one, so we’d be moving throughout the EU and beyond for about 6 months), I had to consider where we would first enter.

The UK has some of the strictest dog import laws, and some of the vaguest. As my dog is a service dog (assistance dog in the UK), he typically has different requirements than a pet.

But literally nowhere on the UK government site tells you about any other service dog than a UK one. And since we’re not from the UK, he doesn’t have UK credentials.

That’s how I ended up spending 6 weeks calling every assistance dog program in the UK, Heathrow’s customs, and all of the UK embassies in Canada.

To this day, I’m only 90% sure I know the rules and that we would be admitted to the UK.

So I pivoted and planned for us to enter via France instead.

France, like most of the EU, is much chiller about your dog entering. From my research, they seem equally as accepting of cats.

However, other pets like birds, rodents, and lizards depend on the species. You will want to contact an embassy to discuss this more.

3) Check Your Government’s Website

The best place to find out the rules to move from your country to another country with a dog or cat is on your government’s website.

I Googled “moving dog from Canada to France” and it came up with a page detailing the exact steps for all of the EU.

This matters because the foreign country’s website will talk about general entry requirements. However, your country may have a specific arrangement with them for what you need to bring.

When I took Theo to Mexico in March, I didn’t need a pet passport or health certificate to bring him because I’m Canadian. Same for when we moved to California in December.

However, the US and Mexican government sites state that a health certificate or passport is required. That’s because they’re speaking generally.

This page should also tell you the steps you need to take to get a health certificate or pet passport (the term varies based on where you live. In the EU, everyone gets a pet passport. In Canada, we get health certificates, which are way less cute).

4) Contact Your Vet

No matter where you’re moving or how you’re taking your dog, you will want to contact your vet.

Pets need to be up to date on their rabies vaccination, and have gotten it at least 21 days before the move. They need to be clear of heartworm, fleas, ticks, and any other parasites. And they often need to be microchipped and spayed/neutered.

If your pet does not have the above, you’ll need to get them sorted ahead of time.

You’ll also want to check that the vet feels your pet is healthy enough to travel.

My dog is young, but my sister has 2 dogs over 10. One of them definitely wouldn’t be cleared for travel, but the other one might be depending on a vet’s opinion.

I recommend getting a copy of your pet’s full medical record before you move with them. You may not need it just to enter the country, but much like a with a human doctor, it’s good for their new vet abroad to understand their health history.

For example, Theo is allergic to basically everything. Seriously, this dog is even allergic to Kangaroo!

That means we did a lot of tests to figure out his allergies, what allergy meds work for him for the allergies he can’t avoid, and even what works to help him with his vet anxiety so he doesn’t hide from the staff.

A new vet should know all that information.

Lastly, you need to book an appointment with your vet for a health certificate or pet passport.

In some countries, like the US, you don’t do this with your own vet. You have to do it with a certified vet who only does pet travel.

In Canada, you need to do it with your usual vet (unless you get the full medical records and go elsewhere) so they can attest to giving them the shots.

5) Determine How to Move

Moving abroad with a dog or cat is challenging.

Most airlines have size and weight restrictions for animals to come in cabin.

If you decide to fly with your small dog or cat, you will need to look into pet carriers that are airline approved, and plan for their potty needs for the duration of the flight.

Larger dogs, like my 70lb golden retriever, cannot fly with most airlines unless they are checked in cargo.

I personally don’t believe in putting a dog in the hold of the plane due to a lot of traumatic news stories about how they’re treated, and how much they have to be drugged for it.

Instead, I recommend finding an airline that allows large dogs to fly, such as K9 Chartered Planes, or joining this Facebook group and sharing a private jet booking with other pet parents to get your dog abroad (and get to fly on a private jet!).

When at all possible, I recommend driving for travelling abroad with pets.

Driving Theo from Canada to the USA for our new 6 month road trip was way easier than flying ever has been, even with him being a service dog.

Another option is to take a cruise. There are a few dog friendly cruises in the world.

The Queen Mary II is one that many people use to get from North America to Europe. It has a 2 year waiting list to put your dog in the kennels on the ship, so I’d book ASAP if you’re planning this!

Lastly, you can have a pet relocation service ship your dog. This almost always means they go in cargo on some form of plane, but they are at least with a pet nanny and get to immediately go to a play area when they arrive.

Typically, without this, they’d be essentially treated like baggage and not let out to pee ASAP.

6) Start Desensitizing Your Pet

Before I do anything significantly different with Theo, I work to ease him into it.

We flew to Nova Scotia for the first time together in September, and for weeks leading up to this, we practised.

I played loud airplane noises on my laptop while he chewed his bones. Then I made him sit between my chair and a wall that I measured to be the same room as he’d get on the plane, while I played the airplane noises.

My roommate even tried to help make it more difficult for Theo by shaking my chair like turbulence and doing pilot noises … but I’m pretty sure that was more for his entertainment than actual helping.

I used a rolling pan while Theo sat to “wand” him like they would need to at security.

We did sit and stay drills for when he’d have to go through the metal detector after me.

And honestly so much more, but I’m getting exhausted writing it all.

For most people, they can do way less of this. But I’m very anxious so I like to overprepare.

If your dog or cat need to be in a crate, start making that crate a safe space. Same with carriers and backpacks.

Put treats in there. Play games with it. Leave it out all the time so they can smell it.

7) Budget & Save Up

Moving internationally with pets is expensive, I won’t lie to you.

The flights cost more – especially if you use a pet relocation service.

The pet passport and vet visits cost more. Hotels and rental cars cost more if they’re pet friendly.

You’ll need to either bring more luggage or less of your own items, which means buying things abroad.

There’s so much time that goes into it as well, which let’s be real time is money so that’s expensive too.

If you hope to one day move abroad with your pet, start saving up.

I know someone who spent $11k to fly her two dogs to France one-way. It cost another $500 for her partner to bring their small dog on a plane with him (not counting the costs of their vet visits, pet passports, gear, etc.).

8) Call the Airline

This was the major mistake I made that ultimately led to the downfall of our trip (it wasn’t the only issue, it could have been resolved, but still it was the beginning of the end for my plan to move overseas with my dog.

Airlines are very particular about their rules for travel with pets, even service dogs.

You will need to check their size requirements, paperwork requirements (this could differ from your end destination’s requirements, as they’ll be based on the airline’s headquarters location), the price for a dog as carry on or in cargo, crate requirements (some airlines now require crates to be meet certain standards), and their other specific pet policies.

I booked a flight with Air Canada and Lufthansa (it was through Air Canada but had a connection in Munich where it switched airlines). Although the website just said “training certificate”, I was informed via email that my training certificate was not valid as it needed to include more information.

This was information that’s illegal to ask for in Canada, and honestly much of it is hard to determine. Like the exact number of hours Theo was trained in each of his medical alerts for me.

I definitely did not stopwatch our training either alone or with our trainer. Nor did I have a breakdown of how long for each task.

So my trainer and I had to come up with a rough estimate and hope for the best.

Don’t rely on their websites. Call them to ask (which I know sucks, especially as someone with massive phone anxiety).

You can circumvent this by working with a pet relocation company who will do this kind of stuff for you.

9) Have a Document Folder

One of my best tips for any traveler – whether you’re moving or not – is to have a folder with 2 copies of all of your documents.

I usually have 3-5 (cause yeah anxiety).

Mine is a simple brown manila folder I took from my last office job. I have collated packages of Theo’s documents and any of my own documents I might need (such as my vaccine proof).

I usually also use this to hold the info for our accommodations and car bookings. Sometimes they need to know the address you’re staying at, and it’s easier to have it handy.

Start putting everything in here early on and keep it at your desk or in a central location. Then when you need to run to the vet for their appointment or go to any other location to get things set up for travel, you can find them easily.

10) Invest in a Tracker

I have 2 of these for my dog Theo, and an air tag for my luggage on top of it.

My dog has a Fi Smart collar and a Tractive clip on for his collar (which you can also put in their crate).

Whether your dog is going on the plane with you or in cargo, you want to ensure you can track them just in case.

You never know if something could happen.

In Mexico, they made me take off all of Theo’s gear except his Halti. So he was naked going through security and basically decided he was off duty so he could run around. Luckily he’s such a people dog he just ran up to the first women he saw to get pets.

But if he wasn’t a service dog or wasn’t as social, he could have been loose in the airport and hard to find.

Same goes for dogs under the plane. There have been so many news stories about people tracking lost dogs via an air tag when the airline loses their pet.

I 100% think it’s worth the investment in something to keep them safe. In fact, I keep the collar on Theo at all times so I can always find him. Plus the collar is waterproof, which any of y’all who have a golden retriever will know is a necessity.

For cats, birds, reptiles, and rodents, you’ll be better off affixing these to a carrier instead.

🔖 I use the Fi Smart Dog Collar for Theo and air tags to keep track of him and our belongings when we travel so I never lose my most important things

11) Stock Up Their Crate

To get them comfortable for the flight (cause let’s be honest, planes aren’t comfortable even for us people), stock up their crate or carrier.

You’ll want to include plenty of water, pee pads for dogs (especially small ones), a blanket that smells like home, and if they’re under your supervision, a toy of some sort to entertain them.

If your pet is not sedated, then bring some treats for them too. I always go with really high value ones for Theo, like dried salmon or rabbit.

You may not be able to bring these past customs at your arrival location, but that’s fine if you let them gobble them up on the plane.

I’ve also brought a Kong with frozen peanut butter or yoghurt inside for Theo before, but do note this counts as one of your liquids/gels, so you’ll have to check those if you want to do this.

Do not put anything that’s a choking hazard in with an unsupervised pet!

🐶 This TSA approved crate is great for use with an airline in cargo. We used one like this growing up for our dogs because it’s secure and they can’t wreck it, plus it’s more covered than a wire crate.

12) Get Something for Anxiety

Whether it’s calming treats or anxiety meds, or even sedatives, get something to make this easier on your dog.

The first flight is always a lot for them, so we want to make it as good of an experience as possible.

I’ve used anxiety meds with Theo before to take the edge off of our first 6 hour flight.

I’ve also used some hemp calming treats, although I had to give them to him before we crossed the security border, and couldn’t take them through with me. Some places will allow this – it just depends on the airport.

They also make lavender ones that are allowed through security.

I use peanut butter pill pockets for Theo to take his anxiety meds. I used to just buy a yoghurt and shove them in there, but that was quite messy.

Seriously, pill pockets are a miracle!

You may also need travel sickness meds if your dog gets car or air sick.

13) Get Your Pet Passport or Health Certificate

In most cases in North America, you have to get your health certificate within a certain time frame of arriving in the new place.

In Canada, you have 10 days (although it says 14 on the government website, but the customs people I spoke to all said 10) from the date of your vet visit (not the CFIA appointment) to then land in the new country and go through customs there.

That’s why I put this lower on the list as it’s one of the last things you can do.

In Europe, pet passports are more like human passports, so you can just use them whenever.

Pro tip: If you’re emigrating with pets to Europe (or even just visiting), arrange an appointment to get them an EU pet passport ASAP. Then you can travel much more easily in the future.

14) Tire Your Pet Out Before the Flight

The best behaved pets are tired pets.

Before a flight (even the day before if needed), I take Theo on a long hike or play fetch until my arm feels like it’s gonna fall off.

We do brain games if we’re in a hotel, like having him jump over my legs for food or sniffing out treats I’ve hidden around the room.

This gets him much calmer before he has to sit still and behave for hours on end.

15) Find the Pet Relief Areas

For pets coming on the flight with you, the first thing you do past security, before even finding your gate, is find the pet relief area.

These are potty spots in the airport for dogs.

They’re often in far off corners of the airport that are really hard to get to, unfortunately. I always ask security where they are as they aren’t usually well sign posted.

Plan to take your dog before you board the flight.

On the flight, if it is a long one, you’ll want to have pee pads handy. For small dogs, these can go inside their carrier, and then you just switch them out.

Do not flush these! You can shake the poop off into the toilet, but the rest should be put in the garbage bin in the restroom of the plane.

For large dogs, like Theo, you can put a pee pad on the floor of the bathroom for him to go. Then use a Lysol wipe to clean up the floor beneath it out of respect for other passengers.

We’ve never needed to do this as Theo can hold it for a long time. But I’m always prepared just in case.

So those are my tips for how to move overseas with a dog or cat, or really any other animal!

🐶 I use these pee pads for Theo. I’ve used them since he was a puppy and couldn’t aim well, since they’re large enough that it’s hard for him to miss the target.

Best Countries to Move to With Pets

Oddly the easiest countries I’ve found to move to with pets are Australia and New Zealand.

That’s not because they have easy requirements, but because they list them so clearly on their government websites!

Sure, they both have quarantines and require more extensive vaccines. But because I know that, I can plan for it.

Other very pet-friendly places to move to are:

• Germany
• Italy
• France
• Canada
• Switzerland
• the US
• Austria
• Ireland
• Panama
• Belize
• Costa Rica

Most countries are pet friendly once you get the animal past customs. It’s customs and the pet passports that are the hardest, like with the UK.

Easiest Country to Move to With a Dog

The easiest countries for moving with a dog depend on what breed your dog is. Some countries, like the UK and Australia, have strict quarantine laws.

However, if you are traveling from North America or Europe to another European country, those places usually have relatively easy regulations and paperwork to take your pup with you.

Here are my top 5 easiest countries to move to with a dog:

• France
• Germany
• Italy
• Japan
• Canada

Moving Overseas with a Large Dog

Moving overseas with a large dog can be tricky, but it is possible.

The most important thing to do when traveling with a larger dog is to make sure they have enough space on the plane. This means booking an extra seat or cargo space for your pet.

It might even mean booking a shared private jet (I’ve found these opportunities in this Facebook group).

Most airlines will also require you to show proof of vaccinations and other paperwork for your pet.

You’ll also want to make sure you have a proper travel kennel or crate that meets the airline’s size standards. This can make it easier on both you and your pup during the flight – it will give them enough space to move around in, yet still keep them secure.

I do not recommend certifying your dog as a service animal just to fly with them.

Doing so properly with Theo has cost me tens of thousands of dollars between his care, his training, etc. While he is allowed on planes, it’s a massive hassle and no easier than flying with a large pet dog.

How Much Does it Cost to Move a Dog Overseas?

The cost of moving a dog overseas depends on the country you are traveling to and how far in advance you plan.

Generally speaking, it can cost anywhere from $500 to $5,000. This includes things like airline tickets, pet passports, vaccines, blood tests, quarantine fees, and more.

However, for certain breeds who cannot fly on commercial airlines (such as snub-nosed breeds and giant breeds like Great Danes), you are looking at closer to $8,000-$10,000 for a private jet seat.

To move Theo, my golden retriever, with me to Europe, cost $300 for his health certificate, $75 for his anxiety meds since it’s a long flight, and $2,000 since I had to get a seat for him each way (it was just before peak summer, so this could have risen to over $6,000 for his seats a few weeks later). [These costs are in CAD.]

That’s not including the costs for any treats, toys for the flight, and also time I lost dealing with all of the stress of it. I swear it took a year off my life trying to plan it all with how little information is online!

It will cost more if you get health insurance for your pet. I do recommend this if your pet is going in cargo. 

Pet Relocation Services

The easiest way for moving animals overseas is with a pet relocation service.

These services handle all of the paperwork, take care of your pet’s health certificates and vaccines, book their flights, and even provide a door-to-door service if you’d like.

They can be quite expensive – but in my experience, it is worth it to have professionals help with this stressful process.

If I’d known they could help with service dogs, I 100% would have used one. But I thought they were just for pets.

I know a few people who used pet relocation companies to get their pets abroad, and they always had great things to say about the experience. Even if their pet needed to go in cargo, the animals were treated really well and came out untraumatized.

Military Members Moving Pets Abroad

If you are in the military or have a service dog due to your time in the military, I’ve been told by some followers on Instagram that they have special pet services that help you relocate with your animals – even after you are out of active service.

It’s the only time I’ve ever thought there was a benefit to joining the military, to be honest.

I don’t know the specifics for different militaries, so you’ll want to reach out to your branch for that. But they usually have people who help arrange travel all the time for families being deployed to different areas, so it makes sense that they’d be pros with pet travel.

Conclusion: Moving Abroad With Pets is Worth It

Moving abroad with pets can be a scary and stressful process, but it is totally worth it.

It may seem like a huge hassle to get all the paperwork sorted out – but in the end, you’ll have your furry best friend by your side during a new adventure.

I love travel so much more because I get to have Theo with my all over the world. He’s made new doggo and people friends, experienced amazing hikes, and has helped me feel less overwhelmed with the change of a big move.

I could never imagine a new home without him, and I’m sure my fellow pet owners can agree. 

If you’re flying with your pet to move, check out my tips on handling travel with your dog. I developed these tips after a dozen flights with Theo, so I know how hard it can be!

Read More About Living Abroad:

• How Living Abroad Changes You: 15 Ways You’ll Grow
• Inspirational Living Abroad Quotes for Expats [Best Moving Abroad Quotes]
• Moving and Living Abroad Guide
• Pros and Cons of Living Abroad: Why You Should Move to Another Country
• Best Suitcases for Moving Abroad
• Challenges of Moving to a New Country to Overcome
• I Regret Moving to Another Country for Love
• Quiz: What Country Should I Move To?
• Best Laptops for Digital Nomads Remote Work
• 50+ Countries with Digital Nomad Visas
• 40+ Countries with Working Holiday Visas