Bringing Your Dog to the UK From the U.S. (2026)

Your dog flies as cargo, on an approved route

Great Britain only accepts pets through certain approved routes and travel companies, and the list can change or be seasonal, so check the approved routes before you book. On a plane, your dog has to travel as cargo. The only exceptions are chartered private planes and guide or assistance dogs.

Before booking, check that your airline will take your dog to the UK at all, and whether it needs proof from a vet that your dog is fit to travel. Our airline pages list each airline's hold and cargo rules.

These rules are for Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales). Northern Ireland has different rules.

Source: Bring your pet dog, cat or ferret to Great Britain (GOV.UK)

Step by step

1. ISO microchip. Your dog needs an ISO-compliant microchip (usually 15 digits), implanted on or before the day of its rabies vaccination. A vaccination given before the microchip doesn't count.
2. Rabies vaccination. Your dog must be at least 12 weeks old when vaccinated. Wait at least 21 full days after the first vaccination before arriving (longer if the vaccine's maker says so). For the UK, the first vaccination after microchipping counts for only 1 year, so a booster is needed within 12 months.
3. Great Britain pet health certificate. A USDA-accredited vet completes and signs it. It's valid for 30 days after your vet signs it, and USDA must endorse it within 10 days of your arrival.
4. Sign the declaration. The certificate's last page is a declaration you sign before travel, adding the certificate number USDA assigns. It travels with your dog.
5. Tapeworm treatment. A vet treats your dog with a praziquantel product no less than 24 hours and no more than 5 days (120 hours) before you arrive, and records the product, date and time on the certificate.

Take the original rabies vaccination certificates too: the microchip number and vaccine details on them must match the health certificate.

Sources: Pet Travel From the United States to the United Kingdom/Great Britain (USDA APHIS), Bring your pet dog, cat or ferret to Great Britain (GOV.UK)

When stricter rules apply

The standard rules above are for pets traveling with their owner. Stricter rules (the "Balai" rules) apply if you're selling or rehoming your dog, if it arrives more than 5 days before or after you, or if you're bringing more than 5 pets for a reason other than a competition or show. Someone else can travel with your dog if you authorize it in writing.

Source: Bring your pet dog, cat or ferret to Great Britain (GOV.UK)

Banned dogs

You can't 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, and whether a dog counts depends on what it looks like, not its breed name.

Sources: Bring your pet dog, cat or ferret to Great Britain (GOV.UK), Banned dogs (GOV.UK)

If something's missing

A dog that doesn't meet the rules can be put into quarantine for up to 4 months, or refused entry if you came by sea. You pay any fees.

Source: Bring your pet dog, cat or ferret to Great Britain (GOV.UK)

Coming back to the U.S.

Your dog needs a CDC Dog Import Form receipt to come home, like every dog entering the U.S. See our CDC Dog Import Form guide.

Source: CDC Dog Import Form and Instructions (CDC)

Before you go

Entry rules change, sometimes with little notice. This page summarizes the official pages below as of September 27, 2026. Confirm the current requirements with your vet, USDA APHIS and your airline before you travel.

• Bring your pet dog, cat or ferret to Great Britain (GOV.UK)
• Pet Travel From the United States to the United Kingdom/Great Britain (USDA APHIS)
• Banned dogs (GOV.UK)
• CDC Dog Import Form and Instructions (CDC)

Flying there? Compare airline pet policies. For how USDA endorsement works, see ourUSDA health certificate guide.