Home › From Ireland
Taking a pet out of Ireland
There is no single rulebook for leaving Ireland — the destination country sets the requirements, so the papers, tests and waiting periods depend on where you are going. Below are the 6 routes from Ireland we have verified so far, covering Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States. Every route page is checked against two official sources — the destination government's import rules and the export guidance for leaving Ireland — and carries its own "last verified" date. How early you need to start depends on the route; see how far in advance to prepare, and how we check every rule.
Dogs leaving Ireland
Dog: Ireland → the United States
Yes — a dog from Ireland takes the CDC's simple low-risk route into the United States: the only federal document is the free CDC Dog Import Form receipt, and your dog can enter at any airport, seaport or land border. The catches are age and history, not paperwork: your dog must be at least 6 months old, microchipped and healthy on arrival, and must not have been in a CDC high-risk rabies country in the past 6 months.
Simple rulesDog: Ireland → the United Kingdom
Yes — Ireland has the most forgiving dog route into Great Britain on this site. Ireland counts as an EU departure (Part 1 listed in Great Britain's system), so the core rules are the same — EU pet passport, microchip, rabies vaccination with a 21-day wait after the first one, and no blood test, permit or quarantine. But two burdens that apply almost everywhere else fall away on a direct Ireland to Great Britain journey: your dog needs no tapeworm treatment at all, and you do not need an approved route or carrier.
Strict rulesDog: Ireland → Australia
Yes — but Australia is the most demanding route on this site. Ireland is a DAFF Group 3 country, so a dog needs a rabies vaccination, a titer test (RNATT), a 180-day wait, a BICON import permit, and mandatory quarantine on arrival at Mickleham: a minimum of 10 days if an official government veterinarian verifies its identity before the blood test, otherwise a minimum of 30 days. Start 7–8 months ahead.
Cats leaving Ireland
Cat: Ireland → the United States
Yes — and for cats this is the simplest US route on this site: there is no CDC cat import form, no federal rabies certificate and no USDA APHIS animal-health requirement at all for a pet cat from Ireland. Federally, your cat only has to appear healthy on arrival. The real paperwork is European: an EU pet passport with a microchip and an in-date rabies vaccination, which your airline will expect and which your cat needs to be able to return to the EU.
Simple rulesCat: Ireland → the United Kingdom
Yes — this is the lightest route into Great Britain on this site. Ireland counts as an EU departure (Part 1 listed in Great Britain's system), so a cat on an EU pet passport issued in Ireland, microchipped and rabies-vaccinated with the 21-day wait after a first vaccination, needs no blood test, no import permit and no quarantine. Cats never need tapeworm treatment, and Ireland adds one more relief on top: you do not need an approved route or carrier to enter Great Britain from Ireland.
Strict rulesCat: Ireland → Australia
Yes — but Australia is the most demanding route on this site. Ireland is a DAFF Group 3 country, so a cat needs a rabies vaccination, a titer test (RNATT), a 180-day wait, a BICON import permit, and mandatory quarantine on arrival at Mickleham: a minimum of 10 days if an official government veterinarian verifies its identity before the blood test, otherwise a minimum of 30 days. Start 7–8 months ahead.