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Taking a pet out of the United Kingdom
There is no single rulebook for leaving the United Kingdom — the destination country sets the requirements, so the papers, tests and waiting periods depend on where you are going. Below are the 17 routes from the United Kingdom we have verified so far, covering Australia, Canada, France, New Zealand, Spain, the UAE 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 the United Kingdom — 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 the United Kingdom
Dog: the United Kingdom → the United States
Yes — and from the UK this is one of the simplest long-haul routes there is. The United Kingdom is not on CDC's high-risk list for dog rabies, so the only US federal document your dog needs is the free CDC Dog Import Form receipt. Your dog must be at least 6 months old, carry a microchip a universal scanner can read, and arrive looking healthy. No titer test, no quarantine, no US import permit.
Simple rulesDog: the United Kingdom → France
Yes — Great Britain to France is one of the easiest routes on this site, and the classic ferry and Eurotunnel run. Your dog needs a microchip, a valid rabies vaccination with the 21-day wait after the first dose, and an animal health certificate (AHC) issued by an official vet within 10 days before you enter the EU. Great Britain is an EU-listed third country, so there is no rabies blood test. One hard exception: France bans 'category 1' attack-type dogs from entering at all — see the warning below.
Simple rulesDog: the United Kingdom → Spain
Yes — Great Britain to Spain follows the standard EU third-country route. Your dog needs a microchip, a valid rabies vaccination with the 21-day wait after the first dose, and an animal health certificate (AHC) issued by an official vet within 10 days before entering the EU. The United Kingdom is on the EU's list of third countries under Regulation (EU) 2026/636, so there is no rabies blood test and no extra wait. Fly into an airport authorised for pet arrivals from third countries.
Strict rulesDog: the United Kingdom → Australia
Yes — but Australia is the most demanding route on this site. The United Kingdom is a DAFF Group 3 approved country, so a dog from the UK needs the full protocol: microchip, rabies vaccination, an RNATT blood test with a 180-day wait, a DAFF import permit, and mandatory quarantine at Mickleham near Melbourne — 10 days if you complete the optional identity verification before the blood draw, otherwise 30 days. Start 7–8 months ahead.
Strict rulesDog: the United Kingdom → New Zealand
Yes — dogs from the United Kingdom (a Category 3 country for NZ) can enter, with a rabies vaccination inside a strict 6–12-month window, an RNATT titer test, an MPI import permit, extra disease tests for dogs, and at least 10 days of quarantine on arrival. Plan on about 6 months of preparation. Rules change on 1 April 2027 — see the warning below.
Moderate rulesDog: the United Kingdom → the UAE
Yes — a dog can enter the UAE from the UK with a microchip, a rabies vaccination plus the core dog vaccines, a MOCCAE import permit obtained before travel, and an export health certificate signed by a UK official vet. One advantage over many origins: the United Kingdom is on the UAE's published list of countries exempt from the rabies titer test, so no blood test is needed. Your dog must fly as manifested cargo, and the health certificate window is tight: enter within 10 days of its issue.
Simple rulesDog: the United Kingdom → Canada
Yes — Canada is one of the easiest destinations on this site for a UK dog. There is no import permit for a personal pet, no quarantine, and no titer test. Canada designates the UK as a rabies-free country, so your dog enters with a vet's certificate — simplest is a valid rabies vaccination certificate in English or French that clearly identifies the dog and shows the vaccination is current. The rest of the preparation is the UK export side: an export health certificate through an official vet.
Cats leaving the United Kingdom
Cat: the United Kingdom → the United States
Yes — cats have the lightest US entry of any route on this site. There is no CDC form for cats, no federal rabies vaccination proof, no microchip or minimum-age rule, and no USDA animal-health requirement for a pet cat entering the United States. Your cat must simply arrive looking healthy and pass inspection at the port of entry. The paperwork that exists on this route is on the UK export side, not the US side.
Simple rulesCat: the United Kingdom → France
Yes — taking a cat from Great Britain to France is straightforward. Your cat needs a microchip, a valid rabies vaccination with the 21-day wait after the first dose, and an animal health certificate (AHC) issued by an official vet within 10 days before entering the EU. Great Britain is an EU-listed third country, so there is no rabies blood test, and France places no breed restrictions on cats at all.
Simple rulesCat: the United Kingdom → Spain
Yes — taking a cat from Great Britain to Spain follows the standard EU third-country route. Your cat needs a microchip, a valid rabies vaccination with the 21-day wait after the first dose, and an animal health certificate (AHC) issued by an official vet within 10 days before entering the EU. The United Kingdom is on the EU's list of third countries under Regulation (EU) 2026/636, so there is no rabies blood test. Enter through an authorised point of entry for third-country pets.
Strict rulesCat: the United Kingdom → Australia
Yes — but Australia is the most demanding route on this site. The United Kingdom is a DAFF Group 3 approved country, so a cat from the UK needs a rabies vaccination, an RNATT blood test, a 180-day wait, a DAFF import permit, and mandatory quarantine on arrival: 10 days at the Mickleham facility if you complete the optional identity verification first, otherwise 30 days. Start 7–8 months ahead.
Strict rulesCat: the United Kingdom → New Zealand
Yes — cats from the United Kingdom (a Category 3 country for NZ) can enter, with a rabies vaccination inside a strict 6–12-month window, an RNATT titer test, an MPI permit, and at least 10 days of quarantine on arrival. Plan on about 6 months of preparation. Rules change on 1 April 2027 — see the warning below.
Moderate rulesCat: the United Kingdom → the UAE
Yes — a cat can enter the UAE from the UK with a microchip, a rabies vaccination plus the core cat vaccines (FVRCP), a MOCCAE import permit obtained before travel, and an export health certificate signed by a UK official vet. The United Kingdom is on the UAE's published list of countries exempt from the rabies titer test, so no blood test is needed. Your cat must fly as manifested cargo, and you must enter within 10 days of the health certificate being issued.
Simple rulesCat: the United Kingdom → Canada
Yes — Canada is one of the easiest destinations on this site for a UK cat. There is no import permit for a personal pet and no quarantine. A cat of 3 months or older enters with a veterinarian's certificate in English or French that clearly identifies the cat and shows one of three things: it is currently vaccinated against rabies, or it comes from a designated rabies-free country (the UK) where it has lived for the last 6 months, or it has a passing RNATT result. Kittens under 3 months face no restrictions at all.
Ferrets leaving the United Kingdom
Ferret: the United Kingdom → France
Yes — and this is one of the easiest ferret routes there is, the classic ferry and Eurotunnel run. Great Britain is listed in Annex II to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/636, so your ferret needs no rabies blood test to enter France. It needs a microchip, a valid rabies vaccination, and an animal health certificate (AHC) from an official vet — a Great Britain pet passport is no longer valid for entering the EU. You enter France within 10 days of the certificate being issued, through a travellers' point of entry, and the same certificate then covers onward travel in the EU and re-entry to Great Britain for 6 months.
Moderate rulesFerret: the United Kingdom → the United States
Yes — but this route has two halves, and people usually only hear about the easy one. On the US side there is no federal regime for ferrets at all: USDA APHIS does not regulate their import, so no federal health certificate, permit or quarantine waits in America. On the UK side, leaving for a non-EU country still means an export health certificate (EHC) and an export application form (EXA), with an official vet checking your ferret before travel. And at the far end, state law decides whether the move is legal at all: ferrets are banned in California and Hawaii and cannot be kept as pets in New York City.