Relocating with a pet from the UK to Europe requires planning, but pets generally adapt well with familiar routines, consistent care and the right preparation. This guide explains the practical steps for travel and documents, alongside the behavioural factors that help your pet feel secure, settle confidently and adjust to their new environment.
Relocating to Europe involves many decisions and for pet owners, the question of how to move their animals safely is often one of the most important.
While the practical steps can feel unfamiliar, the process is manageable with preparation and pets generally adapt better than their owners expect.
This guide brings together the practical requirements for travelling from the UK to Europe with an understanding of how pets experience change, helping you prepare for a smooth transition.
This guide was written for Experts for Expats in collaboration with Emily Benner, Pet Relocation Specialist, to support pet owners preparing for a move from the UK to Europe.
Emily is an International Pet Relocation Consultant with hands-on experience moving pets safely from the UK and abroad into Europe.
Having successfully relocated her own dog and now living in Paris, she has developed a clear, structured approach to navigating regulations, paperwork and transport options.
Emily specialises in turning complex requirements into a simple, personalised plan that reduces stress for both owners and their pets.
Book a consultation directly with Emily: https://petrelo.carrd.co/
Your pet must have a 15-digit ISO-compliant microchip.
This needs to be recorded before, or at the same appointment as, the rabies vaccination. If your pet was vaccinated before being microchipped, the vaccination does not count for EU entry and must be done again.
After microchipping, your pet requires a rabies vaccination.
The EU requires a minimum 21-day wait before travel. This allows enough time for the vaccine to take effect.
Because the UK is a rabies-controlled country, no blood titre test is required provided you travel directly from the UK to an EU country.
Since Brexit, UK Pet Passports are no longer valid for travel to the EU.
Your vet must issue an Animal Health Certificate (AHC) within 10 days of travel. Once in the EU, you can choose to obtain an EU Pet Passport for future trips if you wish.
Your pet’s method of travel will depend on size, breed and carrier rules. Options typically include:
It is important to check crate requirements, booking rules and any seasonal restrictions well before your travel date.
The issuing vet will verify the microchip, confirm the rabies vaccination and complete the AHC.
The certificate permits entry into the EU for 10 days and travel within the EU for up to four months.
Dogs travelling to certain EU countries, including Ireland, Malta, Finland and Norway, require tapeworm treatment administered 1–5 days before entry. Your vet will record this in the AHC.
On arrival, officials may check the Animal Health Certificate, microchip number and vaccine information. If the documentation is correct, checks are normally quick and straightforward.
Most pets recover from the journey soon after being reunited with their owner.
While the experience is unfamiliar, pets tend to feel more secure once they are back with their family.
Pets do not interpret relocation in the same way that humans do.
They do not deal with visas, language differences or administrative challenges. Their sense of security comes from predictable patterns, familiar scents and their relationship with their owner. When these remain stable, pets usually settle well.
Many people considering a move abroad find that their biggest source of hesitation is concern for how their pet will cope.
In some cases, people pause their plans or abandon a relocation entirely because the uncertainty feels too great. These concerns are understandable, but it is possible to reduce them significantly with preparation, structured support and familiarisation techniques that are known to work. It is also important to recognise that pets are sensitive to their owner’s emotional state.
Looking after your own wellbeing, and managing your move with confidence and calmness, helps your pet feel secure and contributes to a smoother transition for both of you.
Below are some other key factors that can contribute to a safe and structured relocation with a pet.
A new home introduces many new scents. Bringing familiar items such as bedding, blankets or a worn item of clothing can help your pet establish a sense of safety more quickly.
Pets take emotional cues from their owners. Calm, steady behaviour from you helps reinforce that the new environment is safe.
Routine contributes significantly to your pet’s sense of stability. Maintaining consistent feeding times, walks and bedtime routines can help your pet settle more comfortably.
Remember, a change in continent does not mean a change in meal times and your pet does not have a watch and cannot tell the time.
They go by light and when their tummy rumbles or, as any pet owner knows, when you are eating.
Helping your pet become familiar with their carrier and travel environment can make the journey easier for them.
Allow your pet to explore the carrier in advance:
Introducing your pet to busier or unfamiliar settings can help them adjust more easily to the changes associated with travel.
Before the journey, test how your pet responds to different travel-friendly water systems and treats. Avoid large meals immediately before travel.
The first few weeks in your new European home are especially important for helping your pet adjust to their new surroundings.
Your aim is to create familiarity, reduce unnecessary changes and give your pet time to build confidence at their own pace.
As soon as you arrive, set up a small, quiet space with familiar items such as their bed, toys and food and water bowls.
This acts as a safe zone, particularly if there are movers, deliveries or visitors coming into the home in the early days. Pets rely heavily on scent, so these familiar objects help ground them quickly.
For the first week or so, walk the same block or repeat the same short routes near your home.
This allows your pet to understand the immediate area, learn local smells and sounds and develop confidence in their new environment before exploring further.
Allowing them to choose small variations within the walk can also help them feel in control and more comfortable.
If you can, stay with your pet as much as possible during the first few days in the new home.
This reinforces that the new environment is safe and that their routine still involves you being close by. When you eventually need to leave them alone, follow the same pattern you used in your previous home so that they recognise it and feel reassured.
Many owners assume that playfulness is the best sign that a pet is settling, but the clearest indicators are often seen during rest.
If your pet is sleeping calmly, breathing steadily and settling into familiar sleeping habits, it is a strong sign that they are processing the change well.
Regular eating, grooming and gentle playfulness also suggest growing confidence.
Relocating with a pet from the UK to Europe is a detailed process and it is normal for owners to feel uncertain. Pets, however, tend to adapt well when their routines, relationships and environment feel safe and predictable.
With thoughtful preparation, consistent care and attention to your own wellbeing, your pet can settle comfortably and thrive in their new home. The more secure and calm you feel through the relocation, the more your pet will reflect that same sense of stability.
Book a consultation directly with Emily: https://petrelo.carrd.co/
