Bringing your pet dog, cat or ferret to Great Britain

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Guide and assistance dogs

If you have a ‘recognised assistance dog’ you can:

  • travel on more routes than people with pets

  • use forms of transport where other animals are not allowed, for example you can bring your dog into the aircraft cabin

Guide and assistance dogs must also meet the normal rules for travelling with dogs.

Eligibility

A ‘recognised assistance dog’ is a dog that’s trained to actively help their owner with needs related to their disability or health condition.

This usually includes:

  • autism assistance dogs 
  • guide dogs 
  • hearing dogs 
  • medical alert assistance dogs 
  • physical disability assistance dogs 
  • post-traumatic stress disorder assistance dogs 
  • psychiatric assistance dogs 
  • allergy alert dogs
  • dementia assistance dogs

Dogs that only provide emotional support are not usually considered recognised assistance dogs.

Check with your travel company whether they consider your dog to be an assistance dog.

Travelling by air

Your airline must allow you to travel with your assistance dog if either:

  • your flight departs from inside the EU
  • you’re flying with a UK or EU airline

Tell your airline that you’ll be travelling with a recognised assistance dog at least 48 hours before you travel. You may need to tell them earlier - check with your airline to find out how much notice they need.

If you cannot tell your airline before you travel, they must still make all reasonable efforts to allow you to travel.

There are some rare situations where you might not be allowed to travel, for example, if there is no safe way to transport your dog.

You can enter these airports in Great Britain (England, Wales and Scotland) with your assistance dog.

There may be additional rules to follow if your flight departs from outside the EU. Check with your airline before you travel.

Travelling by sea

You must be allowed to travel to Great Britain with your assistance dog on:

  • ferry services that leave from any EU country
  • cruise services that leave from any EU country

Check with the ferry or cruise company if your journey is different to this.

Tell your travel company that you’ll be travelling with a recognised assistance dog at least 48 hours before you travel. You may need to tell them earlier - check with your travel company to find out how much notice they need.

If you cannot tell your travel company before you travel, they must still make all reasonable efforts to allow you to travel.

There are some rare situations where you might not be allowed to travel, for example, if there is no safe way to transport your dog.

Travelling by rail

Rail companies operating within the UK must accept assistance dogs, but they may have extra conditions.

Check with the rail operator before you travel.

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Part of Bring your pet to Great Britain: step by step

  1. Step 1 Check if you can bring your pet

    1. Check if you can bring your pet
    2. Find out how you're allowed to travel to Great Britain
    3. You are currently viewing: Check different rules for guide and assistance dogs

  2. Step 2 Get your pet microchipped

    1. Check the rules for microchips

  3. Step 3 Get your pet vaccinated against rabies

    1. Check the rules about rabies vaccinations

    You must wait for a set period of time after vaccination before you can travel.

    Depending on the country you're travelling from, you might also need to get a blood test.

  4. and Get tapeworm treatment

    If you have a dog, you may also need to get tapeworm treatment before you travel.

    1. Check the rules about tapeworm treatment

  5. Step 4 Get a pet travel document

    1. Check which travel document you need