Pet Relocation to the UK
Pet Relocation to the UK Introduction
Your Pet Relocation Specialist at Continental Pet Relocation will guide you through the entire process for your pet(s) relocation. Our services always include detailed instructions & guidance regarding airline & country-required documents, templates, pre-filled health certificates, and FedEx prepaid labels for USDA endorsement processing. Please view the below overview of the requirements for importing pets to The United Kingdom.
Due to the increased demand for pets traveling to LHR, pets are accepted on a first come first serve basis. All pets arriving at LHR must have an advanced reservation secured at Heathrow Animal Reception Center (HARC). Due to the limited space and high demand in securing space at HARC, we recommend booking with Continental Pet Relocation at least 60 days in advance of your requested relocation date. We will confirm import eligibility and then request the desired space with the airline and HARC. The HARC will only accept the pre-notification and reservation request directly from the airline which is then added to the database (PHILIS).
Pet Travel Microchip & Vaccinations Requirements
Time frame: Recommended at least 30 days before the departure date
All pets arriving in The United Kingdom from The United States have a microchip and proof of primary rabies vaccination. A “primary” rabies vaccine is defined as a 1-year rabies vaccine administered after the microchip implantation and boostered within the first year. Rabies vaccination cannot be administered until a minimum age of 12 weeks. The Rabies vaccine must be at least 21 days old at the final health exam and endorsement.
Each pet must be identified by means of a microchip. No other form of identification is acceptable. The microchip used should comply with 15-digit ISO Standard 11784 or 11785. The United Kingdom currently accepts AVID 9 and AVID 10 in addition to ISO. The microchip must be implanted before the rabies vaccine is administered.
Tapeworm treatment
Dogs UK- Tapeworm treatment no less than 24 hours and no more than 120 hours before arrival at the destination airport. Praziquantel must be the active ingredient.
Other recommend vaccines
- Dogs: Distemper, Hepatitis, Leptospirosis, Parainfluenza and Parvovirus (DHLPP) and Bordetella.
- Cats: Feline Viral Rhinotracheitis, Calicivirus and Panleukopenia (FVRCP).
These should be valid at the time of import and administered no less than two weeks before export date for maximum effectiveness.
UK Import Documentation
Time frame: Within ten days before departure (non-commercial) or two days prior (commercial)
We will confirm the travel scheme under which your pet is traveling and will provide the guidance, detailed instructions, and templates for the health exam appointment.
NON-COMMERCIAL/10-DAY HEALTH CERTIFICATE: Pet arriving in The UK within five days of the pet owner’s arrival in The UK will travel as a non-commercial movement using a health certificate that is valid for 10 days
COMMERCIAL/2-DAY HEALTH CERTIFICATE: Pets arriving in The UK more or less than five days after the pet owner arrives The UK will travel as a commercial movement using a health certificate that is valid for 2 days
UK Pet Import Services
Our services always include the UK Import Services:
- Guidance with ToR (VAT if applicable is paid directly to import agency)
- HARC Pre-Check
- UK Customs Clearance
- Airline Handling Fees
*Optional home delivery or boarding facility is also available
Read Our Reviews
With snow storms and a pandemic Heather managed to get my cat from Atlanta to Dublin! She communicated so well with me and I couldn’t be more grateful for all of her help. I would highly recommend Continental Pet Relocation to anyone trying to get their pet across the ocean!
Heather was easy to get in touch with. The process went smoothly and our three animals arrived safely and happily in Germany. We will recommend this company to our friends and use them to bring our fur babies back home.
Continental Pet helped me relocate my cat, Panther, to England Oct 2020 and they did a wonderful job. Kristi and Heather were flexible with our last minute bookings and all the paperwork changes that Covid-19 entailed. They helped me through each phase of the process and gave me really useful checklists far in advance for the vet visits and forms needed for travel. Panther was so cared for! And Kristi and Heather made themselves available at all times for texts and calls. Can't recommend them enough! I wanted the best for my little guy and know I got it using their services.
I am very thankful I picked Continental Pet Relocation to coordinate my Great Dane and Irish Wolfhound safe travel from USA to Europe. The team was on top of every detail concerning the move. The move overseas was already stressful but knowing my dogs travel was taken care of by the professionals at Continental Pet Relocation provided me a peace of mind. I highly recommend Continental Pet Relocation and will use them again.
I would highly recommend using Continental Pet Relocation. My husband and I will use them if we ever need to move our dog overseas again! Heather and Katie were very quick to respond and made the whole process very easy! We moved our Portuguese Water Dog from the US to Germany. The original departure date was canceled due to strikes for Lufthansa. Katie made sure we were updated and worked with us to get our pup out as soon as possible.
I was extremely nervous about shipping our 80 lbs lab to Germany, especially during the covid crisis with limited flights. Heather made the process easy with detailed instructions, and took care of everything. She is flexible as well which was great when my vets office took longer than anticipated for paperwork. She even updated me about her flight status and offered to help with process of picking her up in Germany. My dog was well taken care of at the boarding facility before her flight and was happy when she got off the plane.
We cannot thank Kristi and Heather enough for getting our two dogs and cat shipped from North Carolina to Austria. They made everything super easy and they are so knowledgeable in the process of shipping pets. They replied to every question I had almost immediately. Kept us informed every step of the way. They really remove the stress out of what would have been a stressful situation. I highly recommend them and they’ll be my first call should we need to move again. Thanks so much Kristi and Heather. Best regards, David and Laura.
Heather was amazingly responsive to all my inquiries when we shipped our Rhodesian Ridgeback back to the US and needed ground transportation from GA to NC. She kept us updated when our dog’s flight was detoured to Charlotte, and when she finally landed in Atlanta. Ground transportation was speedy, and our old dog was in great hands. We will definitely use them again.
Spectacular service! I was extremely stressed throughout the whole process of shipping my Lab from the US to Germany but the staff at CPR practically took me by the hand made it all seem easy! The near daily communication and instructions were succinct and accurate, my questions were answered promptly and there was always a thorough follow-up as I completed each step of the process. A truly amazing service! Thank you!
I am genuinely grateful for Heather and Kristi at Continental Pet Relocation. They have gone above and beyond to get my fur babies from North Carolina to Okinawa, Japan. I never recommend doing things last minute; however, when our two pet shipper companies failed me and my family, Heather and Kristi were able to do the impossible with such little time. I cannot say thank you enough to them and the rest of their team. I completely trusted them, and I made the right choice! Thank you, Continental Pet Relocation, for all you’ve done for my family and me!
We were moving from Germany to the US in the middle of the pandemic, needing to book flights right as the CDC announced their rabies ban and airlines stopped flying dogs. Heather was communicative, understanding, and so helpful. Her team was consistently professional. They were also just kind people, which goes such a long way for nervous pet parents hoping to ensure their baby gets to their destination safely. We are so grateful that we reached out to Continental.
Heather and Kristi were fantastic and so helpful when we relocated our small 20lb dog, Rexi, from Seattle to London, while personally and professionally handling lots of twists, turns and unexpected challenges with logistics. Couldn’t have imagined shipping her on our own, and so thankful for their help with everything. We’re now all settled in and exploring the UK! Thanks again and highest recommendation for those considering shipping a pet!
We couldn't find any feed from your instagram account!!