Red Tape Travel

Bringing a pet into Northern Ireland

UK — Northern Ireland: Northern Ireland, which stays in the EU pet travel scheme. Great Britain has its own pet travel rules. See Great Britain.

Last verified Applies to dogs, cats and ferrets23 primary sources

Entry permitted: no quarantine when compliant

From Great Britain, residents of Great Britain need a microchip and a free Pet Travel Document; residents of Northern Ireland need only a microchip. Everyone else needs a microchip, then a rabies vaccination at least 21 days before travel, and an EU pet passport from an EU country or an animal health certificate from the USA or Great Britain. Dogs on that path also need a tapeworm treatment between 24 and 120 hours before arrival, unless they come directly from Finland, Ireland, Malta or Norway. Anyone flying in tells DAERA at least 10 working days before they travel.

Quarantine
No quarantine when compliantno quarantine when every condition is met
Titer required
Not required
Cabin entry
Airline decidesWhether a pet flies in the cabin, the hold or as cargo is the airline's rule. Carriers need DAERA's approval to transport pets to Northern Ireland.
Banned breeds
None in our sources

Requirements, in the order they must happen

If you live in England, Scotland or Wales

Residents of Great Britain travelling directly from Great Britain use the free Northern Ireland Pet Travel Document and promise not to travel on to the EU.

StepRequirementTiming ruleFails if
Advance noticeAnyone flying into Northern Ireland with a pet emails DAERA at daeratradeimports@daera-ni.gov.uk at least 10 working days before travelling, to pre-notify the arrival.at least 10 working days before departureTelling DAERA fewer than 10 working days before the flight.
RequirementA free Northern Ireland Pet Travel Document, and a signed declaration that the pet will not travel on to the EU.—Travelling via an EU country, including Ireland.
RequirementThe pet is microchipped. On these paths it needs no rabies vaccination or tapeworm treatment.—The microchip cannot be read, or its number does not match the one on the pet's PTD.
NoteAPHA aims to process a PTD application within 5 working days, but does not promise it will arrive before you travel. Apply well ahead.——
LimitYou cannot take more than 5 pets to Northern Ireland unless you are attending or training for an event. DAERA words the limit as 5 pets in a single vehicle.——
NoteAssistance dogs follow the same rules as other dogs.Dogs only——

If you live in Northern Ireland

Residents of Northern Ireland coming back from Great Britain need no travel document. The pet must be microchipped.

StepRequirementTiming ruleFails if
Advance noticeAnyone flying into Northern Ireland with a pet emails DAERA at daeratradeimports@daera-ni.gov.uk at least 10 working days before travelling, to pre-notify the arrival.at least 10 working days before departureTelling DAERA fewer than 10 working days before the flight.
RequirementThe pet is microchipped. On these paths it needs no rabies vaccination or tapeworm treatment.—The microchip cannot be read, or its number does not match the one on the pet's PTD.
LimitYou cannot take more than 5 pets to Northern Ireland unless you are attending or training for an event. DAERA words the limit as 5 pets in a single vehicle.——
NoteAssistance dogs follow the same rules as other dogs.Dogs only——

Everyone else

Everyone else follows the EU pet travel rules for the country the pet comes from. From Great Britain, that includes anyone travelling via an EU country, including Ireland.

StepRequirementTiming ruleFails if
BirthThe pet is at least 12 weeks old when it is vaccinated against rabies.at least 12 weeks before the rabies vaccinationDone less than 12 weeks before the rabies vaccination.
MicrochipThe pet is microchipped, and the chip read, before its rabies vaccination. The same vet visit is fine.on or before the rabies vaccinationDone after the rabies vaccination.
Rabies vaccinationAfter a primary rabies vaccination the pet waits at least 21 days before travelling, or 30 days if the vaccine's datasheet says so. A booster given before the last vaccination expires needs no wait.at least 21 days before departureDone less than 21 days before departure.
Advance noticeAnyone flying into Northern Ireland with a pet emails DAERA at daeratradeimports@daera-ni.gov.uk at least 10 working days before travelling, to pre-notify the arrival.at least 10 working days before departureTelling DAERA fewer than 10 working days before the flight.
Health certificate issued or endorsedAn animal health certificate, valid for 10 days from issue for entry into Northern Ireland and for 6 months of onward travel within the EU.Only: Part 2 listed country, such as the USA or Great Britainwithin 10 days before arrivalDone more than 10 days before arrival.
Tapeworm treatmentA vet treats the dog for tapeworm no less than 24 hours and no more than 120 hours before its scheduled entry into Northern Ireland.Dogs only; Except: Coming directly from Finland, Ireland, Malta or Norwaybetween 24 and 120 hours before arrivalDone less than 24 or more than 120 hours before arrival.
RequirementFrom another EU country, the pet travels on a valid EU pet passport.Only: Another EU country—No valid EU pet passport.
NoteFrom the USA, or from Great Britain outside the Pet Travel Scheme, the pet enters through a travellers' point of entry. By air these are Belfast International, Belfast City and City of Derry airports.Only: Part 2 listed country, such as the USA or Great Britain——
NoteTo use the animal health certificate for 6 months of onward travel in the EU, have it endorsed at the travellers' point of entry when you arrive. Without that, it is not valid for onward travel.Only: Part 2 listed country, such as the USA or Great Britain——
NoteSomeone other than the owner may travel with the pet if they carry the owner's written authorisation, attached to the certificate or passport, and the owner travels within 5 days of the pet.——
LimitYou cannot take more than 5 pets to Northern Ireland unless you are attending or training for an event. DAERA words the limit as 5 pets in a single vehicle.——
NoteAssistance dogs follow the same rules as other dogs.Dogs only——

Routes into Northern Ireland

Leaving Northern Ireland with a pet

To Great Britain

StepRequirementTiming ruleFails if
RequirementIf you live in Northern Ireland, you need no health preparations or documents to travel to Great Britain, but the pet must be microchipped before it leaves.—The pet is not microchipped when it leaves Northern Ireland.
NoteThere are no checks on pets travelling from Northern Ireland to Great Britain, and no export health certificate is needed.——

To European Union

StepRequirementTiming ruleFails if
RequirementA vet practice in the pet travel scheme issues the EU pet passport, which is all a pet needs to travel within the EU. It is issued only to owners who live in Northern Ireland or the EU.—The owner does not live in Northern Ireland or the EU, so no EU pet passport can be issued.
NoteA pet that came into Northern Ireland from Great Britain under the Pet Travel Scheme may not be moved on to an EU country.——
NoteFrom Northern Ireland, the pet does not need to use a travellers' point of entry in the EU country it goes to.——

To United States

StepRequirementTiming ruleFails if
NoteAn export health certificate is usually needed when a pet's final destination is outside the EU. The owner applies for it in DAERA's Export Certification System (DECS).——
NoteApply on DECS no earlier than 10 days before the pet leaves, and at least 2 working days before it is dispatched.——
NoteGOV.UK's dog export certificate for the USA is only required for certain US states, such as Massachusetts. In Northern Ireland you complete it as part of the DECS application.——
NoteA cat going to Massachusetts travels on GOV.UK's export certificate for cats to Massachusetts.——

Where every rule above came from

Rules change without notice. Confirm each item against the linked official page before you book: we re-check weekly and date every check, but the official page is the authority.