Flying a cat from Great Britain to the United States
Scope and research limits
USA: Federal rules for pets entering the US mainland. Each state can add its own entry rules.
This guide covers the journey and pathways stated here. Residence, travel history and connections may change which requirements apply. Confirm these before using the countdown.
Yes
A cat can enter the United States from Great Britain without quarantine when every condition is met.
To meet the entry rules
- a healthy appearance on arrival
If a requirement is missed: An animal refused entry after a flight is returned by the airline to the country it left, on the next available flight and at the importer's expense.
Full answer
A cat can enter the United States from Great Britain without quarantine when every condition is met. It needs a healthy appearance on arrival. If any is missed: An animal refused entry after a flight is returned by the airline to the country it left, on the next available flight and at the importer's expense. Last verified 24 September 2026.
- Rules allow in cabin
- Airline decidesA cat may arrive through any US airport. The federal rules we read set no cabin, hold or cargo limit for cats, so the airline decides.
- Quarantine
- NoneIf a rule is missed: An animal refused entry after a flight is returned by the airline to the country it left, on the next available flight and at the importer's expense.
- Rabies titer
- Not required
- Lead time
- 0 days
Your deadlines, counted back from arrival
None of these steps is a hard deadline. Each step says how long before arrival it falls. Pick an arrival date and your browser works out the calendar dates; it fetches nothing.
Lead time: 0 days
Pick an arrival date to see the calendar date of each step.
Arrival day
Requirements without a countdown
These conditions still apply. Choosing an arrival date does not check them.
The cat must appear healthy on arrival and may be inspected at the port of entry.
Fails if: Signs of a disease that can pass to people.
A cat needs no proof of rabies vaccination to enter the United States, but CDC recommends it, and the US destination may ask for more.
CDC does not require a general health certificate, but some states and airlines do.
From 1 August 2024, a cat going to Massachusetts travels on Great Britain export health certificate 8696.
This plan assumes one air journey, with every step done before you leave. Unless you give a departure date, it assumes you leave the day before arrival or on arrival day. Times are local to the United States (America/New_York).
Which airlines carry cats on this route
2 of 5 airlines carry cats on this route, both as manifest cargo.
This is what airlines offer. An airline can offer less than the rules allow.
Hold means checked baggage. Manifest cargo is a separate booking, even when the animal travels in the same aircraft hold.
| Airline | Cabin | Hold (checked baggage) | Manifest cargo | Fee from | Snub-nosed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| American Airlines | Quoted on request | ||||
| British Airways | Quoted on request | ||||
| Delta Air Lines | |||||
| United Airlines | |||||
| Virgin Atlantic |
- American Airlines: From May 1 to September 30, no pets outside the cabin to, through or from Phoenix, Tucson, Las Vegas or Palm Springs.
- American Airlines: American Airlines Cargo will not carry animals when the ground temperature at the origin, a connection or the destination is above 85 or below 20 degrees Fahrenheit. Between 20 and 44 degrees it needs a vet's acclimation letter, and even then carriage is not guaranteed.
- American Airlines: American Airlines Cargo will not carry animals on any single flight of 12 hours or more.
- American Airlines: Pets cannot be booked through to another airline, including codeshare flights with an American flight number that another airline operates. American Eagle and American Connection flights are not affected.
- American Airlines: A pet shipped from outside the United States must be booked through an IATA-regulated freight forwarder or professional pet shipper.
- American Airlines: American's pets page lists a checked-pet fee for flights from the United Kingdom.
- American Airlines: American's fee table has no checked-pet fee for Europe or the United Kingdom.
- American Airlines: American's filed international tariff says checked pets are accepted through AA Cargo.
- British Airways: IAG Cargo asks for live animals to be checked in 4 hours before departure, subject to the station; some stations set their own cut-off.
- British Airways: IAG Cargo takes no dangerous dogs at Heathrow or Gatwick, and restricts some snub-nosed (brachycephalic) breeds there.
- British Airways: No live-animal exports from Phoenix (PHX) from 15 March to 31 October, and no live-animal imports there at weekends.
- British Airways: IAG Cargo's St. Louis (STL) flight is seasonal, from 19 April until 23 October 2026.
- British Airways: IAG Cargo takes no live-animal imports at Denver (DEN) on days 6 or 7, and restricts live animals at Dallas Fort Worth (DFW) on days 6 and 7 and on holidays. Neither page defines the day numbering.
- British Airways: Collect the pet on the day it lands at New York (JFK), which has no storage, and on arrival at Philadelphia (PHL).
- British Airways: British Airways' Conditions of Carriage still allow checked baggage; its current pet pages say cargo, which is what we show.
- Delta Air Lines: Delta Cargo accepts no pets at Amsterdam (AMS), Paris (CDG), Frankfurt (FRA) or London Heathrow (LHR), even for military and Foreign Service families.
No rule changes recorded since
We have recorded no change to the rules on this page since , when our log began. See every recorded change.
Where every rule above came from
- eCFR (Office of the Federal Register / GPO)ecfr.gov/api/versioner/v1/full/2026-09-22/title-42.xmlA cat may arrive through any US airport; The cat must appear healthy on arrival and may be inspected at the port of entry; An animal refused entry after a flight is returned by the airline to the country it…; The dog is denied admission and returned to the country it left; The airline must refuse to board a dog whose importer has not shown the CDC Dog Import…
- USDA APHISaphis.usda.gov/pet-travel/another-country-to-us-import/catsA cat needs no proof of rabies vaccination to enter the United States, but CDC…
- USDA APHISaphis.usda.gov/pet-travel/another-country-to-us-importFederal rules for pets entering the US mainland
- CDC (U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)cdc.gov/importation/bringing-an-animal-into-the-us/index.htmlThe cat must appear healthy on arrival and may be inspected at the port of entry: what fails; The cat must appear healthy on arrival and may be inspected at the port of entry; A cat needs no proof of rabies vaccination to enter the United States, but CDC…; CDC does not require a general health certificate, but some states and airlines do
- GOV.UK (APHA)gov.uk/export-health-certificates/export-dogs-and-cats-to-the-commonwealth-of-massachusetts-usa-certificate-8696From 1 August 2024, a cat going to Massachusetts travels on Great Britain export health…
- American Airlines Cargo (American PetEmbark)aacargo.com/learn/animals.htmlFrom May 1 to September 30, no pets outside the cabin to, through or from Phoenix, Tucson, Las Vegas or Palm Springs
- American Airlines Cargo (American PetEmbark)aacargo.com/learn/animals-policy-and-restrictions.htmlAmerican Airlines: route, manifest cargo, snub-nosed; American Airlines Cargo will not carry animals when the ground temperature at the…; American Airlines Cargo will not carry animals on any single flight of 12 hours or more; A pet shipped from outside the United States must be booked through an IATA-regulated…
- American Airlines Cargo (American PetEmbark)aacargo.com/downloads/know_before_you_go_FEB2026.pdfAmerican Airlines Cargo will not carry animals on any single flight of 12 hours or more
- American Airlines Cargoaacargo.com/downloads/rates/International_to_International_Live_Animal_v1.09.pdfAmerican Airlines: route
- Delta Cargo (Delta Air Lines)deltacargo.com/Cargo/catalog/products/petsDelta Air Lines: route, manifest cargo, fee from; Delta Cargo accepts no pets at Amsterdam (AMS), Paris (CDG), Frankfurt (FRA) or London…
- Delta Cargo (Delta Air Lines)deltacargo.com/Cargo/catalog/restricted-animalsDelta Air Lines: snub-nosed
- IAG Cargoiagcargo.com/en/products/live-animalsIAG Cargo asks for live animals to be checked in 4 hours before departure, subject to…
- IAG Cargoiagcargo.com/en/products/petsBritish Airways: fee from, snub-nosed
- IAG Cargoiagcargo.com/en/contact-us/denIAG Cargo takes no live-animal imports at Denver (DEN) on days 6 or 7, and restricts live animals at Dallas Fort Worth (DFW) on days 6 and 7 and on holidays
- IAG Cargoiagcargo.com/en/contact-us/dfwIAG Cargo takes no live-animal imports at Denver (DEN) on days 6 or 7, and restricts live animals at Dallas Fort Worth (DFW) on days 6 and 7 and on holidays
- IAG Cargoiagcargo.com/en/contact-us/jfkCollect the pet on the day it lands at New York (JFK), which has no storage, and on arrival at Philadelphia (PHL)
- IAG Cargoiagcargo.com/en/contact-us/lgwIAG Cargo takes no dangerous dogs at Heathrow or Gatwick, and restricts some snub-nosed (brachycephalic) breeds there
- IAG Cargoiagcargo.com/en/contact-us/lhrIAG Cargo takes no dangerous dogs at Heathrow or Gatwick, and restricts some snub-nosed (brachycephalic) breeds there
- IAG Cargoiagcargo.com/en/contact-us/msyBritish Airways: route
- IAG Cargoiagcargo.com/en/contact-us/phlCollect the pet on the day it lands at New York (JFK), which has no storage, and on arrival at Philadelphia (PHL)
- IAG Cargoiagcargo.com/en/contact-us/phxNo live-animal exports from Phoenix (PHX) from 15 March to 31 October, and no…
- IAG Cargoiagcargo.com/en/contact-us/stlIAG Cargo's St. Louis (STL) flight is seasonal, from 19 April until 23 October 2026
- Virgin Atlantic Cargo (division of Virgin Atlantic Airways Ltd)virginatlanticcargo.com/gb/en/contact-us/faqs.htmlVirgin Atlantic: manifest cargo, fee from, snub-nosed
- Virgin Atlantic Cargo (division of Virgin Atlantic Airways Ltd)virginatlanticcargo.com/gb/en/our-network/flight-schedule.htmlVirgin Atlantic: route
- Virgin Atlantic Cargo (division of Virgin Atlantic Airways Ltd)virginatlanticcargo.com/global/en/book/pets2.htmlVirgin Atlantic: manifest cargo, fee from, snub-nosed
- American Airlines (Tariff No. AA1, published by Airline Tariff Publishing Company as agent)aa.com/content/images/tariff/american-airlines-general-rules-of-the-international-tariff.pdfAmerican Airlines: cabin, hold (checked baggage); Pets cannot be booked through to another airline, including codeshare flights with an American flight number that another airline operates
- American Airlinesaa.com/web/i18n/customer-service/support/optional-service-fees.htmlAmerican Airlines: hold (checked baggage)
- American Airlinesaa.com/web/i18n/travel-info/special-assistance/pets.htmlAmerican Airlines: cabin, hold (checked baggage), manifest cargo, fee from, snub-nosed; From May 1 to September 30, no pets outside the cabin to, through or from Phoenix, Tucson, Las Vegas or Palm Springs; Pets cannot be booked through to another airline, including codeshare flights with an American flight number that another airline operates
- British Airwaysbritishairways.com/content/information/disability-assistance/travelling-with-your-assistance-dogBritish Airways: route
- British Airwaysbritishairways.com/content/information/legal/conditions-of-carriage/general-conditions-of-carriageBritish Airways: hold (checked baggage)
- British Airwaysbritishairways.com/content/information/travel-assistance/travelling-with-petsBritish Airways: route, cabin
- British Airwaysbritishairways.com/content/en/us/information/legal/us-optional-extrasBritish Airways: hold (checked baggage), manifest cargo, fee from
- Delta Air Linesdelta.com/us/en/pet-travel/international-connection-pet-travelDelta Air Lines: route, cabin, hold (checked baggage)
- Delta Air Linesdelta.com/us/en/special-circumstances/military-travel/petsDelta Air Lines: hold (checked baggage), fee from, snub-nosed
- Delta Air Linesdelta.com/us/en/pet-travel/overviewDelta Air Lines: fee from
- Delta Air Lines (Delta Professional, travel-agency site)pro.delta.com/content/agency/us/en/products-and-services/pet/pet-policies.htmlDelta Air Lines: route, fee from
- Delta Air Linesdelta.com/us/en/pet-travel/shipping-your-petDelta Air Lines: fee from, snub-nosed
- United Airlinesunited.com/en/us/fly/contract-of-carriage.htmlUnited Airlines: route, cabin, fee from
- United Airlinesunited.com/en/us/fly/travel/trip-planning/military-pet-program.htmlUnited Airlines: manifest cargo
- United Airlinesunited.com/en/us/fly/travel/accessibility-and-assistance/service-animals.htmlUnited Airlines: route
- United Airlinesunited.com/en/us/fly/travel/traveling-with-pets.htmlUnited Airlines: route, cabin, hold (checked baggage), manifest cargo, fee from, snub-nosed
- United Cargo (United Airlines, Inc.)media.united.com/assets/m/75be4c49b532e3f5/original/TACT-rules-section-8-3-United-Airlines-PDF.pdfUnited Airlines: manifest cargo
- Virgin Atlanticvirginatlantic.com/en-us/policies/conditions-of-carriage/article-16Virgin Atlantic: cabin, fee from, snub-nosed
- Virgin Atlantic (help centre)virginatlantic.com/en-US/help/articles/what-are-the-accepted-assistance-dog-breeds----41436c69-a357-4b23-8478-c9e972a1bf30Virgin Atlantic: snub-nosed
- Virgin Atlantic (help centre)virginatlantic.com/en-US/help/articles/can-i-book-a-flight-to-travel-with-my-pet----291a6729-8e4d-4ada-92b3-c8553503694aVirgin Atlantic: route, cabin, hold (checked baggage), fee from, snub-nosed
Rules change without notice. Confirm each item against the linked official page before you book: we date every check, but the official page is the authority.
Related pages
See everything that applies in the United States, or what changed across the site.