Red Tape Travel

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Export and import requirements

Taking your dog from the US to England

Last verified: September 24, 2026Published

The quick answer

A dog flying from the United States to England must be microchipped, vaccinated against rabies, treated for tapeworm and covered by a Great Britain pet health certificate, and it must wait at least 21 full days after its first rabies vaccination before it travels.[1] A dog that does not meet the rules may be put into quarantine for up to 4 months.[1]

Red Tape Travel covers this journey on its dog page for the United States to Great Britain, where deadlines are counted back from an arrival date.

The steps in order

England is part of Great Britain, so a dog flying from the United States to England follows the United States export steps before it leaves and the Great Britain import rules when it arrives.[1] Red Tape Travel lists the export steps on its United States page and the import rules on its Great Britain page.

These steps are for a dog that travels with its owner or a designated person. A dog that arrives more than 5 days before or after its owner, or that will be sold or rehomed, falls under commercial rules that this guide does not cover.[1][2]

  1. Microchip the dog.

    Great Britain requires the microchip to go in before, or at the same time as, the rabies vaccination.[1] The microchip must be ISO compliant, and its implantation date on the health certificate must be on or before the date of the primary rabies vaccination.[2]

    Fails if: the dog is vaccinated for rabies before it is microchipped, because it must then be vaccinated again.[1]

  2. Vaccinate the dog against rabies.

    The dog is at least 12 weeks old when it is vaccinated against rabies.[1] After the first rabies vaccination, the dog waits at least 21 full days before it travels to Great Britain, and day 1 is the day after the vaccination.[1] GOV.UK words the wait differently in its guidance for transport carriers, which counts the day of vaccination as day 0 and says the dog can travel on day 21.[3] APHIS states a separate booster rule for a dog whose first rabies vaccination after microchipping is no longer valid, so the accredited veterinarian should read that section of the APHIS page.[2]

    Fails if: the dog travels before it has waited at least 21 full days after its first rabies vaccination.[1]

  3. Have a USDA-accredited veterinarian complete the certificate.

    In the United States, a USDA-accredited veterinarian completes and signs the Great Britain pet health certificate, and it is valid for 30 days after signing.[2] A dog flying from the United States to Great Britain needs this certificate, not a pet passport or an animal health certificate.[1][4]

    Fails if: the dog arrives on a pet passport or an animal health certificate, because neither can be used to enter Great Britain from the United States.[4]

  4. Have APHIS endorse the certificate.

    APHIS must ink-sign and emboss the certificate, and the endorsement must happen within 10 days of the dog's arrival in Great Britain.[2] The owner or a designated person also signs the declaration on the final page of the certificate before the dog travels, and the declaration travels with the dog and the certificate.[2]

    Fails if: the certificate is not endorsed in ink by APHIS within 10 days of the dog's arrival in Great Britain.[2]

  5. Treat the dog for tapeworm.

    A USDA-accredited veterinarian treats the dog for tapeworm no less than 24 hours and no more than 5 days (120 hours) before the dog enters Great Britain.[1][2] The certificate records the medication's brand and manufacturer, the date and time of the treatment, and the veterinarian's signature.[2] Great Britain allows the treatment before or after APHIS endorses the certificate.[2]

    Fails if: the treatment is given outside the window of no less than 24 hours and no more than 5 days (120 hours) before the dog enters Great Britain.[1]

  6. Book an approved airline and airport, as cargo.

    A dog flying to Great Britain travels as cargo unless it is a guide or assistance dog or flies on a chartered private plane.[1] It can only use carriers and routes approved by the Animal and Plant Health Agency, and the GOV.UK list of approved air routes includes British Airways, American Airlines and Delta Air Lines.[5][6]

    Fails if: the dog flies on a carrier or route that is not approved.[6]

Airline rules for Great Britain

A dog flying to Great Britain on British Airways travels in the hold, because the airline says it does not carry pets in the cabin on any route.[7] Red Tape Travel covers that airline's pet rules on its British Airways page.

Dogs Great Britain does not admit

A dog of a banned type cannot come into Great Britain unless it already has a valid Certificate of Exemption.[1] The banned types are the Pit Bull Terrier, Japanese Tosa, Dogo Argentino, Fila Brasileiro and XL Bully, and whether a dog is a banned type depends on what it looks like, not its breed or name.[8]

Confirm before booking. Rules and airline policies change. Check the official pages linked under Sources, and your airline, before you pay for anything.

Sources

  1. gov.uk: the Great Britain rules for bringing a dog, including the microchip, the rabies vaccination, the tapeworm treatment, air cargo and banned types.
  2. aphis.usda.gov: the United States export steps for a dog going to Great Britain.
  3. gov.uk: the checks that transport carriers make on pets entering Great Britain.
  4. gov.uk: the travel document a dog from the United States must use.
  5. gov.uk: the airlines and airports approved for pets flying into Great Britain.
  6. gov.uk: the carriers and routes approved by the Animal and Plant Health Agency.
  7. britishairways.com: the pet travel page of British Airways.
  8. gov.uk: the dog types that are banned.