Red Tape Travel

Flying a cat from the United States to Northern Ireland

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

Last verified 18 primary sources

Conditional: yes, with 3 hard deadlines

A cat can enter Northern Ireland (Northern Ireland, which stays in the EU pet travel scheme) from the United States without quarantine when every condition is met. It must fly with a carrier DAERA has approved. It needs a rabies vaccination given at 12 weeks old or older, a microchip on or before the rabies vaccination, a rabies vaccination at least 21 days before departure, a notice to DAERA at least 10 working days before departure, an animal health certificate, endorsed in ink by USDA, within 10 days before arrival and 2 more steps (see the planner). If a condition is missed: The pet may be detained and sent back to the country it travelled from, at the owner's cost.

Cabin
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.
Quarantine
Noneno quarantine when every condition is met
Rabies titer
Not requiredPart 2 listed country, such as the USA or Great Britain
Lead time
23 days

Your deadlines, counted back from arrival

3 of these steps are hard deadlines. Changing the date re-dates the plan in your browser; it fetches nothing.

Lead time: 23 days

  1. By 107 days before arrival

    Birth

    No later than

    The pet is at least 12 weeks old when it is vaccinated against rabies. Timing: at least 12 weeks before the rabies vaccination.

    Fails if: Done less than 12 weeks before the rabies vaccination.

  2. By 23 days before arrival

    Microchip

    No later than

    The pet is microchipped, and the chip read, before its rabies vaccination. The same vet visit is fine. Timing: on or before the rabies vaccination.

    Fails if: Done after the rabies vaccination.

  3. By 23 days before arrival

    Rabies vaccinationHard deadline

    No later than

    After 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. Timing: at least 21 days before departure.

    Fails if: Done less than 21 days before departure.

  4. By 15 days before arrival

    Advance noticeHard deadline

    No later than

    Anyone 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. Timing: at least 10 working days before departure.

    Fails if: Telling DAERA fewer than 10 working days before the flight.

  5. By 1 day before arrival

    Vet signs the health certificate

    Between and

    A USDA-accredited vet issues the non-commercial health certificate and submits it through VEHCS for USDA endorsement. It is valid for 30 days after the vet issues it. Timing: within 30 days before arrival.

    Fails if: Done more than 30 days before arrival.

  6. By 1 day before arrival

    Health certificate issued or endorsedHard deadline

    Between and

    An animal health certificate, valid for 10 days from issue for entry into Northern Ireland and for 6 months of onward travel within the EU. Timing: within 10 days before arrival.

    Fails if: Done more than 10 days before arrival.

    USDA endorses the completed certificate, signing and embossing it in ink, within 10 days before the pet arrives. A printed copy of the endorsed certificate travels with the pet. Timing: within 10 days before arrival.

    Fails if: Done more than 10 days before arrival.

  7. Arrival

    Arrive on

This plan assumes one air journey, with every step done before you leave. It assumes you leave the day before arrival or on arrival day. Where a rule counts hours, it assumes you land at 12:00 local time. Times are local to Northern Ireland (Europe/London).

Which airlines carry cats on this route

Fees are per animal, one direction, as published on .
AirlineCabinHoldManifest cargoFee fromSnub-nosed
United AirlinesNoNoNoNoNo

1 change in 12 months

  • Animal health certificate valid for 6 months of onward EU travel, up from 4

    Was
    Valid for 4 months of onward travel within the EU.
    Now
    Valid for 6 months of onward travel within the EU.

    Source: DAERA (Northern Ireland) · found at our first read

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.

See everything that applies in Northern Ireland, or what changed across the site.