Moving Overseas with a Pet
When you are moving overseas with a pet there is a lot to find out and different requirements are needed depending on where you are moving and why.
See some Dog Travel Finds to help you plan your trip!
Will they have to be quarantined?
How much does it cost to get the health certificate?
For us, moving to Belgium was mostly straight forward. Our pup is about 6 pounds and is able to be carried on the plane. He will fit under the seat back in front of us and he has been traveling by plane for most of his 3 years of life (though never for 8 straight hours at a time).
He is a relatively good traveller. He will whine for a bit when everyone is still getting settled on the plane. Honestly, that is the time when I whine as well. It’s hot and stuffy and everyone is trying to take up all the overhead room and get their seat belts on and it’s a very stressful 20 minutes. Mostly he will whimper, maybe a tiny yelp and then once everyone is settled, he is too.
Most airports now are including pet relief areas which is so helpful for layovers when you aren’t physically leaving the airport or have no access to outside areas where doggo can relieve themselves.
He needed to get updated shots anyway as well as a Europe approved microchip and updated rabies shots. We set his appointment for that, and he got it done fairly easy peasy.
Next, is making sure that the pupper is added to the flights. We called the airlines that we are flying with over to Belgium and requested to add our dog to our flight. This is an out of pocket expense. Not sure how it works for larger dogs, or service and emotional support animals, but for us we did end up paying $120 for the first flight from the US to Frankfurt and $50 from Frankfurt to Brussels. This is not bad compared to some of the prices I have seen when researching flying overseas with your pet.
The one expense that I was not accounting for was the health clearance that is necessary to take our pup with us. 10 days before our travel date, our little guy needs to get one final check up and thumbs up to say he is in good health and clear for travel. We had set up an appointment for this with the veterinarian, and were told that it would cost around $60.
So, we called around and found that only one veterinarian in our town can actually provide an international health clearance. #smalltownproblems The clearance has to be completed within the 10 days before we leave. When I spoke with the veterinarian, she let me know upfront that the fees associated with this clearance are upwards of $400! She stated that they have to overnight documents and get them signed off on by another party which is partially why the fees are so high.
Our fur baby is a member of our little family, and we will do what it takes to ensure safe travels for him as well!
If you are looking to travel internationally with your pet check out https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/pet-travel for the requirements needed for the country you are traveling to.
For what to pack for your pup, see my packing list below:
Happy Pup Travels!
Here is the list and some affiliate links to the specific items my pup and I use!
Food
Toys
Potty Pads
Harness
Leash
Collar
Poo bags
Wipes
Blanket/small towel
Sling-This thing has come in handy. It’s a hands free way to hold on to your pup
Pet clothes (optional-our dog is a Yorkie, he has no undercoat and if it is less than 40 degrees out it can be dangerous for them to be outside for certain periods of time)
Documents:
Shot records (and copies-printed and digital)
Microchip information
Health Clearance
Here are the specifics!
Dog food:
Toys (with no stuffing):
Potty Pads:
Harness:
Poo bags:
Sling-This thing has come in handy. It’s a hands free way to hold on to your pup: